NEW DELHI — Job insecurity, lack of reliable childcare, and poor health are
the barriers behind the rising fertility crisis, according to the latest report
by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) released on Tuesday.
The State of World Population (SOWP) report showed that
millions of people are not able to realise their real fertility goals -- that
is a person’s ability to make free and informed choices about sex,
contraception, and starting a family. It called for a shift from panic over
falling fertility to addressing unmet reproductive goals.
The report, which included a UNFPA-YouGov survey across
14 countries, including India, with 14,000 respondents reveals multiple
barriers to reproductive autonomy in India.
Financial limitations (40 per cent) were one of the
biggest barriers to reproductive freedom. This was followed by job insecurity
(21 per cent), housing constraints (22 per cent), and the lack of reliable
childcare (18 per cent) that is making parenthood feel out of reach.
Further, health barriers like poor general well-being (15
per cent), infertility (13 per cent), and limited access to pregnancy-related
care (14 per cent) added to the burden. Climate change and political and social
instability are also increasing anxiety about the future, preventing people
from planning a family. About 19 per cent faced partner or family pressure to
have fewer children than they wanted.
“India has made significant progress in lowering
fertility rates -- from nearly five children per woman in 1970 to about two
today -- thanks to improved education and access to reproductive healthcare,”
said Andrea M. Wojnar, UNFPA India Representative.
“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," Wojnar added.
While India has made remarkable progress in lowering
fertility rates and enhancing reproductive healthcare, the SOWP report showed
several inequalities in fertility health among states.
The report showed that states such as Bihar, Jharkhand,
and Uttar Pradesh continue to experience high fertility rates, while others,
like Delhi, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu, have sustained below-replacement fertility.
This duality reflects differences in economic
opportunities, access to healthcare, education levels, and prevailing gender
and social norms, said the report.
“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,” Wojnar said.
The report underscores that the real crisis lies not in
population size, but in the widespread challenges to support individuals’ right
to decide freely and responsibly if, when, and how many children to have.
It outlined the need for expanding sexual/reproductive
health serviceswithuniversalaccess
to contraception, safe abortion, maternal health, and infertility care and
removing structural barriers by investing in childcare, education, housing, and
workplace flexibility while promoting inclusive policies.
