Panaji: Another government data report has highlighted a rapidly declining fertility rate in Goa. According to the Sample Registration System (SRS) data released by the Office of the Registrar General of India, the state recorded the lowest birth rate among all states and Union Territories in India at 10.7 live births per 1,000 population.
Understanding Birth Rate
The birth rate is a crude measure of fertility and a key determinant of population growth. It represents the number of live births per 1,000 population in a specific region during a given year. At the national level, India's birth rate has fallen sharply over the past five decades, from 36.9 in 1971 to 18.3 in 2024. However, Goa's rate is nearly half the national average at 10.7.
Rural vs. Urban Anomaly
Nationally, birth rates have consistently been higher in rural areas compared to urban areas over the last 50 years. However, Goa presents an anomaly. In the state, the rural birth rate is 10.2, while the urban birth rate is 11.1. This suggests higher fertility among the urban population, which includes a significant proportion of migrants from other states, compared to the largely native rural population.
According to the latest SRS data for 2024, Bihar recorded the highest birth rate at 26.8. Goa's birth rate has further declined from 10.8 per 1,000 population recorded in 2022.
