Alarm For Kerala As Birth Rate Hits 20-Year Low; Govt Says ‘Serious Issue’
Speaking to CNN-News18, Balagopal attributed the declining trend to "a phenomenon of every developed economy" and said it is not a rare thing in Kerala
The number of newborn children in Kerala has decreased significantly in the last two decades, with the state government calling the trend a “serious" issue that needs to be addressed.
In the year 2024, 3.48 lakh children were born in Kerala, dropping from 5.34 lakh in 2014. The data shows about 6 lakh children were born in Kerala two decades back, Finance Minister K N Balagopal informed the state legislative assembly while presenting the budget.
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Speaking to CNN-News18, Balagopal attributed the declining trend to “a phenomenon of every developed economy" and said it is not a rare thing in Kerala.
“You should take the case of Europe, the US and Canada. When economic prosperity is there, the population will decline. This is the general practice and that is happening here (in Kerala) also because of many reasons: good education and family planning," he added.
The minister added that the gap caused due to the less number of young people and increasing elder population will create a lot of issues including slowing down of the state’s economy.
“On the economic side, there is a less number of people who are earning and more number of people to feed and take care of. This is not just a matter of taking care of them, but the purchasing power of society will come down. The workforce of society will come down. Further, it will affect economic growth," he said.
Balagopal said the out-migration scenario currently seen in Kerala should be seen from this perspective of demographic shift.
He said there is an urgent need to rectify the “blind" support to all forms of out-migration regardless of its nature. “The current scenario is that even when there is an acute shortage of skilled labour forces even in decently paid job profiles in the state, many Keralites are forced to work in highly unfavourable conditions abroad," the minister said.
In view of the out-migration of students, the state’s budget stressed the need for extensive awareness campaigns by ensuring the participation of career guidance cells of educational institutions.
India stands first in the world in terms of foreign remittance, data shows. As per the Kerala Migration Survey 2023, Keralites contribute 21% of the above-mentioned total remittances coming to the country.
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