It was in 2022 when the total fertility rate of India came down to just 1.99, the demographic theories also stated that if the average number of children born to women in their life falls below 2.1 then the population of the country will start decreasing. But no proper attention was given to such news back then.
All of us are aware of one thing for the longest time, the increasing population of India was considered to be a burden rather than an opportunity or advantage. Now that we have advancements in the field of medicine and health, women are considering less childbirth than earlier.
The decline in the infant mortality rate below the age of 1 has a huge impact on the population, across the country. It declined from 111.7 per thousand in 1981 to 86.6 per thousand in 1991, 64.5 per thousand in 2001, 43.2 per thousand in 2011 and 27.7 per thousand in 2022, according to the data published by the National Population Register.
While people are busy judging a woman over her decision of having fewer children, one thing which is still not being talked about is her thoughts behind taking such decisions. India being a patriarchal society, it’s always a woman’s responsibility to look after her family and newborns along with her growing career. There are many factors which may force her to come up with a decision to have fewer children to handle all of her responsibilities with ease.
What are your views on overpopulation being a burden or an opportunity for the growth of the country?
