TOTAL FERTILITY RATE

TOTAL FERTILITY RATE

Subject : Governance

Context : The Assam unit of the Congress has slammed Chief Minister for asking a minority community to adopt population control measures to prevent encroachment and pressure on land resources.

Concept :

• It cited the latest National Family Health Survey (NFHS) released in December 2020, which said the total fertility rate (TFR) declined across most Indian States in the last five years.
• The total fertility rate is defined as the average number of children that would be born to a woman by the time she ends childbearing.
• According to the UN Population Division, a total fertility rate (TFR) of about 2.1 children per woman is called replacement-level fertility.
• The fertility rate of less than 2.1 implies that the total population will be less than the existing population which is also called the negative growth rate.
• The same survey said the fertility rate of women in Assam declined from 2.2 in 2015-16 to 1.9 in 2020-21, which means the future population of Assam will only be less than the current population. Hence there is no question of an increase in population.

Indicators of fertility

• High fertility: Total fertility levels above 5 children per woman.
• Replacement-level fertility: Total fertility levels of about 2.1 children per woman.
• Below-replacement fertility: Total fertility levels below 2.1 children per woman.
• Very low fertility: Total fertility levels below 1.3 children per woman.