Sample Registration System (SRS) Statistical Report 2024

Source: TH

Summary

The Sample Registration System (SRS) Statistical Report 2024, released by the Office of the Registrar General of India (ORGI) under the Ministry of Home Affairs, has provided incontrovertible proof that India’s pace of population growth is decisively slowing — a generational inflection that closes one demographic era and opens another. India’s Total Fertility Rate (TFR) has dropped to 1.9, falling below the replacement level of 2.1, while the Crude Birth Rate (CBR) has declined from 21 (2014) to 18.3 (2024) and the Crude Death Rate (CDR) has marginally eased from 6.7 to 6.4.

Key takeaways from SRS 2024 include:

• Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) has fallen sharply from 39 to 24 per 1,000 live births over the past decade.
• Life expectancy at birth has risen to 72 years, narrowing the gap with the global average.
• Median age stands at 29.2 years — far younger than China (40.2) and most of Europe — keeping India’s demographic dividend window open till around 2055.
• Youth aged 15–29 number 370–380 million (~27%); over 65% of Indians are under 35.
• South–North divergence persists — Kerala (TFR ~1.5, IMR 8), Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh lead; Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan lag.
• Rural indicators continue to trail urban, with structural gaps in maternal, child, and primary healthcare.

The report effectively retires the old “population explosion” framing of Indian policy and reframes the debate around population ageing, sex ratio, internal migration, the demographic dividend, and intergenerational fiscal stress — directly informing the National Population Policy, Mission Parivar Vikas, the Census exercise, and India’s pursuit of SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being) by 2030.

Background & Concept

What is the Sample Registration System (SRS)?

The Sample Registration System is a large-scale, nationally representative demographic survey conducted by the Office of the Registrar General of India (ORGI) to generate reliable annual estimates of fertility, mortality, and other vital indicators at the national, state, and rural–urban levels. It is India’s most authoritative source of inter-censal data on births and deaths.

• Launch: Initiated on a pilot basis in 1964–65; became fully operational nationwide in 1969–70.
• Methodology: Uses a unique Dual Record System (DRS) — independent continuous enumeration of births and deaths by a part-time enumerator at the village/urban-block level, and half-yearly retrospective surveys by a full-time supervisor; discrepancies are reconciled to derive unbiased estimates.
• Coverage: Around 8,800+ sample units covering a population of roughly 84 lakh across the country.
• Publication: Annual SRS Statistical Report and periodic SRS-based Abridged Life Tables.

Key SRS Indicators — 2014 vs 2024

Indicator	2014	2024	Status
Total Fertility Rate (TFR)	Higher	1.9	Below replacement level of 2.1
Crude Birth Rate (CBR) (per 1,000)	21	18.3	Down
Crude Death Rate (CDR) (per 1,000)	6.7	6.4	Marginally down
Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) (per 1,000 live births)	39	24	Down sharply
Life expectancy at birth (years)	Lower	72	Up

India’s Youth Demographics (2026)

• Median age: 29.2 years (vs China: 40.2, Japan ~49, Germany ~46, US ~38).
• Youth aged 15–29: 370–380 million — roughly 27% of the population.
• Below 35 years: over 65% of the total population.
• India is the world’s most populous country (overtook China in 2023, per UN estimates).
• The demographic dividend window for India is widely placed at ~2018 to ~2055.

Drivers of the SRS 2024 Trends

Drivers of falling fertility:

• Rapid urbanization.
• Significant gains in female education and literacy.
• Wider access to contraception and family-planning services.
• Smaller-family preferences linked to rising costs of child-rearing and aspirational consumption.
• Delayed marriage and delayed childbearing.

Drivers of falling mortality:

• Improved healthcare access via Ayushman Bharat–PMJAY and Health and Wellness Centres.
• Strengthened maternal–child health programmes under the National Health Mission (NHM).
• Higher institutional delivery rates under Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY) and JSSK.
• Universal immunization coverage via Mission Indradhanush and the Universal Immunization Programme (UIP).
• Better nutrition (POSHAN Abhiyaan), sanitation (Swachh Bharat Mission), and access to safe drinking water (Jal Jeevan Mission).

About the Office of the Registrar General of India (ORGI)

• Established in 1961, ORGI functions under the Ministry of Home Affairs.
• Mandated to conduct the Census of India (every 10 years since 1872; last completed in 2011; the 2021 Census has been postponed).
• Implements the Sample Registration System (SRS), the Civil Registration System (CRS) under the Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1969 (amended 2023), and prepares the National Population Register (NPR).
• Headed by the Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India.

