The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) authored the State of The World Population Report 2025 tackling the real fertility crisis facing the world today. The report was conducted through online poll surveys in 14 countries with 14000 responses received. The key findings from the report about India are as follows -

• India was ranked first in the world with 146 crore people. The population is projected to rise to 170 crore by 2050 and then it will start declining.

• India has dipped below the replacement rate of Total Fertility Rate (TFR) of 2.1 and reached 1.9.

• 17% of people in India belong to the adolescent age group (10-19 years) with 7% belonging to the geriatric age group (65 and older). The numbers for the geriatric age group are expected to rise as life expectancy rises to 71 for men and 75 for women in 2025.

• Meanwhile, the report states that the real crisis is neither underpopulation nor overpopulation, but, it is the amount of unmet reproductive goals for women.

• In India, 36% of individuals report experiencing unintended pregnancies, while 30% have more or fewer children than they intended. Additionally, 23% face both challenges simultaneously.

• 40% of Indians faced financial barriers in achieving desired fertility like job insecurity, housing issues and reduced support for child rearing. Meanwhile poor health, infertility and poor access to reproductive care were reported as barriers by 15%, 13% and 14% of people.

• The adolescent fertility rate of India was still high at 14.1 births per 1000 women belonging to the age group of 15-19 years.

• The Total Fertility Rate (TFR) has fallen below the replacement level of 2.1 in 31 Indian states and Union Territories..

• The solution according to the authors was focussed on providing greater reproductive agency to women by allowing a 150% choice about sex, contraception choices and conception.