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Total fertility rate in India from 1992 to 2021

UID: PD-20240823-IN-02

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Meta Data

Source

Demographic and Health Surveys

Last Updated

August 23, 2024

Time Range

1992 – 2021

Periodicity

5 Years (Approx)

Overview

Total fertility rate (TFR) is a pivotal demographic measure used to estimate the average number of children a woman would have during her lifetime if she were to experience the exact current age-specific fertility rates throughout her childbearing years. The TFR represents the average number of children a woman is expected to have over her lifetime based on current age-specific fertility rates. Unlike other fertility measures, such as the Crude Birth Rate, which does not account for the age distribution of births, the TFR provides a more comprehensive view of fertility by considering the specific age at which births occur.

The Total Fertility Rate is calculated using the following steps: Collect data on the number of live births to women in each specific age group (usually 5-year intervals) and divide by the number of women in those age groups. This gives the age-specific fertility rate for each age group. Add together the age-specific fertility rates for all age groups and multiply by the number of years in the age interval (usually five years if using 5-year age groups). The result represents the Total Fertility Rate, providing the average number of children a woman would have if current age-specific rates remain constant throughout her lifetime.

Trends & Insights

In 1992-93, India’s TFR was 3.4 children per woman for both the 15-49 and 15-44 age groups, which further dropped to 2.0 in 2019-20, representing a 41% decrease over the period. This decline has been steady and consistent across all survey years. The most substantial drop occurred between the 1992-93 and 1998-99 surveys when the TFR fell from 3.4 to 2.8 and recorded a decrease of 0.6 points. The subsequent surveys showed the same declining pattern from 2.7 in 2005-06, 2.2 in 2015-16, and finally 2.0 in 2019-21. Notably, the TFR has now reached the replacement level fertility rate of 2.1, which is the level at which a population exactly replaces itself from one generation to the next without migration. This is a significant milestone in India’s demographic transition.

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Citation

Please cite this article using proper attribution to 360 Analytika when referencing or sharing our content.

Demographic and Health Surveys. (2024). Total fertility rate in India from 1992 to 2021 (360 Analytika, Ed.) [Dataset]. 360 Analytika. https://360analytika.com/total-fertility-rate-in-india/

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