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According to data from the National Family Health Survey-5, India’s Total Fertility Rate (TFR), or the average number of children a woman has in her lifetime, has decreased from 2.2 to 2, while the Contraceptive Prevalence Rate (CPR) has climbed from 54 to 67 per cent. The data from Phase 2 of the poll was revealed on Wednesday by the union health ministry; data from Phase 1 was disclosed in December 2020.
The replacement rate is defined as a TFR of 2.1, which indicates that neither an increase nor a drop in population will occur.
The TFR was 2.2 in the fourth edition of the study, which was conducted between 2015 and 2016. The fifth survey was done in two phases between 2019 and 2021, and it reflects population control improvements.
VK Paul, member (health), NITI Aayog, said NFHS-5 shows momentum towards achieving sustainable development goals is getting further accelerated. “Data from the survey would help the government achieve Universal Health Coverage,” he added.
Phase 2 included surveys in Arunachal Pradesh, Chandigarh, Chhattisgarh, Haryana, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Puducherry, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, and Uttarakhand. All other states assessed have a TFR that is at or below the replacement level, with the exception of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Jharkhand, and Uttar Pradesh.
Four of India’s 36 states and union territories have a TFR higher than the national average when both phases are considered. To be clear, the National Family Health Survey is a sampling survey, not an enumeration like the National Census.
To be clear, the National Family Health Survey is a sampling survey, not an enumeration like the National Census.
Meanwhile, the CPR has risen significantly across India, from 54 percent to 67 percent. According to the report, the number of unmet family planning requirements has decreased from 13% to 9%.
In 1952, the government-sponsored family planning programme was established to help reduce population growth. It initially experienced difficulties due to a flawed strategy that resulted in the majority of women using contraceptives. For young couples, there was also a restricted selection of contraception. Officials claim that the modifications made over the years have resulted in better performance.
“India has for long been working on population control. In fact, India was the first country to launch a national-level family planning programme and the encouraging results that we see now are due to sustained, concerted efforts put together by the Centre, and the state governments,” a central government official said on condition of anonymity.
In 2016, Mission Pariwar Vikas was established to increase access to contraception and family planning services. To ensure the availability of contraceptive techniques at all levels, special attention was paid to 146 high fertility areas in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Jharkhand.
According to experts, the development of innovative reversible spacing (gaps between children) procedures, wage compensation systems for sterilisation, and the promotion of small family standards have all shown to be successful over time.