Report calls for a shift from panic over falling fertility to addressing unmet reproductive goals.
Key findings
- Reproductive Agency Crisis: The real issue is not overpopulation but the inability to achieve desired family size due to lack of choice.
- Fertility Duality: Some states (Bihar, UP, Jharkhand) have high fertility rates, while others (Delhi, Kerala, Tamil Nadu) have below-replacement fertility (2.0).
- Barriers to Reproductive Freedom
- Financial Constraints: 4 in 10 cite financial limitations as a major barrier.
- Structural Challenges: Job insecurity (21%), housing constraints (22%), and lack of childcare (18%) hinder family planning.
- Social pressures: 19% face family/partner pressure to have fewer children.
- Modern anxieties: Climate change, political instability, loneliness, and shifting gender norms impact decisions.
- India’s Progress & Persistent Inequalities
- Fertility rates dropped from 5 (1970) to 2 (2025) due to better education and healthcare.
- Gaps remain: Disparities across states, castes, and income groups limit reproductive rights.
UNFPA’s Recommendations for India
- Expanding Sexual and Reproductive Health(SRH) Services: Universal access to contraception, safe abortion, and infertility care.
- Removing structural barriers: Affordable childcare, education, housing, and flexible work policies.
- Inclusive policies: Extend services to LGBTQIA+, unmarried individuals, and marginalized groups.
About UNFPA
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