India Fertility Rate Drops Below 2.1 for Fifth Year: SRS 2024 Report

Overview

The 2024 Sample Registration System (SRS) report of the Office of the Registrar General of India is out. It shows a crude death rate of 6.4 deaths per thousand people. The total fertility rate is 1.9 children per woman. This is the fifth year in a row that fertility has stayed below the replacement level of 2.1. The report also gives us new data on births, deaths, and causes of death in India.

What Is the Sample Registration System?

The Sample Registration System (SRS) is a large-scale survey. It is run by the Office of the Registrar General of India. The SRS helps estimate birth rates, death rates, infant mortality, and fertility. Every year, the government publishes an SRS report. This report is very important for planning health and population policies.

Key Findings of the 2024 SRS Report

Crude Death Rate (CDR)

The crude death rate in 2024 is 6.4 deaths per thousand population. This is higher than the 2019 and 2020 levels, which were 6.0. A rising death rate can be a sign of an ageing population or health challenges. But the number is still low compared to many other countries.

Total Fertility Rate (TFR)

The total fertility rate is 1.9 children per woman. This is below the replacement level of 2.1. Replacement level means the average number of children a woman needs to have to keep the population stable. India’s TFR has been below 2.1 for five straight years. This shows that India’s population growth is slowing down.

Crude Birth Rate (CBR)

The crude birth rate in 2024 is 18.3 births per thousand people. In 2023, it was 18.4. The drop is very small. But it shows a continuing downward trend in births.

Infant Mortality Rate (IMR)

Good news for babies. The infant mortality rate has gone down. It was 25 in 2023. Now it is 24 in 2024. This means fewer babies are dying before their first birthday. This is a sign of better healthcare for mothers and newborns.

Urban vs Rural Death Rate

The urban death rate fell from 5.7 in 2023 to 5.6 in 2024. The rural death rate stayed the same at 6.8. Rural areas still have higher death rates. This may be because of less access to good hospitals and an older population in villages.

What Is Killing Indians? Cause-of-Death Patterns

The SRS report also looks at why people die. The data is for the period 2022-24. It is compared with earlier periods.

Respiratory Infections

Deaths from respiratory infections now make up 5.7% of all deaths. In 2017-19, this share was only 3.6%. In 2018-20, it was 4.9%. The rise is clear. This may be linked to air pollution and post-COVID lung problems.

Cardiovascular Diseases (Heart and Blood Vessels)

Heart diseases are the biggest killer. They account for 32.1% of total deaths in 2024. Earlier, this figure was 31%. The rise is small but steady. Heart attacks, strokes, and high blood pressure