Quiet fertility crisis

The growing fertility crisis in Jammu and Kashmir should be a source of deep concern, and it is time that the government takes measures to address some of the factors underlying it. The data from the National Family Health Survey reveals that J&K’s Total Fertility Rate (TFR) has dropped to 1.4, which is well below the replacement level of 2.1. This means that the families are having fewer children than what is needed to maintain a stable population.

While on its face, it may seem a sign of progress, a result of better education, career focus, and family planning but it is anything but. No society can afford such a steep fall in fertility rates, as this can alter the age balance of a population. With fewer children being born, the share of the young population falls and the older, dependent population rises. This leads to a heavy burden on healthcare and social security systems.

There are many economic and social factors that have brought about this state of affairs. For example, urbanization coupled with shrinking family incomes have redefined lifestyles. This has forced the young to move away from joint families, making child-rearing more challenging. The growing unemployment, which at around 30 percent is among the highest in India has made things further difficult, delaying marriages. Women in J&K marry at an average age of 26 which is the highest in India. This too reduces the window for childbearing. At the same time, a significant number of those who are employed are actually underemployed, limiting their capacity to support larger families and forcing them to stop at one child.

This needs attention, not just of the government but also of the society. We can’t afford to let the unemployment crisis to linger on. This is an overriding factor in delaying marriages and family formation. Aside from economic factors, the new lifestyle choices are also driving a trend towards one-child norm, something that the society needs to acknowledge and address. We can’t afford to ignore the situation until it is too late to address it.