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15th May 2025 (11 Topics)

Birth Rates in India

Context

The Sample Registration System (SRS) Statistical Report 2021, released recently by the Registrar General of India, reveals that birth rates in several Indian states — especially Tamil Nadu, Delhi, and Kerala — are declining much faster than the national average.

Key Findings from SRS 2021

  • Crude Birth Rate (CBR) Trends
    • National CBR (2021): 19.3 births per 1,000 population.
    • National rate of decline (2016–2021): 12% per year.
  • States declining faster than national average:
    • Tamil Nadu: –2.35% per year
    • Delhi: –2.23% per year
    • Kerala: –2.05% per year
  • States with Slowest Decline:
    • Rajasthan: –0.48%
    • Bihar: –0.86%
    • Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand: –0.98%
    • Uttar Pradesh: –1.09%
    • Uttarakhand: Only state with an increase in birth rate.
  • Other Southern and Developed States with Declining CBR:
    • Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu – all showed declines faster than national average.
    • Also includes Maharashtra, Gujarat, Odisha, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Jammu & Kashmir.

Fertility and Reproduction Indicators

  • Total Fertility Rate (TFR) – 2021:
  • India: 2.0 (replacement level)
  • Above national average:
    • Bihar: 3.0
    • Uttar Pradesh: 2.7
    • Madhya Pradesh: 2.6
    • Rajasthan: 2.4
  • Lowest TFR among large states: West Bengal (1.4)
    • Gross Reproduction Rate (GRR)
    • India: 1.0 (each woman gives birth to one surviving daughter)
    • Higher GRR:
    • Bihar: 1.4
    • Rajasthan, MP: 1.2
    • UP: 1.3
    • West Bengal : GRR = 0.7 (lowest among large states)

Civil Registration System (CRS) 2021 Insights

  • Increase in registered births: Bihar, Rajasthan, UP, Uttarakhand, West Bengal, J&K, Ladakh, and NE states like Mizoram, Arunachal, Nagaland.
  • Decline in registered births since 2012: Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala.
  • Telangana saw a sharp rise after 2019, followed by a steep decline after 2020.

Fact-Box:

  • Crude Birth Rate (CBR): It is the number of live births per 1,000 people in a year. It indicates the overall fertility level in a population.
  • Total Fertility Rate (TFR): It refers to average number of children a woman would have in her lifetime.
    • o    A TFR of 2.1 is considered replacement-level fertility (no increase or decrease in population over time).
  • Gross Reproduction Rate (GRR): It is the number of daughters a woman is expected to have during her lifetime, assuming no mortality.
    • o    GRR of 1 means each woman is replacing herself with one daughter.
  • Sample Registration System (SRS): It is conducted by the Registrar General of India. It is India’s largest demographic survey, providing annual estimates of fertility and mortality using a dual-record system.
  • Civil Registration System (CRS): It records births and deaths in real-time. It is a legal database that supports planning and policy-making.
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