Changing the Terms of the Discourse

Population Fact Sheet

Presented to Honorable Shri Manishankar Aiyar Union Minister of Panchayati Raj

1. Good news on the population front
2. Negative impact of imposing two-child election norms
3. Limited impact of two—child norm on India’s population growth
4. Arguments against penalties
5. Arguments against China’s one—child policy
6. Economic prosperity and population size: common misconceptions
7. Population stabilization: six policy lessons

1. Good News on the Population Front

Fertility transition in India is well underway. Birth rates have been — and continue — to fall.

• India’s annual population growth rate that was 2.14 percent between 1981–91 fell, for the first time, to below 2 percent (1.93 percent) between 1991–2001.
• There is all—round slowing down ...