Birth Rates in India?

Birth Rates in India?

Context: Birth rates in India are declining overall, with southern states like Tamil Nadu, Delhi, and Kerala experiencing a decline at twice the national average rate, while some northern and eastern states show slower decline or even rising registered births. 

Important Pointers: 

➤ All-India Crude Birth Rate (CBR) 

  • India's crude birth rate in 2021: 19.3 births per 1,000 population 

  • Average annual rate of decline (2016–2021): 1.12% 

➤ States with the Fastest Decline in Birth Rates 

  • Tamil Nadu: 2.35% annual decline 

  • Delhi: 2.23% 

  • Kerala: 2.05% 

  • These states show decline rates nearly twice the national average 

➤ Other Southern States With Faster Decline Than National Average 

  • Telangana: 1.67% 

  • Karnataka: 1.68% 

  • Andhra Pradesh: 1.26% 

  • All five southern states are among the 13 large States/UTs with faster-than-average decline 

  ➤States With Slowest Decline in Birth Rates 

  • Rajasthan: 0.48% 

  • Bihar: 0.86% 

  • Chhattisgarh & Jharkhand: 0.98% 

  • Uttar Pradesh: 1.09% 

  • Uttarakhand was the only state with a rising birth rate 

➤ Total Fertility Rate (TFR) 2021 

  • India's TFR: 2.0 (at replacement level) 

  • High TFR states: 

  • Bihar: 3.0 

  • Uttar Pradesh: 2.7 

  • Rajasthan: 2.4 

  • Madhya Pradesh: 2.6 

  • Lowest TFR: West Bengal at 1.4 

➤ Gross Reproduction Rate (GRR) 

  • National GRR: 1.0 

  • High GRR: 

  • Bihar: 1.4 

  • UP: 1.3 

  • MP & Rajasthan: 1.2 

  • Lowest GRR: West Bengal at 0.7 

➤ Registered Birth Trends (CRS 2021) 

  • Rising registered births: 

  • Bihar, UP, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, J&K, etc. 

  • Declining registered births since 2012: 

  • Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala 

  • Telangana: Rise till 2019; sharp drop post-2020 

➤ Implications & Trends 

  • Declining birth rates in southern and urbanised states signal demographic transition 

  • High birth rates in BIMARU states highlight the regional demographic divide 

  • Important for planning population policy, health infrastructure, and resource allocation 

Sample Registration System (SRS): 

➤ SRS: A large-scale demographic survey system in India to provide annual estimates of fertility and mortality indicators such as birth rate, death rate, infant mortality rate, etc. 

➤ Established by: Registrar General of India (RGI), under the Ministry of Home Affairs. 

➤ Purpose: 

  • To provide reliable and continuous demographic data to supplement the decennial Census. 

  • Helps in tracking population trends, fertility, mortality, and other vital statistics. 

➤ Data provided by SRS: 

  • Crude Birth Rate (CBR) 

  • Crude Death Rate (CDR) 

  • Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) 

  • Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) 

  • Total Fertility Rate (TFR) 

  • Life Expectancy