Published Aug 10, 2026 | 2:14 PM ⚊ Updated Aug 10, 2026 | 5:56 PM
Tamil Nadu is gradually becoming an ageing society
Synopsis: Tamil Nadu’s declining birth rate could eventually have implications beyond population numbers. A sustained fertility rate below the replacement level means younger generations become smaller over time, potentially reducing the size of the working-age population while increasing the proportion of older people who require healthcare and social support.
Tamil Nadu may consider introducing incentives to encourage couples to have more children as the state’s Total Fertility Rate (TFR) falls below 1.4 and its population continues to age, Health Minister K G Arunraj said on Sunday, 9 August.
He indicated that the state could eventually explore a policy approach similar to neighbouring Andhra Pradesh.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a two-day conference organised by the Obstetric and Gynaecological Society of Southern India (OGSSI) in Chennai, Arunraj described the declining birth rate as a major public health challenge and said Tamil Nadu needs to consider how to maintain replacement-level fertility.
“The Total Fertility Rate in Tamil Nadu has fallen below 1.4, according to the studies available to us now. The latest Census will give us the correct figure,” Arunraj said.
A TFR of 2.1 is generally considered the replacement level needed to maintain a broadly stable population over the long term, in the absence of migration.
The minister said Tamil Nadu’s demographic profile is already changing, with around 16% of its population aged above 60.
“This means Tamil Nadu is gradually becoming an ageing society,” he said, adding that the state may eventually need to consider ways of encouraging couples to have more children.
“In the future, there could even be discussions on how we can encourage couples to have more children. It could certainly happen,” Arunraj said.
His comments come at a time when Andhra Pradesh has already begun shifting its policy approach from population control to population management, in response to its own declining fertility rate.
Also Read: AP announces cash for more children, but women pay with their health
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has announced a series of measures aimed at encouraging larger families as the state’s TFR has fallen to around 1.5, well below the replacement level of 2.1.
Under the policy announced by the state, families would receive a ₹30,000 incentive for a third child and ₹40,000 for a fourth child. The broader population-management framework also proposes nutritional support for the third child, free education in government institutions up to the age of 18 and subsidised fertility treatment, including IVF services.
The policy is part of Andhra Pradesh’s broader Swarna Andhra Vision 2047, which seeks to address the long-term consequences of low fertility, including an ageing population and a shrinking working-age population.
Naidu has argued that the state needs to move away from decades of population-control policies and towards policies that support families and address demographic ageing.
The state has also moved to remove the earlier restriction that prevented people with more than two children from contesting local body elections.
Andhra Pradesh’s policy shift has brought the issue of low fertility into sharper focus in southern India, with Tamil Nadu now also publicly acknowledging the possibility of measures to encourage higher fertility.
Also Read: Chandrababu Naidu announces population incentive scheme
Arunraj said Tamil Nadu needs to look at the issue from a long-term perspective rather than through an immediate intervention.
“Our human resources are our biggest resource. Whatever resources we have, we need human resources to utilise them properly and to develop them further,” he said.
Tamil Nadu’s declining birth rate could eventually have implications beyond population numbers. A sustained fertility rate below replacement level means younger generations become smaller over time, potentially reducing the size of the working-age population while increasing the proportion of older people who require healthcare and social support.
Arunraj said the government would consult officials across departments to determine how the trend can be addressed.
“The birth rate in Tamil Nadu is gradually declining. This is definitely a major public health challenge. We need to meet officials from different departments and discuss how we can address this and improve the situation,” he said.
“There has to be a replacement level of fertility. We need to think about what efforts we can take to maintain the population at the current level,” he added.
However, the minister did not announce any incentive scheme for Tamil Nadu.
Referring specifically to Andhra Pradesh, he said similar measures could arise in Tamil Nadu in the future.
“We were told that in Andhra Pradesh, there are government schemes providing incentives for couples to have a third child. Therefore, in the future, there could definitely be such things here too,” Arunraj said.
He stressed that any such intervention would require long-term policy planning.
“We cannot think about this only in the short term. This definitely requires long-term planning,” he said.
Also Read: World failed to reverse falling birth rates with cash
Arunraj’s comments came during a discussion on childbirth and maternity care in Tamil Nadu. He said the share of deliveries taking place in government hospitals has also declined steadily.
According to him, government hospitals accounted for 65.8% of deliveries in 2017-18, but the share has now fallen to around 51%.
He said the reasons for the decline need to be examined through a detailed study. One possible factor, he said, is the growing number of private medical colleges offering free deliveries. The government also provides financial assistance under the Dr Muthulakshmi Reddy Maternity Benefit Scheme to eligible women delivering in private hospitals.
At the same time, Arunraj said government hospitals provide deliveries free of cost and that the state has strengthened maternity-care facilities, including dedicated C-MAM centres, with additional nurses, doctors, anaesthetists and paediatricians.
The government has also introduced the Thaai Maaman Thanga Muthirai scheme to encourage institutional deliveries in government hospitals.