Key Frameworks & Schemes Referenced

• National Population Policy, 2000 — Set the target of replacement-level TFR; institutional architecture for population stabilisation.
• 42nd Constitutional Amendment Act, 1976 — Moved “Population Control and Family Planning” from the State List to the Concurrent List.
• Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1969 (Amended 2023) — Statutory basis for the Civil Registration System (CRS); the 2023 amendment digitised CRS and made the birth certificate a single document for school admissions, driving licences, voter rolls, etc.
• Mission Parivar Vikas (2016) — Targeted family-planning interventions in 146 high-TFR districts across 7 high-focus states.
• Jansankhya Sthirta Kosh (JSK) — Autonomous society of the MoHFW for population stabilisation activities.
• Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health (RMNCH+A) strategy.
• National Family Health Survey (NFHS) — Quintennial survey by IIPS Mumbai under MoHFW; NFHS-5 (2019–21) reported a national TFR of 2.0.
• Ayushman Bharat (2018) — Health and Wellness Centres + Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY) with ₹5 lakh annual cover.
• Janani Suraksha Yojana (2005), JSSK (2011), Surakshit Matritva Aashwasan (SUMAN, 2019) — Maternal health schemes.
• POSHAN Abhiyaan (2018), PM POSHAN (2021) — Nutrition flagship programmes.
• Swachh Bharat Mission (2014), Jal Jeevan Mission (2019) — Sanitation and water schemes.
• Sustainable Development Goal 3 (SDG-3) — Targets include U5MR ≤ 25/1,000, NMR ≤ 12/1,000, and MMR ≤ 70/100,000 by 2030.

Key Outcomes Flagged by SRS 2024

Domain	Outcome
Fertility	TFR at 1.9 — below replacement level of 2.1
Births	CBR declined from 21 (2014) to 18.3 (2024)
Mortality	CDR eased from 6.7 to 6.4; IMR fell from 39 to 24
Longevity	Life expectancy rose to 72 years
Youth Profile	Median age 29.2; 65%+ population under 35
South–North Divide	Kerala TFR ~1.5, IMR 8; Bihar/UP/MP/Rajasthan well above national IMR of 24
Rural–Urban Gap	Rural lagging on most maternal-child indicators
Ageing Signal	Onset of population ageing — 60+ population set to expand sharply

India’s Position

India’s population governance is anchored in a layered constitutional, statutory, and programmatic architecture:

• Constitutional anchor: 42nd Amendment, 1976 placed “Population Control and Family Planning” under the Concurrent List (Entry 20A). Article 47 (DPSP) directs the State to raise the level of nutrition and standard of living.
• Statutory framework: Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1969 (Amended 2023); PCPNDT Act, 1994; Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act, 1971 (Amended 2021); Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007.
• Policy framework: National Population Policy, 2000; National Health Policy, 2017; National Education Policy, 2020.
• Institutional architecture: Office of the Registrar General of India (ORGI), MoHFW, NITI Aayog, International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS, Mumbai), National Commission on Population (NCP, 2000), Jansankhya Sthirta Kosh (JSK).
• Data ecosystem: Census of India (1872 onwards), SRS (1969-70 onwards), NFHS (1992 onwards), PLFS (2017 onwards), Civil Registration System (CRS), National Population Register (NPR), Annual Health Survey (AHS, 2010–13), and global counterparts like the UN World Population Prospects and the UNFPA State of World Population Report.
• Historic firsts: India was the first country in the world to launch a national family-planning programme (1952).
• International alignment: SDG-3 (Good Health), SDG-5 (Gender Equality), SDG-1 (No Poverty), ICPD Programme of Action, 1994 (Cairo), Beijing Declaration, 1995.

Keywords & Definitions

▸ Sample Registration System (SRS): Large-scale demographic survey by ORGI, operational since 1969–70, providing annual estimates of fertility and mortality indicators using a Dual Record System (DRS).

▸ Office of the Registrar General of India (ORGI): Established 1961; under the Ministry of Home Affairs; conducts Census, SRS, CRS, and NPR. Headed by the Registrar General and Census Commissioner.

