Rajasthan's Plummeting Fertility Rates: A Double-Edged Sword
The Total Fertility Rate (TFR) in Rajasthan has dropped below the replacement level to 2.0, posing challenges of an aging population. Contributing factors include increased adoption of contraceptive methods. Experts, in a workshop, emphasized health benefits from birth spacing and delaying pregnancies, but highlighted potential long-term demographic issues.
- Country:
- India
Rajasthan's Total Fertility Rate (TFR) has experienced a significant decline, falling to 2.0, which is beneath the replacement benchmark of 2.1. This shift indicates a future where the state's population may age more rapidly than before.
The drop has been largely attributed to the rise in modern contraceptive use, now adopted by 62.1% of the population, according to the National Family Health Survey-5 data. Experts at Jaipur's Vikalp project media workshop stressed the health advantages of delaying first pregnancies and pregnancy spacing.
Director of Family Welfare, Surendra Singh Shekhawat, highlighted women's empowerment through informed contraceptive choices. However, with the decline in TFR, experts warn of potential long-term demographic issues, forecasting an increase in India's elderly population to 19% by 2050, as per the UNFPA report.
(With inputs from agencies.)
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