India’s total fertility rate has now declined to 1.9 births per woman, below the replacement level of 2.1. This means, on average, Indian women are having fewer children than needed to maintain the population size from one generation to the next, excluding migration factors. Despite the slowing birth rate, India’s youth population remains substantial: 24% are aged 0-14, 17% are between 10-19, and 26% fall in the 10-24 age group. Find out the total fertility rate (TFR) and crude birth rate (CBR) of India and its states as per the latest surveys and census data. Compare the fertility rate and birth rate by religion, urban and rural areas, and see the top and bottom states in each category. India’s fertility rate has dropped to 1.9, below the replacement level, with financial strain and evolving societal choices playing key roles, says the UNFPA’s 2025 report. At its most basic, fertility rate measures the average number of children that women of childbearing age give birth to in a given country. Fertility rate is closely related to birth rate, which measures the number of live births per 1,000 people in a given country each year.
