For first time, India’s fertility rate below replacement level

India’s Total Fertility Rate has declined to 2.0 from 2.2 in 2015-16, according to the latest National Family Health Survey data, on the back of decades-long family planning programme.

Countries with below-replacement fertility or lower than 2.1 children per woman, according to the United Nations’ population division, indicate that a single generation is not producing enough children to replace itself. This will eventually lead to lowering the population outright.

The fifth series of the Union Health Ministry’s National Family Health Survey shows a fertility rate of 1.6 in urban India and 2.1 in rural areas.