Why in the news
The Registrar General and Census Commissioner’s office, under the Home Ministry, issued the latest annual vital-statistics report, showing a clear demographic shift as fertility slips under replacement level.
Headline numbers
| Indicator | 2024 value |
|---|
| Total Fertility Rate | 1.9 (replacement level 2.1) |
| Crude Birth Rate | 18.3, down from 21.0 in 2014 |
| Crude Death Rate | 6.4 |
| Infant Mortality Rate | 24 per 1,000 live births (30 in 2019) |
| Under-Five Mortality Rate | 28 per 1,000 live births |
| Institutional births | 95.4% |
| Sex ratio at birth (2022-24) | 918 females per 1,000 males |
| Mean age at effective marriage, women | 23.1 years (rural 22.6, urban 24.4) |
| Median age | 29.2 years |
| Deaths without formal medical attention | 45.5% |
Age structure
| Group | Share |
|---|
| 0-14 years | 24.0% |
| 15-59 years (working age) | 66.4% |
| 60 years and above | 9.7% |
State extremes
- IMR: lowest Kerala (8), highest Chhattisgarh (36).
- TFR: among the lowest are Delhi (1.2) and Kerala (1.3).
- Rural IMR is around 27 per 1,000, well above the urban figure.
About TFR
- TFR is the average number of children a woman would have in her reproductive years (roughly 15-49) at current age-specific rates.
- Replacement level is about 2.1; below it, the population eventually stabilises and then shrinks, though demographic momentum can keep it growing for some years.
- Implications named: labour force, pensions, healthcare needs, urbanisation and family structures.
Exam angle
- Publisher: Office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner, Ministry of Home Affairs.
- SRS is the main source of annual fertility, birth and mortality estimates.
- Remember: TFR 1.9, IMR 24, U5MR 28, CBR 18.3, CDR 6.4.