Context
India’s Total Fertility Rate (TFR) remains at 2.0 children per woman in NFHS-6 (2023–24), below the replacement level of 2.1. However, substantial regional and rural–urban differences continue, with Bihar recording a TFR of 2.7 while several regions have very low fertility.
Explanation
- TFR means the average number of children a woman would have during her reproductive years under prevailing fertility rates.
- Replacement-level fertility is about 2.1, at which a population broadly replaces itself across generations, assuming mortality and migration conditions.
- India’s TFR declined sharply from 5.9 in 1950 to 2.0 in NFHS-5, and remains 2.0 in NFHS-6. NFHS-6 reports rural TFR at 2.1 against urban TFR of 1.6.
- 28 States/UTs are below replacement level; 7 are at or above it.
- Bihar (2.7) has the highest TFR, while Andaman & Nicobar Islands (0.9) has the lowest.
- Drivers include female education, urbanisation, later marriage, contraception, rising child-rearing costs and women’s empowerment.
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