Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Friday said that India’s long-term global dominance depends on families having three children, echoing remarks made earlier by RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat.
“About 4–5 crore Indians live abroad. If you look at any country today, Indians have the highest per capita income there. As Mohan Bhagwat ji has often said, every couple should have three children. This is very important. If we focus on population, by 2047 and beyond, India will be the only country to dominate,” Naidu said.
During the RSS centenary celebrations in August, Bhagwat had stressed that communities with a fertility rate of 2.1 are at risk of slow decline and urged families to maintain a birth rate above three. He said marrying at the right age and having three children helps ensure the health of both parents and children.
Bhagwat also noted that a population boom can be both an opportunity and a challenge, depending on how it is managed. His remarks come after India overtook China last year to become the world’s most populous country.
However, according to the UNFPA’s 2025 State of World Population report, India’s total fertility rate has fallen below the replacement level, declining to 1.9 births per woman. This indicates that, on average, Indian women are having fewer children than needed to maintain population size across generations without migration.
Despite the declining fertility rate, India still has a significant youth population, with 24% aged 0–14, 17% in the 10–19 bracket, and 26% aged 10–24, the report said.
At a December event in Nagpur last year, Bhagwat had said families should have at least three children to prevent population decline. Citing demographic science, he argued that population stability is essential for the survival of a society and pointed to India’s population policy, which recommends a replacement rate of 2.1 children per family.
“Since one cannot have fractional children, families need at least three children,” he added, stressing that population planning is crucial for India’s long-term growth and prosperity.