New Delhi, May 26 -- India's fertility story first reached a turning point five years ago, when the National Family Health Survey-5 for 2019-2021 showed the country's total fertility rate (TFR) had fallen to 2. The average number of children a woman bears was below the standard replacement rate of 2.1 half a decade ago.

Last week, the Sample Registration System (SRS) Statistical Report for 2024, published by the Office of the Registrar General of India, revealed the pace of decline. In 2024, our national TFR fell to a little under 1.9.

The speed at which we are undergoing a structural demographic transformation will have consequences for the economy, labour market, healthcare system and social dynamics.

The TFR measures the average num...