India’s total fertility rate (TFR) has dropped to 1.9 from 2.1, according to the 2024 Sample Registration System (SRS) report, pushing most Indian states below the replacement fertility level of 2.1 children per woman. Only six states — Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand — continue to remain above the replacement mark, while Delhi recorded the country’s lowest TFR at 1.2.
The replacement fertility level of 2.1 is considered the benchmark at which a population replaces itself from one generation to the next. Experts warn that if fertility remains below this level for a prolonged period, population growth could slow sharply and eventually turn negative.
