Fertility rate in rural India declines to replacement rate for the first time, overall rate down to 1.9

The Sample Registration System report 2023 shows that India's Total Fertility Rate is now 1.9. Rural India's rate has reached the replacement level of 2.1 for the first time. Meanwhile, the Gross Reproduction Rate stands at 0.9. Bihar records the highest TFR among states, while Delhi has the lowest. Infant Mortality Rate declined to 25 per 1,000 live births. Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh have the highest IMR, while Kerala and Manipur were amongst the lowest.