▸ Total Fertility Rate (TFR): The average number of children a woman is expected to bear over her reproductive lifetime (15–49 years), assuming current age-specific fertility rates.

▸ Replacement-Level Fertility: The TFR at which a population exactly replaces itself from one generation to the next; pegged at ~2.1 for most countries (slightly higher than 2.0 to account for child mortality and sex ratio at birth).

▸ Crude Birth Rate (CBR): Number of live births per 1,000 mid-year population in a given year.

▸ Crude Death Rate (CDR): Number of deaths per 1,000 mid-year population in a given year.

▸ Infant Mortality Rate (IMR): Number of deaths of infants under one year of age per 1,000 live births.

▸ Neonatal Mortality Rate (NMR): Deaths within the first 28 days of life per 1,000 live births.

▸ Under-Five Mortality Rate (U5MR): Deaths of children under five years per 1,000 live births.

▸ Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR): Number of maternal deaths per 1,00,000 live births.

▸ Life Expectancy at Birth: Average number of years a newborn is expected to live if prevailing mortality patterns continue.

▸ Demographic Dividend: The economic growth potential resulting from a higher share of working-age population relative to dependants; India’s window is approximately 2018–2055.

▸ Demographic Transition Theory: Framework describing the shift from high fertility–high mortality to low fertility–low mortality, typically through four/five stages.

▸ Civil Registration System (CRS): Continuous, mandatory, statutory recording of births and deaths under the RBD Act, 1969 (Amended 2023).

▸ National Population Register (NPR): A register of usual residents of India prepared at local, sub-district, district, state, and national levels under the Citizenship Act, 1955 and Citizenship Rules, 2003.

▸ National Family Health Survey (NFHS): Quintennial demographic and health survey by IIPS Mumbai under the MoHFW; NFHS-5 (2019–21) reported a national TFR of 2.0.

▸ Empowered Action Group (EAG) States: Eight states with persistent demographic and health lags — Bihar, UP, MP, Rajasthan, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, and Uttarakhand.

▸ 42nd Constitutional Amendment Act, 1976: Inserted Entry 20A — “Population Control and Family Planning” into the Concurrent List.

▸ National Population Policy, 2000: Set the long-term objective of a stable population by 2045 and replacement-level TFR by 2010.

▸ PCPNDT Act, 1994: Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques Act — prohibits sex selection and regulates prenatal diagnostic techniques.

▸ Mission Parivar Vikas (2016): Targeted family-planning intervention in 146 high-TFR districts of 7 high-focus states.

▸ Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY), 2005: Conditional cash transfer scheme under NHM to promote institutional deliveries.

▸ ICPD Programme of Action, 1994 (Cairo): International Conference on Population and Development that shifted focus from demographic targets to reproductive rights and women’s empowerment.

Question Section (MCQs)

Q1. The Sample Registration System (SRS) in India is published by:

(a) National Statistical Office (NSO) (b) International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS), Mumbai (c) Office of the Registrar General of India (ORGI), Ministry of Home Affairs (d) Ministry of Health and Family Welfare

Q2. Consider the following statements regarding the SRS Statistical Report 2024:

1. India’s Total Fertility Rate (TFR) has dropped to 1.9, below the replacement level of 2.1.
2. The Crude Birth Rate (CBR) has declined from 21 in 2014 to 18.3 in 2024.
3. The Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) has declined from 39 to 24 per 1,000 live births.
4. Life expectancy at birth has risen to 72 years.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

(a) 1, 2 and 3 only (b) 2, 3 and 4 only (c) 1, 3 and 4 only (d) 1, 2, 3 and 4

Q3. Replacement-level fertility for most countries, including India, is conventionally pegged at:

(a) 1.5 (b) 1.9 (c) 2.1 (d) 2.5

Q4. The subject of “Population Control and Family Planning” was placed in the Concurrent List of the Indian Constitution by which Amendment?

(a) 24th Amendment, 1971 (b) 42nd Amendment, 1976 (c) 44th Amendment, 1978 (d) 73rd Amendment, 1992

Q5. Consider the following statements regarding India’s demographic profile in 2026:

1. India’s median age is approximately 29.2 years.
2. Youth aged 15–29 number around 370–380 million.
3. Over 65% of India’s population is below the age of 35.
4. India’s demographic dividend window is widely placed at 2018–2055.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

(a) 1, 2 and 3 only (b) 2, 3 and 4 only (c) 1, 3 and 4 only (d) 1, 2, 3 and 4

Q6. Which of the following is/are correctly matched?

