Child mortality has fallen sharply in India. Every year, 25 million children are born in the country, which is a fifth of all newborns in the world. Yet the number of children per woman in India has declined from an average of six in the 1950s to two today.
– It is a great success for India, says TV Sekher, professor at the International Institute for Population Sciences, to SVT.
If the population continues to increase until 2070, India will have 1.7 billion inhabitants. It also provides unique opportunities for the country’s economic development.
Young people’s consumption drives the economy
Young Indians like to shop and it drives the Indian economy. But to take advantage of the world’s largest young generation, they need to have jobs and earn money they can spend.
– If we don’t give those young people the right skills and work, an increasing population can instead become a disaster. Many cities are expanding, but the infrastructure is not keeping up, says TV Sekher.
If rapid economic growth continues, half of Indians will belong to the middle class within a few years. Within the middle class, the ideal is fewer children. Then you can afford better education.
See more in the clip.