SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being | SDG 5: Gender Equality | SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
Institutions: Indian Association for the Study of Population (IASP) | Ministry of Health & Family Welfare | MoSPI
At the 46th Annual Conference of the Indian Association for the Study of Population (IASP) in Kolkata, UNFPA India emphasized the critical need for “Demographic Resilience”. This concept focuses on a society’s ability to adapt to population changes—such as varying fertility rates, aging, and migration—without compromising human rights or development goals. The conference theme, “People, Planet, Prosperity: Demographic Drivers of India’s Inclusive Growth,” underscored the urgency of converting India’s massive youth demographic into a sustainable development advantage.
Key highlights from the event included:
Youth as Drivers: UNFPA India Representative Andrea M. Wojnar described India as standing at the “epicenter of a demographic revolution,” with the world’s largest youth population offering unprecedented growth potential if supported by rights-based policies.
Data-Driven Policy: The conference stressed the role of robust, disaggregated demographic data in crafting evidence-based policies that ensure “no one is left behind,” particularly in the context of climate-linked mobility and aging.
Global Recognition: UNFPA India felicitated the International Union for the Scientific Study of Population (IUSSP) for winning the 2025 UN Population Award, acknowledging its leadership in advancing global population science and evidence generation.
Policy Relevance
This advocacy pushes for a paradigm shift in India’s population policy—from target-driven approaches to a rights-based framework. The concept of demographic resilience is particularly relevant for the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and NITI Aayog as they navigate the complex disparities between northern states (young, growing populations) and southern states (aging populations). It validates the need for differential planning that simultaneously addresses youth employment and geriatric care infrastructure.
What is “Demographic Resilience”?→ Demographic Resilience is a policy framework championed by the UNFPA that moves beyond simple population control or panic over fertility rates. Instead, it focuses on equipping societies to thrive amidst demographic shifts by prioritizing reproductive autonomy, gender equality, and human capital investment. For India, this means navigating the “high fertility–low fertility duality” across states by ensuring universal access to sexual and reproductive health services, removing structural barriers for women in the workforce, and investing in the silver economy for an aging population.
Relevant Question for Policy Stakeholders: How can the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare integrate the “Demographic Resilience” framework into the National Population Policy to bridge the widening demographic divergence between India’s northern and southern states?
Follow the full news here: UNFPA India Advocates for Demographic Resilience at 46th IASP Conference