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India.com
3 days ago
- Politics
- India.com
India's Population Reaches 1.46 Billion In 2025, But Fertility Rate Falls Below Replacement Level: UN Report
New Delhi: While India continues to be the most populous country, with an estimated 1.46 billion people in 2025, the country's total fertility rate has fallen to 1.9, below the replacement level of 2.1, according to the latest report by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) released on Tuesday. The 2025 State of World Population (SOWP) report underscores that the real crisis lies not in population size, but in the widespread challenges to support individuals' right to decide freely and responsibly if, when, and how many children to have. The UN report estimates 'India's population at present at 1,463.9 million'. 'India is now the world's most populous nation, with nearly 1.5 billion people -- a number expected to grow to about 1.7 billion before it begins falling,' the report said. The Total Fertility Rate (TFR) in India is currently 2.0 children per woman. This means that on average, a woman in India would be expected to have 2 children during her childbearing years (typically ages 15-49). This rate has remained constant since 2020, according to the Sample Registration System (SRS) report for 2021. However, the new report showed it has declined to 1.9 births per woman, which means that, on average, Indian women are having fewer children than needed to maintain the population size from one generation to the next, without migration. Despite the slowing birth rate, India's youth population remains significant, with 24 per cent in the age bracket of 0-14, 17 per cent in 10-19, and 26 per cent in 10-24. While 68 per cent of the population accounts for the 15-64 age bracket, the elderly population (65 and older) stands at seven per cent. As of 2025, life expectancy at birth is projected to be 71 years for men and 74 years for women. The UN report also placed India in a group of middle-income countries undergoing rapid demographic change, with the population doubling time now estimated at 79 years. 'India has made significant progress in lowering fertility rates -- from nearly five children per woman in 1970 to about two today -- thanks to improved education and access to reproductive healthcare,' said Andrea M. Wojnar, UNFPA India Representative. 'This has led to major reductions in maternal mortality, meaning million more mothers are alive today, raising children and building communities," Wojnar added.
India Today
4 days ago
- Politics
- India Today
Financial issues among top barriers to reproductive freedom in India: UN report
Reproductive freedom is more important than studying overpopulation or underpopulation in fertility crisis, highlights a new landmark report released by United United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has released The State of World Population (SOWP) 2025 report, titled "The Real Fertility Crisis", asking policymakers to focus not on numbers, but on enabling reproductive freedom: the ability of individuals to make free and informed choices about sex, contraception, and family on a survey from 14 countries, including inputs from India, the report dispels simplistic narratives of 'population explosion' or 'population collapse'. Instead, it points to a more nuanced and pressing issue: millions of individuals globally, including in India, are unable to realise their desired fertility outcomes due to a complex web of structural, social, and economic is the real crisis, not underpopulation or RATES HIDE INEQUALITYIndia, the report notes, has achieved replacement-level fertility, defined as 2.1 births per woman, with the national figure now standing at achievement has been credited to advances in education, improved access to reproductive healthcare, and a robust family planning framework.'India has made significant progress in lowering fertility rates, from nearly five children per woman in 1970 to about two today, thanks to improved education and access to reproductive healthcare. This has led to major reductions in maternal mortality, meaning a million more mothers are alive today, raising children and building communities," said Andrea M. Wojnar, UNFPA India India may have reached replacement-level fertility of 2.0, many people, especially women, still face barriers to making free and informed decisions about their reproductive report also highlights gaps across regions and barriers create what the report identifies as India's 'high fertility and low fertility duality.'States such as Bihar, Jharkhand, and Uttar Pradesh continue to report higher fertility rates, while southern and urbanised regions like Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Delhi have sustained below-replacement duality, the UN researchers say, reflects enduring disparities in economic development, access to quality healthcare and education, and the persistence of patriarchal social to the survey findings, one of the biggest barriers to reproductive freedom is financial 40% of respondents said they are unable to have the number of children they desire due to economic cited factors include:Housing constraints (22%)Job insecurity (21%)Lack of affordable childcare (18%)Poor general health (15%)Infertility (13%)Limited access to pregnancy-related care (14%)Besides this, emotional and societal pressures are shaping reproductive 19% of the respondents said they experienced partner or family pressure to have fewer children than they personally concerns over climate change, political instability, and an increasingly uncertain future were also reported as deterrents to report highlights that modern