Family planning in India
1
Family planning in India
Family planning in India is based on efforts largely
sponsored by the Indian government. In the 1965-2009
period, contraceptive usage has more than tripled (from
13% of married women in 1970 to 48% in 2009) and
the fertility rate has more than halved (from 5.7 in 1966
to 2.7 in 2009), but the national fertility rate is still high
enough to cause long-term population growth.[1] [2] [3]
[4]
Map of countries by fertility rate: India's fertility rate is lower than
some countries in its neighborhood, but significantly higher than
China and Iran
Contraceptive usage
Low female literacy levels and the lack of widespread availability of
birth-control methods is hampering the use of contraception in India.
Awareness of contraception is near-universal among married women in
India.[5] However, the vast majority of married Indians (76% in a 2009 study)
reported significant problems in accessing a choice of contraceptive
methods.[2]
In 2009, 48.3% of married women were estimated to use a contraceptive
method, i.e. more than half of all married women did not.[2] About
The Red Triangle indicates family
three-fourths of these were using female sterilization, which is by far the most
planning
products and services in India
prevalent birth-control method in India.[2] Condoms, at a mere 3% were the
next most prevalent method.[2] Meghalaya, at 20%, had the lowest usage of
contraception among all Indian states. Bihar and Uttar Pradesh were the other two states that reported usage below
30%.[2]
Comparative studies have indicated that increased female literacy is correlated strongly with a decline in fertility.[6]
Studies have indicated that female literacy levels are an independent strong predictor of the use of contraception,
even when women do not otherwise have economic independence.[7] Female literacy levels in India may be the
primary factor that help in population stabilization, but they are improving relatively slowly: a 1990 study estimated
that it would take until 2060 for India to achieve universal literacy at the current rate of progress.[6]
Family planning programmes
The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare is the government unit responsible for formulating and executing family
planning related government plans in India. An inverted Red Triangle is the symbol for family planning health and
contraception services in India.
Historical background
In the early 1970s, Indira Gandhi, Prime Minister of India, had implemented a forced sterilization programme, but
failed. Officially, men with two children or more had to submit to sterilization, but many unmarried young men,
political opponents and ignorant, poor men were also believed to have been sterilized. This program is still
remembered and criticized in India, and is blamed for creating a wrong public aversion to family planning, which
Family planning in India
2
hampered Government programmes for decades.[8]
Contraceptive usage has been rising gradually in India. In 1970, 13% of married women used modern contraceptive
methods, which rose to 35% by 1997 and 48% by 2009.[1] The national family planning program was launched in
1951, and was the world's first governmental population stabilization program. By 1996, the program had been
estimated to have averted 168 million births.[9]
Fertility rate
India suffers from the problem of overpopulation.[10] [11] [12] Although the fertility rate (average number of children
born per woman during her lifetime) in India has been declining, it has not reached replacement rate yet. The
replacement rate is defined as the total fertility rate at which newborn girls would have an average of exactly one
daughter over their lifetimes. In more familiar terms, women have just enough babies to replace themselves.
Factoring in infant mortality, the replacement rate is approximately 2.1 in most industrialized nations and about 2.5
in developing nations (due to higher mortality). Discounting immigration and population momentum effects, a nation
that crosses below the replacement rate is on the path to population stabilization and, eventually, population
reduction.
Historical fertility trend
The fertility rate in India has been in long-term decline, and had more than halved in the 1960-2009 period. From 5.7
in 1966, it declined to 3.3 by 1997 and 2.7 in 2009.[3] [4]
State and country comparisons
Seven Indian states have dipped below the 2.1 replacement rate level and are no longer contributing to Indian
population growth - Andhra Pradesh, Goa, Tamil Nadu, Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Punjab and Sikkim.[13] Four
Indian states have fertility rates above 3.5 - Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Meghalaya and Nagaland.[13] Of these, Bihar has a
fertility rate of 4.0, the highest of any Indian state. For detailed state figures and rankings, see Indian states ranking
by fertility rate.
