Fertility Rates in India Fall Across All Religious Groups

India has become the biggest country in the world this year, but conversely, its fertility rates have been in a steep decline for years. In reality, the reversal of population growth that manifested itself in China this year has already begun in India as well.

The number of children born per woman in India had dropped to 2.0 by 2019. To maintain a stable population, 2.1 births per woman are necessary. Birth rates have been declining across all religious groups, making rates more similar in the process, reporting by Pew Research Center shows. Muslim women have traditionally given birth to more children than other women in India, but the gap between Hindu and Muslim birth rates in the country as been narrowing from one third to one quarter higher birth rates among the latter population.

While life expectancy in India is still growing rather quickly, the population can continue to increase, but if this factor slows down in the future, population decline will start. India is expected to remain the biggest country in the world throughout this century, but could pass the title on to Nigeria beyond that.