Key Points

The State of World Population (SOWP) report showed that millions of people are not able to realise their real fertility goals -- that is a person’s ability to make free and informed choices about sex, contraception, and starting a family. It called for a shift from panic over falling fertility to addressing unmet reproductive goals.

The report, which included a UNFPA-YouGov survey across 14 countries, including India, with 14,000 respondents reveals multiple barriers to reproductive autonomy in India.

Financial limitations (40 per cent) were one of the biggest barriers to reproductive freedom. This was followed by job insecurity (21 per cent), housing constraints (22 per cent), and the lack of reliable childcare (18 per cent) that is making parenthood feel out of reach.

Further, health barriers like poor general well-being (15 per cent), infertility (13 per cent), and limited access to pregnancy-related care (14 per cent) added to the burden. Climate change and political and social instability are also increasing anxiety about the future, preventing people from planning a family. About 19 per cent faced partner or family pressure to have fewer children than they wanted.

“India has made significant progress in lowering fertility rates -- from nearly five children per woman in 1970 to about two today -- thanks to improved education and access to reproductive healthcare,” said Andrea M. Wojnar, UNFPA India Representative.

“This has led to major reductions in maternal mortality, meaning million more mothers are alive today, raising children and building communities. Yet, deep inequalities persist across states, castes, and income groups," Wojnar added.

While India has made remarkable progress in lowering fertility rates and enhancing reproductive healthcare, the SOWP report showed several inequalities in fertility health among states.

The report showed that states such as Bihar, Jharkhand, and Uttar Pradesh continue to experience high fertility rates, while others, like Delhi, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu, have sustained below-replacement fertility.

This duality reflects differences in economic opportunities, access to healthcare, education levels, and prevailing gender and social norms, said the report.

“The real demographic dividend comes when everyone has the freedom and means to make informed reproductive choices. India has a unique opportunity to show how reproductive rights, and economic prosperity can advance together,” Wojnar said.

The report underscores that the real crisis lies not in population size, but in the widespread challenges to support individuals’ right to decide freely and responsibly if, when, and how many children to have.

It outlined the need for expanding sexual/reproductive health services with universal access to contraception, safe abortion, maternal health, and infertility care and removing structural barriers by investing in childcare, education, housing, and workplace flexibility while promoting inclusive policies.

- IANS