Inter- And Intra- Relationships between Fertility and Family Planning Indicators in India

The demographic surveys routinely collect data of fertility and family planning indicators to assess population and family planning programme dynamics. But unfortunately, these indicators are generally analyzed individually and in isolation. This study explores the inter-and intra- relationships between the key indicators for fertility (Total Fertility Rate (TFR), Total Wanted Fertility Rate (TWFR) and Ideal Family Size) and family planning programme (Contraceptive Prevalence rate (CPR), Contraceptive Prevalence Rate of modern methods of family planning (mCPR), Percent Sterilization Rates, Unmet Need-Total, Unmet Need-Spacing and Unmet- Need-Limitation). The data used for this analysis was taken from National Family Health Survey -6 (NFHS-6) (2023-24) for 35 states and Union Territories of India. Two statistical measures, Coefficient of Variation (CV) and Pearson Correlation Coefficients between different indicators were deployed in the analysis of the inter- and intra- relationships. The CV of three fertility indicators was of similar level though one would have expected that it would be lower for the Ideal Family Size since two children in an ideal family size reported everywhere. In the case of India, some states are outliers in this reporting. In the case of relationships, all the fertility indicators were found to be related to the family planning indicators of CPR and Unmet- Need-Total. Strangely, mCPR, which is used more often than CPR, was not found to be related to fertility indicators. These results suggest that family welfare workers should assign priority to couples who report Unmet Need. Though fertility indicators are related to CPR and not with mCPR, it will be good if users of traditional methods should be offered the modern methods of family planning for greater effectiveness.

Fertility indicators, TFR, TWFR, Ideal Family Size. Family Planning indicators, CPR, mCPR, Unmet Need. NFHS-6, India. Coefficient of variance and Correlation coefficient.

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