Patiala, May 23 -- Punjab's total fertility rate (TFR), the average number of children a woman is expected to have during her reproductive years, has declined to 1.4 in 2024, according to the latest Government of India data. The Office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner, India, under the ministry of home affairs, is responsible for conducting the Census and managing vital statistics, including births and deaths. The data shows Punjab's TFR declined from 1.7 in 2014 to 1.5 in 2024 in rural areas, while urban areas reported an even lower 1.4, indicating smaller family sizes across both rural and urban populations. The TFR is significantly lower than the replacement level of 2.1 (set by the United Nations Population Division) without migration. The replacement level is fertility rate needed for a population to replace itself from one generation to the next The figures, published in the Sample Registration System (SRS) Statistical Report, 2024, released on Wednesday, place Punjab among states with the lowest fertility rates in the country, alongside Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir. The national TFR stands at 1.9. A TFR of 2.1 is considered the replacement level needed for a population to maintain its size without migration. Replacement-level fertility is the level of fertility at which a population exactly replaces itself from one generation to the next, i.e., the level of fertility needed to keep the population the same from generation to generation. According to the United Nations's population division, countries experiencing below-replacement fertility (lower than 2.1 children per woman) indicate that a generation is not producing enough children to replace itself, eventually leading to a reduction in population. Punjab's current TFR is lower than neighbouring Haryana (1.9) and Himachal Pradesh (1.5). In contrast, northern states such as Uttar Pradesh (2.5) and Rajasthan (2.4) continue to report much higher fertility levels. Across India, Bihar recorded the highest TFR at 2.9, followed by Uttar Pradesh (2.5) and Rajasthan (2.4). Delhi had the lowest fertility rate at 1.2, while Tamil Nadu, Kerala and West Bengal stood at 1.3 each. Demographers say falling fertility often reflects higher education levels, urbanisation, delayed marriages, increased workforce participation among women, rising cost of living and greater access to contraception. Punjab has also seen migration of young people abroad, which some experts believe may influence long-term fertility patterns. With Punjab now well below replacement fertility, policymakers may eventually need to balance concerns over population ageing and workforce availability while sustaining social welfare systems in the decades ahead. Health minister Dr Balbir Singh said that there were multiple reasons behind this decline. He said, "Higher education level among women is a major contributing factor for this decline. Besides, delayed marriages is also one of the major reasons for the decline in TFR. I think women should have their first pregnancy before 30 years. Poor diet, chronic stress and poor lifestyle also contribute to the decline in TFR." Dr Ijyaa Singh, programme manager, ReAct Asia Pacific, said, "Punjab's low fertility reflects structural constraints, where limited support for shared caregiving and childcare shifts the burden of raising children onto households. Improving fertility will require policy action to expand parental leave to include fathers, extend maternity benefits beyond the formal sector, and invest in accessible, affordable childcare systems."...