• Discover what the total fertility rate is and how it is calculated in India

    Health
    Discover what the total fertility rate is and how it is calculated in India
    The current fertility rate is somewhat lower than the replacement level of fertility of 2.1 children per woman, according to the National Family Health Survey-5.

    Digital Desk: Ministry of Health and Family Welfare's fifth National Family Health Survey reported that the Total Fertility Rate (TFR) has decreased from 2.2 children per woman in 2015-16 to 2.0 children per woman in 2019-21.

    "The TFR has declined noticeably in India over time. Between 1992-93 and 2019-21, the TFR declined from 3.4 to 2.0 children (a decrease of 1.4 children). The TFR among women in rural areas has declined from 3.7 children in 1992-93 to 2.1 children in 2019-21. The survey stated that the corresponding decline among women in urban areas was from 2.7 children in 1992-93 to 1.6 children in 2019-21."

    The current fertility rate is somewhat lower than the replacement level of fertility of 2.1 children per woman, according to NFHS-5.

    Do you know what the fertility rate is?

    According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the Total Fertility Rate (TFR) in a given year or set of years is defined as the average number of children a hypothetical cohort of women would have at the end of their reproductive period if they lived to the end of their child-bearing years and gave birth to children with the prevailing age-specific fertility rates.

    On the other hand, replacement level fertility is the rate at which a population replaces itself exactly from generation to generation. In most countries, it is estimated that 2.1 children per woman are required.

    How is TFR calculated?

    According to WHO, it is calculated by adding age-specific fertility rates (typically referring to women aged 15 to 49 years) or five times the sum of data presented in five-year age groupings.

    "For a particular country, territory, or geographic area, an age- or age-group-specific fertility rate is computed as the ratio of annual births to women of a certain age or age group to the population of women of the same age or age group in the same year."

    Population data from the most recent United Nations Population Division's 'World Population Prospects' is used to calculate TFR. Children per woman are the unit of measurement.