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Andaman and Nicobar Islands have recorded India’s lowest total fertility rate in NFHS-6, at 0.9.
The Union Territory’s fertility rate is less than half the replacement rate of 2.1, indicating a significant population decline over time.
The share of children under five has fallen from 5.3% in NFHS-5 to 3.7% in NFHS-6, while the population aged 60 and above has increased.
Preschool attendance among children aged two to four has also dropped sharply, from 88.5% in NFHS-5 to 66.2% in NFHS-6.
Experts say smaller family preferences, easier access to family planning, women’s literacy, education and economic independence may be contributing to the decline.
The Andaman and Nicobar Islands have the lowest fertility rate in India, according to the National Family Health Survey-6 recently released by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The Union Territory has a total fertility rate (TFR), of less than half the replacement rate, indicating a significant population decline.
NFHS-6 shows India’s total fertility rate remaining the same as in NFHS-5, conducted in 2019-20, but several states and Union Territories have seen a significant decline. A TFR below 2.1 indicates a decline in population over time. A TFR of 2.1 is known as the replacement rate.
Although India’s TFR is already lower than this, Andaman and Nicobar is the only Union Territory with a TFR below one. It is the lowest TFR in the country.
According to NFHS-6 data, the TFR in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands is 0.9, a decline of 0.4 points compared with NFHS-5. In NFHS-4, conducted in 2015-16, the TFR for the Andaman and Nicobar Islands was 1.4.
The continued decline in the Union Territory’s TFR indicates a significant population decline. The fall in fertility rates has also resulted in a decline in the population aged five to 15.
The share of children under five, which was 5.3 per cent in NFHS-5, has fallen to 3.7 per cent in NFHS-6. Similarly, the share of children under 15 has declined from 20.8 per cent to 17.5 per cent. On the other hand, the population aged 60 and above has increased from 11 per cent to 12.6 per cent.
This clearly means that the share of elderly people in the total population is increasing, while the share of children is declining. It also suggests that interest in having children has decreased significantly.
The decline in the number of children has also led to a significant drop in the percentage of children aged two to four attending preschool. According to the data, only 66.2 per cent of children in NFHS-6 attended preschool, compared with 88.5 per cent of children in this age group in NFHS-5. In other words, approximately 26 per cent fewer children attended preschool.
Dr HM Siddaraju, director of the Directorate of Health Services in Andaman and Nicobar, cited several reasons for the declining TFR. He told Down To Earth that many couples want smaller families and are satisfied with one child.
He also said access to modern family-planning methods had become easier. Improvements in socio-economic status and higher literacy rates among women were also contributing factors to the decline, he added.
Linguist Anvita Abbi, who has worked extensively among tribal communities in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, said the islands are a middle-class society. “Everyone here is educated, and unemployment is low,” she said.
She suggested that factors such as economic independence and education may be contributing to the declining fertility rate.
