Inter-District Variation and Economic Differentials in Fertility in India: Evidence from Population-based Survey Data

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.19567101

Malay Das (Department of Economics, Naba Barrackpur Prafulla Chandra Mahavidyalaya, Kolkata, West Bengal)

Most studies on the variation of fertility analysis in India were restricted to the national and state levels and based on census data. Using the data from District Level Household Survey-3 (DLHS-3), 2007-08 and the 61st round of National Sample Survey (NSS), 2004-05 this paper examined the inter-district variation and economic differentials in total fertility rate (TFR) in India. The TFR for each district of India was estimated based on birth order statistics through regression method. Economic differentials in fertility were examined with respect to monthly per capita consumption expenditure (MPCE) class at the district level. Results indicate that there was a wide variation in TFR among the districts of India. The estimated TFR was found to be highest (6.1) in the district of Shahjahanpur of Uttar Pradesh and lowest (1.3) in the district of Mahe of Pondicherry. While the majority of the districts of the three southern states (Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, & Tamil Nadu) had TFR of replacement level or below replacement level (TFR of less than or equal to 2.1), the majority of the districts in northern states (mainly in Bihar & Uttar Pradesh) had TFR of more than 4. The level of fertility was found to vary across the districts with the level of MPCE. The districts with low levels of MPCE had higher fertility compared to the districts with high levels of MPCE. This clearly indicates that economically backward districts tend to have higher fertility compared to economically well-off districts in India.