The World Needs More Children: A tale of tomorrow, from India and beyond
If the fast-declining fertility rate is not checked now, by 2050, over 60 countries will see their populations shrink - some as much as 15 per cent and more..
Bishnoi. A quiet and beautiful tiny village in the outskirts of Jodhpur, Rajasthan (India), the sun dips below the horizon, painting the sky in hues of saffron and gold. The chatter of children fills the air — barefoot boys chasing a cricket ball, girls giggling as they braid each other’s hair with marigold flowers. For 70-year-old Kamla Devi, a grandmother of eight, this is the sound of life itself. “The day the laughter stops,” she says, her eyes crinkling with a lifetime of wisdom, “is the day the village dies.”
But, across the globe, that laughter is fading. Birth rates are plummeting in country after country, from Japan to South Korea to Italy. The world is aging, and the playgrounds are growing silent and deserted. But why does this matter? And why might India — a nation seen as bursting at the seams — hold a unique lens to this unfolding story?
The quiet crisis
Picture a world where classrooms sit empty, where the hum of innovation slows, and where the elderly outnumber the young by margins unimaginable even a few decades ago. This isn’t dystopian fiction; it’s a projection backed by data. The United Nations estimates that by 2050, over 60 countries will see their populations shrink, some by as much as 15%. Economies will strain under the weight of aging workforces, healthcare systems will buckle, and the cultural vibrancy of youth will dim.
Children aren’t just future taxpayers or laborers. They’re the spark of human continuity. They ask “why” when adults settle for “because.” They dream up solutions no algorithm can replicate. A world with fewer children is a world with less wonder.
India’s paradox
Now, zoom into India, a country of 1.4 billion souls, where crowded trains and bustling markets paint a picture of abundance. For decades, the narrative here was about too many childrenb—population control campaigns urged “Hum Do, Hamare Do” (We two, our two), and sterilisation drives shaped public policy. But the ground is shifting. India’s Total Fertility Rate (TFR) has dipped below the replacement level of 2.1, hitting 1.96 in 2023, according to the National Family Health Survey. In urban centers such as Chennai, Mumbai and Delhi, it’s even lower. According to some studies, in Chennai it's at shockingly low at 1.4 - the lowest in the country.
This isn’t just statistics — it’s a cultural earthquake. In a land where family is the heartbeat of society, where joint households thrive and festivals like Diwali pulse with the energy of kids lighting diyas, a shrinking younger generation feels like a betrayal of tradition. “Who will carry forward our stories, our recipes, our songs, our yoga?” asks Anitha Kiran, a Marketing Communication professional in Chennai, whose baby shower happened a month ago. She delayed her pregnancy for a couple of years. “Actually, I want more, but time, money, and this modern life — it’s a battle. So, I may stop with this...," she says sheepishly.
The Economic Ripple
Globally, the case for more children ties tightly to economics. Young populations drive growth —think of the post-World War II baby booms that fuelled decades of prosperity in the West. Today, nations such as Germany and China scramble to offset shrinking workforces with automation or immigration, but neither fully replaces the dynamism of youth.
India, often dubbed the world’s 'demographic dividend', has a window of opportunity. With over 50 per cent of its population under 35, it could power global innovation and labor markets — if it sustains that youth. But as fertility rate falls, that dividend risks turning into a deficit. By 2050, India’s elderly population is projected to triple, while its working-age cohort could stagnate. More children now could mean a balanced future — elders cared for, industries thriving, and villages like Kamla Devi’s still alive with cricket games.
The Soul of Society
Beyond numbers, children are the glue of humanity. In India, they’re the ones who tie kite strings for Makar Sankranti, who demand jalebis at weddings, who learn Sanskrit shlokas or Bollywood dance moves from their grandparents. Globally, they’re the artists, the rebels, the dreamers who keep culture breathing. A world with fewer of them risks losing its soul.
Take Japan, where shuttered schools are repurposed as senior centers, or Spain, where rural towns hollow out as young families vanish. Contrast that with India’s chaos of life — yes, it’s messy, crowded, imperfect—but it’s alive. Yet even here, urban couples hesitate - Anithas and Kirans. Rising costs, career pressures, and climate anxieties whisper: “Maybe one is enough.” The world, and India within it, stands at a crossroads.
A Call to the Future
So, why does the world need more children? Because they’re not just mouths to feed—they’re minds to nurture, hearts to inspire. In India, they’re the promise of a nation that can teach the world how to balance tradition with progress. Kamla Devi puts it simply: “A home without children is like a sky without stars—dark, empty, and cold.”
The solution isn’t blind population growth—it’s intentional, joyful investment in the next generation. Policies that ease parenting costs, cultures that celebrate rather than stigmatise big families, and a collective rethink of what “enough” means. From Rajasthan’s villages to the world’s quieting cities, the laughter must go on. For India, and for us all, the future depends on it. Unless Anithas are convinced now, Kamala Devis may have only blank skies to stare at one day.