fertility decisions are not merely medical or biological choices, they are shaped by the complex realities of contemporary life."The real demographic dividend comes when everyone has the freedom and means to make informed reproductive choices. India has a unique opportunity to show how reproductive rights and economic prosperity can advance together," Wojnar CHALLENGESBeyond traditional barriers, the report draws attention to emerging social realities such as the rise in loneliness, shifting relationship dynamics, and the difficulty many face in finding supportive social stigma around reproductive choices, especially among unmarried individuals, LGBTQIA+ persons, and those choosing non-traditional family paths, continues to hinder reproductive concern is the rising expectation of "intensive parenting", a phenomenon placing disproportionate pressure on women and reinforcing unequal caregiving roles and influencing decisions about if and when to have expectations, the report argues, not only discourage parenthood but also limit the personal and professional agency of response to these challenges, the UNFPA has proposed a five-pronged framework to guide India toward demographic resilience,advertisementUniversal access to sexual and reproductive health services: Including contraception, safe abortion, maternal healthcare, and infertility structural barriers: Through investments in childcare, education, housing, and workplace inclusivity: By extending healthcare and reproductive services to unmarried individuals, LGBTQIA+ communities, and marginalised data and accountability: Going beyond fertility statistics to track unmet needs and bodily social transformation: Via community-led campaigns that challenge stigma and improve reproductive health literacy.'The real fertility crisis is not how many children people are having, but that so many are unable to have the children they want, if and when they want them," the report concludes.
Hindustan Times
4 days ago
- Health
- Hindustan Times
Financial limitation one of biggest barriers to reproductive freedom in India: UN study
New Delhi, Financial limitation is one of the biggest barriers to reproductive freedom in India with about 38 per cent respondents saying this is stopping them from having the families they want, according to a UN study released on Tuesday. The findings were shared in UNFPA's 2025 State of World Population Report, The Real Fertility Crisis, which is an online poll conducted across 14 countries including India with 14,000 respondents out of which 1,048 adults were from India. The study listed financial limitations as one of the biggest barriers to reproductive freedom with 38 per cent of the respondents in India saying financial limitations are stopping them from having the families they want. Job insecurity , housing constraints , and the lack of reliable childcare are making parenthood feel out of reach, the report said. Also, health barriers like poor general wellbeing , infertility , and limited access to pregnancy-related care add further strain, the report said. The UNFPA said many are also holding back due to growing anxiety about the future - from climate change to political and social instability while 19 per cent faced partner or family pressure to have fewer children than they personally wanted. The SOWP 2025 underlined millions of individuals are not able to realise their real fertility goals. "This is the real crisis, not underpopulation or overpopulation. And, the answer lies in greater reproductive agency - a person's ability to make free and informed 150 per cent choices about sex, contraception and starting a family," the report said. It said many people, especially women, still face significant barriers to making free and informed decisions about their reproductive lives and significant disparities persist across regions and states. The report said states such as Bihar, Jharkhand, and Uttar Pradesh continue to experience high fertility rates, while others, like Delhi, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu, have sustained below-replacement fertility. "This duality reflects differences in economic opportunities, access to healthcare, education levels, and prevailing gender and social norms," it said. "India has made significant progress in lowering fertility rates - from nearly five children per woman in 1970 to about two today - thanks to improved education and access to reproductive healthcare," said Andrea M. Wojnar, UNFPA India representative. "This has led to major reductions in maternal mortality, meaning million more mothers are alive today, raising children and building communities. Yet, deep inequalities persist across states, castes, and income groups. The real demographic dividend comes when everyone has the freedom and means to make informed reproductive choices. India has a unique opportunity to show how reproductive rights and economic prosperity can advance together," she said. Beyond traditional barriers, emerging social realities are reshaping reproductive decisions. The report identified a complex web of modern challenges: the growing loneliness pandemic, shifting relationship patterns, difficulties in finding supportive partners, social stigma around reproductive decisions, and deeply entrenched gender norms. Rising expectations around intensive parenting place disproportionate pressure on women, reinforcing unequal caregiving burdens and influencing decisions about if and when to have children, the report said. The report underscored that the real crisis lies not in population size, but in the widespread challenges to support individuals' right to decide freely and responsibly if, when, and how many children to have.
