Archive · 20 Aug 2026
Tamil Nadu Maternity Leave Highlights South India's Fertility Challenge
Some southern Indian states are having fewer babies than they used to.
Tamil Nadu now offers a year of paid leave to government employees who have a third child.
Andhra Pradesh has also announced money for families with a third or fourth child.
Experts say southern states have fertility rates below the level needed to keep the population steady.
This means the region may have fewer young workers in the future.
At the same time, the number of older people is growing.
More children born today would not become workers for nearly 20 years.
The changes could also affect how political seats are shared among Indian states.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay approved one year of paid maternity leave for women government employees having a third child.
South Indian states recorded fertility rates below the replacement level of 2.1 children per woman in 2024.
Tamil Nadu and Kerala had the lowest reported rates at 1.3, while Andhra Pradesh recorded 1.4 and Karnataka and Telangana 1.5.
South India's annual births fell from 4.3 million in 2001 to 4.1 million in 2024, according to SBI Research.
Low fertility is contributing to faster population ageing and concerns that southern states could lose political influence during future delimitation.
- Who
- Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay, women government employees, and southern Indian state governments are central to the development.
- What
- Tamil Nadu introduced one year of paid maternity leave for a third child, amid wider concerns about low fertility, ageing and future representation.
- When
- The policy was reported alongside fertility and population data for 2024; the broader birth figures compare 2001, 2011 and 2024.
- Where
- Tamil Nadu and other southern Indian states, including Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Telangana.
- Why
- Southern states are responding to fertility rates below replacement level, declining population growth, population ageing and concerns about possible effects on political representation.
- Tamil Nadu fertility rate
- 1.3 children per woman in 2024.
- Replacement fertility level
- 2.1 children per woman.
- South India annual births
- Declined from 4.3 million in 2001 to 4.1 million in 2024.
- Andhra Pradesh incentive
- The announced policy includes Rs 30,000 for a third child and Rs 40,000 for a fourth child.
- Tamil Nadu elderly population
- Projected to rise from 13.7% in 2021 to 20.8% by 2036.
- India's fertility rate
- 1.9 in 2024.
- South India's population-growth share
- Estimated to have fallen from 15% in 2001–11 to 12% in 2011–24.