AP Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu
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BY ARRANGEMENT
The initiative is a first-of-its-kind effort by a State government in India to proactively address falling fertility levels through a structured demographic policy framework.
Birth decline
In a presentation on the new policy on the anvil in the State Legislative Assembly in Amaravati on Thursday, Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu said currently about 58 per cent of the families, around three lakh, in the State have only one child, while around 2.17 lakh families have two children.
Nearly 62 lakh families had three or more children. He also noted that around three lakh families have only one child instead of two, while another three lakh families have more than two children.
The Total Fertility Rate (TFR) in the State is currently 1.5, whereas the ideal level should be 2.1 to maintain demographic balance, Naidu said, adding that as economies grow, birth rates tend to decline, which can create workforce shortages and long-term economic challenges.
Birth incentives
“To address this, the government is proposing financial incentives for childbirth. Under the plan, families which have a second child or more will receive ₹25,000 at the time of delivery,’’ Naidu said while describing the proposed move as a major policy intervention to encourage population growth.
Apart from the financial incentives, the new population policy would also have 12 months leave for the mother and two months for the father.
The Chief Minister announced that families having a second or third child may receive ₹25,000 at the time of delivery, describing the incentive as a potential catalyst to help stabilise fertility levels in the state. The proposed incentive will be part of a broader “Poshan–Shiksha–Suraksha” support package, which aims to provide nutritional support, education assistance, and healthcare services to families and children.
Under the proposed support framework, the government also plans to provide nutrition assistance during early childhood, free education up to the age of 18 for the third child in public or residential schools, and fertility treatment support, including IVF services, through government hospitals. The Chief Minister said these measures are intended to reduce the financial burden on families while strengthening child development outcomes and improving long-term human capital.
The proposed population management policy will be placed in the public domain for wider consultation before it is finalised. The state government aims to gradually stabilise fertility levels while strengthening healthcare, education, and workforce systems to ensure long-term demographic and economic sustainability for Andhra Pradesh.
Published on March 5, 2026