UNFPA report flags hidden fertility crisis in India
New Delhi, June 10 (UNI) Atleast one in three Indian adults — roughly 36% of the population — experiences unintended pregnancies, while 30% report unmet desires regarding the number of kids they wish to have. Alarmingly, 23% of individuals face both challenges, according to the UNFPA's State of World Population 2025 report released here on Tuesday.
Dr Natalia Kanem, executive director of UNFPA, told media at a virtual media conference that vast numbers of people are unable to create the families they want. 'The issue is lack of choice, not desire, with major consequences for individuals and societies. That is the real fertility crisis, and the answer lies in responding to what people say they need: paid family leave, affordable fertility care, and supportive partners.'
Titled 'The real fertility crisis: The pursuit of reproductive agency in a changing world,' the report urges a shift in focus — from concerns about declining birth rates to addressing the gap between people's reproductive goals and their ability to achieve them. It argues that the true crisis is not about overpopulation or under-population, but about unmet reproductive needs and limited autonomy, said a statement from the UN body.
The report is based on a UNFPA-YouGov survey spanning 14 countries including India, and highlights that achieving reproductive decisions — the ability to make free and informed choices about sex, contraception, and childbearing — is key.
It questions the dominant global narratives of 'population explosion' versus 'population collapse,' emphasising that India, while having achieved replacement-level fertility (around 2.0 births per woman), still struggles with unequal access to reproductive choices. Women, in particular, face major hurdles in exercising their reproductive rights, with significant disparities between states, as per the statement.
Fertility has fallen below the replacement level (2.1) in 31 states/UTs, but remains high in Bihar (3.0), Meghalaya (2.9), and Uttar Pradesh (2.7). In Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Delhi, many couples delay or skip childbirth due to costs and work-life conflict, especially among educated middle-class women, says the report.
Clearly, the imbalance is tied to differences in education, healthcare access, economic opportunities, and social norms, as per the report.
In fact, financial insecurity is the most common barrier to having the desired family size. Nearly 40% cite financial limitations, followed by job insecurity (21%), inadequate housing (22%), and lack of childcare (18%). Health-related challenges like general poor health (15%), infertility (13%), and limited maternal healthcare (14%) also play a role.
In addition, anxieties about the future—such as climate change and political instability—are discouraging people from having children. Nearly one in five respondents also said they felt pressured by family or partners to have fewer children than they wanted, said the statement citing the report.
UNFPA India Representative Andrea M. Wojnar praised India's progress, noting that fertility has dropped from nearly five children per woman in 1970 to about two today, due to better education and healthcare.
'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.
'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.'
The report also notes changing societal dynamics—like growing loneliness, shifting relationship norms, difficulty finding supportive partners, stigma around reproductive choices, and entrenched gender roles—as influential factors in fertility decisions. Expectations of intensive parenting and unequal caregiving burdens further deter many, particularly women, from having children.
To address these challenges, the report has recommended a rights-based approach built on five pillars: expanding access to sexual and reproductive healthcare (including contraception, safe abortion, maternal health, and infertility services); removing structural barriers through investments in education, childcare, housing, and flexible work environments; and creating inclusive policies for unmarried individuals, LGBTQIA+ people, and other marginalised groups.
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