india's population: finally some sign of a plateau.

India's population has touched 117 crores and is expected to surpass china in the next 3 decades. However, the growth rate has been declining and is about 1.55% per annum. The fertility rate which was about 5 in the 1950s has come down to 2.78 and is expected to touch the magical replacement rate of 2.1 by 2040. It is believed that the population will peak by 2050 and then it will remain stable or there can be small decline . The population of japan, Russia, and some eastern european countries are already in decline phase due to adverse demographics and falling birth rates.

India is generally considered as an overpopulated country which does not have adequate resources to sustain such a huge population. The reduction in growth rate is a welcome sign as it will make it easier to eradicate poverty , disease and illiteracy. However, there should not be coercive measures from the state to control the population as it can result in female foeticide as we have seen in china where there is huge disparity in sex ratio. Finally, the improvement in socioeconomic condition generally make people go for smaller families. Thus, the stabilization of the population of a country is a natural process which closely follows its economic development.