Replacement level Fertility in Different States of India

by Shivani Sachdev Founder & Director

The replacement fertility rate is a difficult concept, it is also known as the total fertility rate. Without migration, the total population replaces itself from every generation by controlling the average number of children born. This rate varies from one to another country, but the average rate of replacement level fertility worldwide is 2.1 children per woman.

The rate of replacement level fertility India is 2.3 at this moment and closing slowly to reach 2.1. Many countries have double the average rate like Sub-Saharan Africa with a rate of 5.4.

Replacement fertility rate

As mentioned above it is the average number of children that a woman needs to maintain to keep the population in check. India is slowly coming down and very close to reach 2.1. If all the women start to have less than the average children the rate will come down and maintain the balance of the population.

Different areas of India have different replacement fertility rate. Some of the areas of India, mostly urban has reached the average replacement level and some areas even have a lower rate than the average rate. As per the report of UNFPA, 50 % of the country’s population has less replacement fertility rate than the average replacement level fertility India and the average rate of the world.

Different states of India have a different replacement fertility rate such as Haryana has 2.2, Punjab has 1.7, Jammu and Kashmir have 1.9, Himachal Pradesh has 1.7, West Bengal has 1.6, Assam has 2.3, Jharkhand has 2.7, Bihar has 3.4, Uttar Pradesh 3.1, Odisha has 2.1, Chhattisgarh 2.6, Andhra Pradesh 1.8, Tamil Nadu has 1.7, Karnataka has 1.9, Kerala has 1.8, Delhi has 1.7, Gujarat has 2.3, Rajasthan has 2.8, Maharashtra 1.8, Madhya Pradesh has 2.9.

Some of the states of India have higher replacement fertility rate than average, such as Assam, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh. If these states succeed to control the population rate and reach the average level rate then India will be below average rate country. Some states in India have lower than average rates such as West Bengal, Kashmir, Punjab, Maharashtra, etc. These states are the reason for lowering the replacement level of fertility in India.

Important factors for India’s fertility

The replacement level fertility India rate is not usual, mostly the rate of fertility depends on some important factors and one of them is the income of the country. The rate of fertility does not match the income level in India.

Another an important factor that is very important to maintain the rate in India is an unwanted pregnancy. Most of the rural places in India do not know the use of protection and causing unwanted pregnancy. If the people of these areas learn to use protection, then the replacement rate will come down below average.

Conclusion

If some states of India start to follow some instructions and lower the rate of fertility. Then the replacement fertility level of India will reach the average score. Contact Dr. Shivani Sachdev Gour