India, Sept. 6 -- Too much of anything is bad, but too little of it is equally worrisome. India has long been celebrated as a young nation with a large working-age population powering its growth story. However, recent data suggest a quiet demographic transformation is underway. The latest Sample Registration System (SRS) Statistical Report 2023 reveals that India's Total Fertility Rate (TFR) has declined to 1.9, down from 2.0 in the previous year, well below the replacement level of 2.1 births per woman. For the first time, rural India's TFR has touched the replacement rate of 2.1, while urban India's rate is even lower at 1.5. The fall in fertility is driven by a combination of social, economic, and cultural changes - rising urbanisation g...