New Delhi: UNFPA recently released its 2025 State of World Population (SOWP) report, titled The Real Fertility Crisis. Published annually since 1978, the report brings attention to key issues around sexual and reproductive health and rights.
This year’s edition highlights that many people are unable to have the number of children they want, pointing to a gap between reproductive aspirations and realities.
According to the report, this is the real problem, not overpopulation or underpopulation. The solution, it says, lies in giving people more control over reproductive decisions, including access to contraception, sex education, and support to start families when they choose.
The report includes findings from a UNFPA–YouGov survey across 14 countries, including India. It questions global concerns about ‘population explosion’ or ‘population collapse’ and instead focuses on unmet reproductive goals.
According to the report India has reached replacement-level fertility at about 2.0 births per woman. But many people still face barriers in making free choices about their reproductive lives.
There are also big differences across regions—states like Bihar, Jharkhand, and Uttar Pradesh have high fertility rates, while states like Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Delhi have fertility rates below replacement level. These gaps reflect differences in healthcare, education, income, and social norms.
Key findings from the India survey include:
- One in three adult Indians (36%) face unintended pregnancies.
- 30% said they could not have the number of children they wanted—either more or fewer. 23% faced both issues.
- 4 in 10 cited financial issues as a major reason they couldn’t start or grow their families.
- Others pointed to job insecurity (21%), lack of housing (22%), and unreliable childcare (18%).
- Health concerns like poor wellbeing (15%), infertility (13%), and limited access to pregnancy care (14%) also played a role.
- Many said fears about the future—from climate change to political instability—also affected their choices.
- 19% reported pressure from partners or families to have fewer children than they personally wanted.
Beyond practical barriers, social and emotional factors are also affecting fertility decisions. Loneliness, changing relationships, stigma, and unequal caregiving expectations—especially for women—are leading many to delay or avoid parenthood.The 2025 report moves away from population numbers and urges support for reproductive agency as a global priority. It says the goal should be to ensure that everyone has the right and means to decide if, when, and how many children to have.
The report outlines five steps for India:
- Expand access to sexual and reproductive health services, including contraception, safe abortion, maternal care, and infertility treatment.
- Remove practical barriers by investing in childcare, education, housing, and flexible workplaces.
- Make policies more inclusive—especially for unmarried individuals, LGBTQIA+ people, and other marginalised groups.
- Improve data and tracking of issues like unmet family planning needs and bodily autonomy.
- Promote social change through education and community action to reduce stigma and raise awareness.