In 2009, India had a lower estimated fertility rate than Pakistan and Bangladesh, but a higher fertility rate than
China, Iran, Burma and Sri Lanka.[14]
Country or Indian
state
Fertility
Rate
Notes
[14]
Singapore
1.1
Source: CIA
Japan
1.2
Source: CIA
Germany
1.4
Source: CIA
United Kingdom
1.7
Source: CIA
Iran
1.7
[14]
Source: CIA
; Government requires compulsory contraceptive counseling for all couples prior to
marriage (see: Family planning in Iran)
Tunisia
1.7
Source: CIA
China
1.8
Source: CIA
Algeria
1.8
Source: CIA
Andhra Pradesh
1.8
Source: NFHS
Tamil Nadu
1.8
Source: NFHS
[14]
[14]
[14]
[14]
[14]
; Official one-child policy enforced (see: One-child policy)
[14]
[13]
[13]
; Andhra Pradesh has the lowest fertility rate of any Indian state
Family planning in India
3
[14]
Burma
1.9
Source: CIA
Maldives
1.9
Source: CIA
Himachal Pradesh
1.9
Source: NFHS
United States
2.0
Source: CIA
Sri Lanka
2.0
Source: CIA
Punjab
2.0
Source: NFHS
Kerala
2.0
Source: NFHS
Replacement Rate
2.1
Replacement rate (assuming industrialized-economy levels of infant mortality)
Turkey
2.2
Source: CIA
Indonesia
2.2
Source: CIA
Jordan
2.4
Source: CIA
United Arab
Emirates
2.4
Source: CIA
Jammu and Kashmir
2.4
Source: NFHS
World Average
2.6
Source: CIA
India
2.7
Source: CIA
Bangladesh
2.7
Source: CIA
Madhya Pradesh
3.1
Source: NFHS
Rajasthan
3.2
Source: NFHS
Pakistan
3.6
Source: CIA
Uttar Pradesh
3.8
Source: NFHS
Saudi Arabia
3.8
Source: CIA
Bihar
4.0
Source: NFHS
Afghanistan
6.5
Source: CIA
[14]
[13]
[14]
[14]
[13]
[13]
[14]
[14]
[14]
[14]
[13]
[14]
[14]
[14]
[13]
[13]
[14]
[13]
[14]
[13]
See also
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Indian states ranking by fertility rate
Total fertility rate
Family planning
One-child policy in China
Family planning in Iran
Population control
Birth control
[14]
; Bihar has the highest fertility rate of any Indian state
Family planning in India
References
[1] Marian Rengel (2000), Encyclopedia of birth control (http:/ / books. google. com/ books?id=dx1Kz-ezUjsC), Greenwood Publishing Group,
ISBN 1573562556, , "... In 1997, 36% of married women used modern contraceptives; in 1970, only 13% of married women had ..."
[2] India and Family Planning: An Overview (http:/ / www. searo. who. int/ linkfiles/ family_planning_fact_sheets_india. pdf), Department of
Family and Community Health, World Health Organization, , retrieved 2009-11-25
[3] G.N. Ramu (2006), Brothers and sisters in India: a study of urban adult siblings (http:/ / books. google. com/ books?id=2cGSay9VxsgC),
University of Toronto Press, ISBN 080209077X,
[4] Arjun Adlakha (April 1997), Population Trends: India (http:/ / www. census. gov/ ipc/ prod/ ib-9701. pdf), U.S. Department of Commerce,
Economics and Statistics Administration, Bureau of the Census, , retrieved 2009-12-05
[5] B.M. Ramesh, S.C. Gulati, R.D. Retherford, "Contraceptive use in India, 1992-93" (https:/ / scholarspace. manoa. hawaii. edu/ bitstream/
10125/ 3471/ 1/ NFHSsubjrpt002. pdf), National Family Health Survey Subject Reports, Number 2, October 1996 (International Institute for
Population Sciences), , retrieved 2009-11-25
[6] How Female Literacy Affects Fertility: The Case of India (http:/ / www. eastwestcenter. org/ fileadmin/ stored/ pdfs/ p& p015. pdf),
Population Institute, East-West Center, December 1990, , retrieved 2009-11-25
[7] A. Dharmalingam, S. Philip Morgan (1996), "Women's work, autonomy, and birth control: evidence from two south India villages" (http:/ /
www. jstor. org/ pss/ 2174910), Population Studies, , retrieved 2009-11-25
[8] http:/ / www. sscnet. ucla. edu/ southasia/ History/ Independent/ Indira. html
[9] B.N. Saxena (1996; 12:265-270), "Reproductive Health in India" (http:/ / www. springerlink. com/ content/ r1h6034lt173q702/ ), Advances in
Contraception (Kluwer Academic Publishers, Springer Netherlands), , retrieved 2009-11-28, "... The National Family Welfare Programme,
established in India during the late 1950s, has averted about 168 million births since its inception ..."
[10] http:/ / serendip. brynmawr. edu/ local/ scisoc/ environment/ seniorsem03/ Overpopulation_in_India. pdf
[11] http:/ / www. geocities. com/ soc2504groupproject/ overpopulation_in_india_and_chin. htm
[12] "Over-population warning as India's billionth baby is born" (http:/ / www. guardian. co. uk/ world/ 2000/ may/ 11/ population). The
Guardian (London). 2000-05-11. . Retrieved 2010-05-02.
[13] National Family Health Survey, India (http:/ / www. nfhsindia. org/ ), International Institute for Population Sciences, , retrieved 2009-11-24
[14] CIA, Country Comparison: Total Fertility Rate, The World Factbook (https:/ / www. cia. gov/ library/ publications/ the-world-factbook/
rankorder/ 2127rank. html), Central Intelligence Agency, , retrieved 2009-11-24
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Article Sources and Contributors
Article Sources and Contributors
Family planning in India Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=359645470 Contributors: AnonMoos, Doc9871, Hunnjazal, Jovianeye, Redtigerxyz, Rich Farmbrough,
Shyamsunder, Woohookitty, 1 anonymous edits
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Image:Fertility rate world map 2.png Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Fertility_rate_world_map_2.png License: Public Domain Contributors: PlatypeanArchcow,
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