Main Barriers to People Having Children in India

Family structures have evolved dramatically in India over the past few decades. In 1960, the average woman had nearly six children. But as educational attainment increased and reproductive healthcare improved, this figure has dropped to closer to two. While India is now the world’s most populous nation, with nearly 1.5 billion people - a number expected to grow to about 1.7 billion - this will shift in the future, as its headcount is expected to start to decline four decades from now.

This is according to a new report by UNFPA and YouGov, titled The Real Fertility Crisis, which seeks to shed light on the state of reproductive rights around the world. In it are the findings from a survey of more than 14,000 adults across 14 countries, with the main purpose of finding out whether people are having the families they desire.

Across the 14 nations, the most common number of children desired was two. This includes in India, where 41 percent of women and 33 percent of men said they wanted two children. The next most popular answer was one child (13 percent women, 14 percent men). Only 5 percent of men and 4 percent of women in India said they did not want children.

When asked about the personal barriers perceived by respondents to having the family sizes they would like, the most common answer was economic. Out of the 10,000 people who said they had or wanted to have children, 39 percent said that financial limitations were a factor affecting their ability to reach their desired family size. India mirrored this international trend closely. Of the 1,048 respondents polled in India, nearly four in ten said that money concerns either have been a major factor, or are likely to be a major factor leading them to have fewer children than initially desired.

The next most common answers among Indian respondents were housing limitations (from lack of space to high rental or buying costs), job insecurities and then the respondents’ partner wanting fewer children. Less commonly selected answers included the couple experiencing infertility or having difficulty conceiving (13 percent) and concerns over the political or social situation (14 percent). The survey gave respondents a list of 14 options, with the possibility to select multiple answers.