Is Andhra Pradesh's population declining? What incentive CM Chandrababu Naidu has announced for couples?
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu has appealed to the couples to have more children. He said a family will receive Rs 30,000 upon the birth of a third child, and Rs 40,000 upon the birth of a fourth.
CM said that there was a time when he worked very hard to control the population; however, there is now a need to increase the birth rate.
AP's TFR is 1.5
According to the Government of India's recent report on population—based on the Sample Registration System (SRS)—India's current Total Fertility Rate (TFR) stands at 1.9. Meanwhile, according to government statistics, Andhra Pradesh's current TFR has dropped to a level of 1.5, down from 3.0 in 1993.
Essentially, the average number of children a woman gives birth to during her lifetime in a specific state or country is referred to as that region's Total Fertility Rate (TFR).
If the TFR in a state is 2.1 per woman—meaning that, on average, a woman gives birth to 2.1 children—this is considered the standard 'replacement level.' This means that at the current birth, AP's population is declining.
Children should not be viewed as a burden: Naidu
On May 16, while announcing the scheme to provide financial aid for having children during a public meeting in the Srikakulam district, CM Naidu remarked that children should not be viewed as a burden, but rather as an asset to the nation. He said population is, in fact, the true wealth of the future. In countries like Japan and South Korea, declining populations and aging demographics have had an adverse impact on their economies. That is precisely why I have long been advocating for an increase in population.
A family will now receive a total of Rs 95,000 upon having four children
In fact, the Andhra Pradesh government had introduced a new policy in the Legislative Assembly on March 5. This policy was termed the 'Population Management Policy.' It proposed that a family would receive Rs 25,000 upon the birth of a second child.
The recent announcement regarding financial incentives for the birth of a third and fourth child is being described as an extension of this very policy. This means that, cumulatively, a family will now receive a total of Rs 95,000 upon having four children.
In April 2025, Naidu had also appealed to women to give birth to more children. Furthermore, he announced that—regardless of the number of children they have—female government employees would be entitled to 26 weeks (or six months) of maternity leave for each child.
Prior to this, the six-month maternity leave benefit was applicable only for the first two children; for any subsequent children beyond the first two, the rule stipulated a leave period of only three months. According to the Naidu government's population management policy, families with more than two children will receive various benefits—beyond just financial aid.