Lowest Fertility Rate in Andaman & Nicobar Islands

Why in News?

The Andaman and Nicobar Islands have the lowest fertility rate in India, according to the National Family Health Survey-6 recently released by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

Key Findings for Andaman and Nicobar Islands

• Total Fertility Rate (TFR) Trajectory
  • Current Status - The Union Territory's TFR has plummeted to 0.9, which is less than half of the standard replacement level benchmark.
  • Historical Trend - This represents a steep decline over the last decade, falling from 1.4 in NFHS-4 (2015-16) and 1.3 in NFHS-5 (2019-21) to its current historic low.
• Shift in Age Structure & Demographics
  • Declining Child Population - The share of children under 5 years of age has dropped to 3.7% in NFHS-6 from 5.3% in NFHS-5.
  • Similarly, children under 15 years now constitute just 17.5% of the population, down from 20.8%.
  • Ageing Population - Conversely, the proportion of individuals aged 60 and above expanded from 11% to 12.6%, signalling a rapid demographic transition toward an older populace.
  • Preschool Enrollment Contraction - Paralleling the reduction in early childhood cohorts, preschool attendance among children aged 2 to 4 years witnessed a sharp reduction, dropping from 88.5% to 66.2%.
• Underlying Determinants of the Decline
  • Socio-Economic Framework - The islands function largely as a middle-class society characterized by high literacy rates, low structural unemployment, and prominent women's education.
  • Economic Independence - Enhanced female labor-force participation and financial autonomy have delayed marriages and reshaped reproductive choices.
  • Family Planning Access - Widespread, frictionless access to modern family-planning methods and a cross-generational socio-cultural shift preferring single-child households.

Reference

Down to Earth | India’s lowest fertility rate