Future demographic shocks

The declining sex ratio points to behavioural regression

The growing prosperity of India’s population has had a mixed impact on its demographics. The latest data from the Sample Registration System shows that Indians are planning smaller families — but also prefer fewer daughters. The upshot is that India’s total fertility rate (TFR) — or the number of children expected to be born to a woman during her reproductive period — has fallen from 2.3 in 2016 to 2.2 in 2017, with both rural and urban India registering a steady fall. This is marginally more than the World Health Organization’s recommended replacement-level fertility of 2.1 children per woman; in