It has been seen that In National Family Health Survey (NFHS) the nation’s all inclusive’s fertility decreases the replacement level of two children per woman, falling from 2.2 in NFHS 4.
According to the data that has been given by the NFHS it has been seen that the Muslim fertility rate has declined in all those religious communities over the past two decades which was conducted by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
It has been seen that the Muslim community’s fertility rate is going downward. In the year 2015 – 16, it dipped to 2.6 whereas in 2019 – 21 the rate dipped to 2.3. It has been seen all those religious communities’ fertility rates has been decreased infertility as a result there has been a dip in the country’s total fertility rate. It can be observed the maximum number has declined in the Muslim community. In the year 1992 to the year 1993, the rate was 4.4 from the rate 4.4 to 2.3 in the year 2019 to 2021 the fertility rate can be seen.
Among all those religious communities, the Muslim fertility rate remains the highest among the following communities, the Hindu community following at 1.94 in NFHS 5 which declines from 2.1 in 2015 – to 2016. In the year 1992 – 1993 the Hindu community had a fertility rate of 3.3. While the Christian community has a fertility rate of 1.88, 1.61 is followed by the Sikh community while 1.6 is followed by the Jain community, the lowest rate in the country is followed by the Buddhist and the Neo Buddhist community is 1.39.
It has been seen twice that a sudden decrease in the Muslim fertility rate has taken the place. Between the year 1992 – 93 and the year 1998 – 99 as well as between the years 2005 – 06 and the year 2015 – 16, when the fertility rate dropped by 0.8 points.
According to Poonam Muttreja, the executive director of the population foundation of India, a non-governmental organization she stated that the fertility gap between both the religion Hindus as well as the Muslim’s the fertility gap is narrowing. The high fertility is mostly a result of those non-religious factors such as the levels of literacy, employment, income as well as access to health services.
The current gap in infertility in both these communities is due to the Muslim’s disadvantages in these parameters.
Again Poonam continued by saying that it has been seen over the past few decades that an emerging middle-class Muslim family has been realising the value of girls.
NFHS-5 data: Total fertility rate dips, sharpest decline among Muslims
