Srinagar- Jammu and Kashmir has moved decisively into the low fertility bracket, recording a Total Fertility Rate of 1.4, a level that places it well below the population replacement threshold and among the lowest in the country.
The figures were disclosed by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in Parliament, drawing on data from the National Family Health Survey-5 carried out between 2019 and 2021. The information was shared in a written response by Minister of State for Health Anupriya Patel to a question in the Rajya Sabha.
India’s overall fertility rate has also continued its downward trend, falling to 2.0 from 2.2 in the previous NFHS round conducted in 2015–16. The decline points to a nationwide shift in reproductive patterns, though the pace and scale vary sharply across regions.
At 1.4, Jammu and Kashmir now finds itself alongside urbanised and demographically advanced regions such as Delhi, Punjab and West Bengal. Its fertility levels are comparable to those recorded in Chandigarh and Lakshadweep, while only a handful of regions, including Sikkim and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, report lower figures.
According to the government, the reduction in fertility is closely linked to wider access to contraception, improvements in maternal and child healthcare, and greater awareness about planned and spaced pregnancies. Officials have said that these trends reflect the long term goals outlined in national population and health policies.
The Health Ministry has reiterated that India’s family planning programme is based on voluntary participation and reproductive rights, with an emphasis on maternal, child and adolescent health. States and Union Territories are supported through customised awareness campaigns and funding routed through their respective Programme Implementation Plans.
While Jammu and Kashmir and several southern and metropolitan regions have settled into sustained below replacement fertility, States such as Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Meghalaya continue to report significantly higher birth rates.
Officials said the government is pursuing region specific strategies to manage these contrasting trends, seeking to balance population stabilisation with emerging challenges such as ageing populations and future workforce needs.
