Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has urged families in southern states to consider having more children, warning of an ageing population. He pointed out that the fertility rate in southern states has dropped to 1.6, which is lower than the national average of 2.1. Naidu mentioned that the state is thinking of introducing a law to encourage larger families, including making people with more than two children eligible to contest local elections.
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Naidu expressed concerns about the future, saying that while India has a demographic advantage until 2047, signs of an ageing population are already visible in states like Andhra Pradesh. He pointed to other countries like Japan and China, which are struggling with ageing populations, and warned that India could face the same issues if birth rates continue to fall. Naidu also mentioned that many villages in Andhra now mostly consist of elderly people, as the younger population has moved to cities.
This isn’t the first time Naidu has raised these concerns. During his previous term as chief minister, he offered incentives to families with more than two children, worried about the impact of an ageing society. Andhra Pradesh has seen demographic changes, especially since Telangana became a separate state in 2014.
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