Greying with grace, Pg6

Key Highlights:

• India's Crude Birth Rate (CBR) decreased from 19.1 in 2022 to 18.4 in 2023, according to the Sample Registration System (SRS) data.
• The country's Total Fertility Rate (TFR) also declined to 1.9 in 2023, after remaining at 2.0 in 2021 and 2022.
• Bihar recorded the highest CBR at 25.8 and TFR at 2.8, while Tamil Nadu had the lowest CBR at 12, and Delhi the lowest TFR at 1.2.
• The proportion of people above 60 years rose by 0.7 percentage points to 9.7% of the population.

Detailed Insights:

• A TFR of 2.1 births per woman is considered the replacement level, indicating a stable population over time; figures below suggest population decline and aging.
• Eighteen States and Union Territories have a TFR below the replacement level, predominantly in southern and western India.
• States reporting higher than replacement level TFR are primarily in northern India, including Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Chhattisgarh.
• Kerala has the highest proportion of elderly population at 15%, while Assam, Delhi and Jharkhand reported the lowest proportion of population over 60 years.
• India needs to prepare for the challenges of a greying nation, including financial support, healthcare facilities, and social support services for the elderly.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Crude Birth Rate (CBR): The number of annual live births per 1,000 people in a population.
• Total Fertility Rate (TFR): The average number of children a woman is expected to have in her lifetime.
• Replacement-Level Fertility: The TFR required to maintain a stable population size, typically around 2.1 births per woman.
• Demographic Dividend: The economic growth potential resulting from shifts in a population’s age structure.