Birth rates in Delhi, Kerala, and T.N. declining at twice the rate of national average

Key Findings on Birth Rate Decline

• Delhi, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu show birth rates declining at roughly twice the national average rate.
  • Tamil Nadu: birth rate decline of 2.35% per year (2016-2021)
  • Delhi: decline of 2.23% per year
  • Kerala: decline of 2.05% per year
• The national average birth rate decline during 2016-2021 was 1.12% per year (crude birth rate 19.3 in 2021).

Relevance : GS 2(Social Issues)

States with Slowest Decline or Increase in Birth Rates

• States with the slowest birth rate decline:
  • Rajasthan (0.48%)
  • Bihar (0.86%)
  • Chhattisgarh (0.98%)
  • Jharkhand (0.98%)
  • Assam (1.05%)
  • Madhya Pradesh (1.05%)
  • West Bengal (1.08%)
  • Uttar Pradesh (1.09%)
• Uttarakhand was the only state to witness a rise in birth rate during this period.

Other States with Faster than Average Decline

• Besides Tamil Nadu and Kerala, other southern states also recorded faster decline rates than the national average:
  • Andhra Pradesh (1.26%)
  • Telangana (1.67%)
  • Karnataka (1.68%)
• Other large states with faster declines:
  • Maharashtra (1.57%)
  • Gujarat (1.24%)
  • Odisha (1.34%)
  • Himachal Pradesh (1.29%)
  • Haryana (1.21%)
  • Jammu & Kashmir (1.47%)
• Punjab’s birth rate decline was nearly equal to the national average.

Civil Registration System (CRS) Registered Births Trends

• Some states with slow birth rate decline showed rising number of registered births:
  • Bihar, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, West Bengal, Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Nagaland, Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh, Lakshadweep
• Indicates possible improvements in birth registration or population growth factors in these states.

Fertility and Reproduction Rates (TFR & GRR)

• States like Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh have:
  • Total Fertility Rate (TFR) above national average — indicating more children per woman on average.
  • Gross Reproduction Rate (GRR) also above national average — implying higher number of daughters surviving to reproductive age.
• TFR: average children born per woman over her reproductive years.
• GRR: average daughters born who survive to reproduce.

Implications and Context

• Southern states’ faster decline aligns with higher socio-economic development, education, and healthcare access.
• Northern and central states with slower decline or birth rate rise may face challenges like lower female literacy, poverty, and traditional fertility preferences.
• Birth registration improvements in some states may partly explain the rise in registered births despite slow birth rate decline.
• Data signals regional disparities in demographic transition within India.

 Key Terms & Definitions

1. Crude Birth Rate (CBR): The number of live births per 1,000 people in a given year.
2. Birth Rate Decline (%): Annual percentage decrease in the crude birth rate over a specified period.
3. Total Fertility Rate (TFR):The average number of children a woman is expected to have during her reproductive years.
4. Gross Reproduction Rate (GRR):The average number of daughters a woman would have who survive to reproductive age.
5. Civil Registration System (CRS):A government system for recording vital events like births and deaths for statistical and administrative purposes.
6. Demographic Transition:A shift from high birth and death rates to low birth and death rates as a society develops economically.
7. Fertility Rate:The number of births per 1,000 women of reproductive age (15–49 years) in a year.
8. Replacement Level Fertility:The level of fertility (TFR ≈ 2.1) at which a population exactly replaces itself from one generation to the next.
9. Population Stabilization:A condition where the birth rate and death rate are balanced, leading to a steady population size over time.
10. Registered Births: Births officially recorded under the Civil Registration System, used to assess population trends and service delivery.