Fertility in India

Abstract

An analysis of fertility differentials by socioeconomic and demographic characteristics reveals a wide diversity in the total fertility rate among Indian states. Total fertility tends to be high among women who live in rural areas, have little education, are Muslim, or belong to scheduled castes or tribes. Parity progression ratios tend to be high among women who have experienced one or more child deaths. They are low among women with one or more living sons and among women who are regularly exposed to the electronic mass media.

The NFHS Subject Reports is a series summarizing secondary analysis of data from the 1992-93 National Family Health Survey (NFHS) in India. The NFHS collected information from nearly 90,000 Indian women on a range of demographic and health topics. Conducted under the auspices of the Indian Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the survey provides national and state-level estimates of fertility, infant and child mortality, family planning practice, maternal and child health, and the utilization of services available to mothers and children. IIPS conducted the survey in cooperation with consulting organizations and 18 population research centers throughout India. The East-West Center and a U.S.-based consulting firm, Macro International, provided technical assistance, and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) provided financial support.