Total Fertility Rate
The Total Fertility Rate (TFR) is defined as the number of children born to a woman if she follows the current fertility pattern in her reproductive life. The total fertility rate which was 5.6 per woman in the 1950s has declined to 3.7 in the 1970s and reached 1.8 which is below the replacement level, in the 1990s. The fertility rate declined in both rural and urban areas, and there is virtually no difference between the two. By contrast, in India, the TFR was 6.3 in the 1950s and declined to 3.3 in the 1990s. Though Kerala and India had a difference of only 0.7 children during the 1950s, the difference has widened to 1.5 children in the 1990s and 2001. (Human Development Report, 2005)
Decline in TFR – Kerala, India
In
the year 2007, TFR rate of Kerala was 1.7 against
the national average of 2.90 indicating a faster
decline in Kerala than in India as a whole. Kerala’s
achievement of TFR 1.7 inspite of low per capita
income disproves the theory that economic development
is an essential prerequisite for reduction in
fertility. High status of women, female literacy,
age at marriage and low infant mortality were
thought to be the factors behind the rapid fall
in the fertility rate in Kerala.
Total Fertility Rate - 2007
Researchers
in the field of health have come to the conclusion
that one of the most important factors behind
Kerala’s remarkable performance in reducing
fertility is the high level of female education
(Zachariah et al, 1994; Bhat and Rajan, 1990).
Whereas, there is another school that believed
that availability and access to family welfare
services is one of the critical determinants of
decline in fertility. This factor could not be
underscored because over the years, Planning Commission
and the Department of Family Welfare have been
laying down targets for health, family welfare
activities and for demographic indicators. And
there has been a progressive improvement in the
achievement of most of these, because the targets
set were realistic and necessary inputs were provided
for their achievement.
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