Tamil Nadu registered 8.02 lakh births in 2025, around 45,000 fewer than the 8.47 lakh recorded in 2024, a fall of 5.3%. The State's total fertility rate dropped below the replacement level of 2.1 nearly two decades ago, and population growth is expected to decline once population momentum fades. This points to a shrinking working-age population and a growing elderly population, so the State may need to prioritise quality education, childcare, social security, elderly care, nutrition and jobs rather than trying to raise births.