Why India's Fertility Rate Fell From 3.3 To 1.9, Below The Benchmark Of 2.1 For Stable Population
New Delhi: Indians is experiencing a significant fall in fertility rate — from 3.3 to 1.9. The average woman now has too few children to sustain the population. Notably, India’s Total Fertility Rate (TR) of 1.9 is well below the universal benchmark of 2.1, which is required to maintain a stable population in the future.
While India has become the most populated country in the world, the current drop signals a future demographic shift toward an aging population and potential labor force contractions.
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However, the drop is not uniform across the country as states such as Bihar and Uttar Pradesh continue to have an adequate fertility rate. Among the states that have turned out to have the least fertility rates are Kerala: 1.3, Tamil Nadu: 1.3 and Delhi: 1.2.
While higher education, better access to contraception and rising living costs are believed to be reasons for the change, a falling birth rate could impact the country’s economy to support a larger aging population in the near future.
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