1. Total Fertility Rate (TFR) — Number of live births per 1,000 women aged 15–49.
2. Crude Birth Rate (CBR) — Number of live births per 1,000 mid-year population.
3. Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) — Number of deaths of infants under one year per 1,000 live births.

Which of the pairs given above are correctly matched?

(a) 1 and 2 only (b) 2 and 3 only (c) 1 and 3 only (d) 1, 2 and 3

Q7. The Sample Registration System (SRS) in India:

(a) Was launched in 1991 to coincide with economic liberalisation (b) Was initiated on a pilot basis in 1964–65 and became fully operational in 1969–70 (c) Replaces the decennial Census of India (d) Is conducted jointly by the World Bank and the Government of India

Q8. Mission Parivar Vikas (2016) is targeted at:

(a) Promoting agricultural family enterprises (b) Family-planning interventions in 146 high-TFR districts of 7 high-focus states (c) Promoting joint-family living through tax incentives (d) Crop diversification in family-owned farms

Q9. Consider the following statements about the Empowered Action Group (EAG) States:

1. They include Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan.
2. They were identified for their persistent lag in demographic and health indicators.
3. Kerala and Tamil Nadu are included among the EAG states.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

(a) 1 and 2 only (b) 2 and 3 only (c) 1 and 3 only (d) 1, 2 and 3

Q10. Match the following demographic indicators with their definitions:

Indicator	Definition
A. CBR	1. Average number of children a woman is expected to bear in her lifetime
B. CDR	2. Deaths of infants under one year per 1,000 live births
C. TFR	3. Number of live births per 1,000 mid-year population
D. IMR	4. Number of deaths per 1,000 mid-year population

Select the correct answer:

(a) A-3, B-4, C-1, D-2 (b) A-1, B-2, C-3, D-4 (c) A-3, B-1, C-4, D-2 (d) A-4, B-3, C-1, D-2

Answer Key with Explanations

▸ Q1 → (c) Office of the Registrar General of India (ORGI), Ministry of Home Affairs. SRS is conducted and published by ORGI under the MHA. NSO publishes PLFS and national accounts; IIPS conducts the NFHS under MoHFW.

▸ Q2 → (d) 1, 2, 3 and 4. All four statements are correct. TFR is 1.9 (below 2.1), CBR has fallen from 21 to 18.3, IMR from 39 to 24, and life expectancy is at 72 years.

▸ Q3 → (c) 2.1. Replacement-level fertility is conventionally pegged at ~2.1 — slightly above 2.0 to compensate for child mortality and the natural sex ratio at birth (slightly more boys than girls).

▸ Q4 → (b) 42nd Amendment, 1976. The 42nd Amendment inserted Entry 20A — “Population Control and Family Planning” into the Concurrent List, enabling both Union and States to legislate on the subject.

▸ Q5 → (d) 1, 2, 3 and 4. All four statements are correct. India’s median age is 29.2 years; 15–29 cohort is 370–380 million; over 65% are under 35; and the demographic dividend window is ~2018–2055.

▸ Q6 → (b) 2 and 3 only. Pair 1 is wrong — TFR is the average number of children a woman is expected to bear over her reproductive lifetime (15–49 years) under prevailing fertility rates, not the number of live births per 1,000 women. Pairs 2 and 3 are correct.

▸ Q7 → (b) Initiated on a pilot basis in 1964–65 and became fully operational in 1969–70. SRS is a continuous, sample-based demographic survey — it complements but does not replace the decennial Census, and is a wholly domestic exercise by ORGI.

▸ Q8 → (b) Mission Parivar Vikas, launched by the MoHFW in 2016, targets family-planning interventions in 146 high-TFR districts spread across 7 high-focus states with persistent fertility lag.

▸ Q9 → (a) 1 and 2 only. Statement 3 is wrong — Kerala and Tamil Nadu are NOT EAG states; in fact, they are leaders in demographic transition. The eight EAG states are Bihar, UP, MP, Rajasthan, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, and Uttarakhand.

▸ Q10 → (a) A-3, B-4, C-1, D-2. CBR → live births per 1,000 mid-year population; CDR → deaths per 1,000 mid-year population; TFR → average number of children a woman bears in her lifetime; IMR → infant deaths under one year per 1,000 live births.