India’s Women Population Percentage To Improve By 2036: Centre

In a significant boost towards gender equality, India’s sex ratio is projected to increase from 943 in 2011 to 952 by 2036. The country’s population is set to reach 152.2 crore by 2036, as per a report by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI). The report highlights the demographic changes and their implications for both women and men in the country.

The percentage of women in India’s population is likely to improve to 48.8 per cent by 2036 from 48.5 per cent in 2011. However, the proportion of individuals under 15 years is on the trajectory to decline from 2011 to 2036, most likely due to declining fertility. On the other hand, the population aged 60 years and above is set to increase during the same period.

The 25th issue of the Ministry’s publication titled ‘Women and Men in India 2023’ talks about the reducing fertility rate in the country. The age-specific fertility rate (ASFR) in the 20-24 age group has gone down from 135.4 to 113.6 from 2016 to 2020. During the same period, the ASFR in the 25-29 age group has reduced from 166 to 139.6.

However, the same rate in the 35-39 age group has increased to 35.6 from 32.7 during the same period, signalling the preference among women to expand their families only after settling in life. As far as the adolescent fertility rate is concerned, it was 33.9 for the illiterate population as compared with 11 for the literate in 2020.

The maternal mortality ratio (MMR), one of the sustainable development goals (SDG) indicators, has come down to 97 per lakh live births in 2018-20, indicating the possibility of achieving the target of bringing it down to 70 by 2030, as per the report.

The latest issue of the publication states that the infant mortality rate was equal for both males and females in 2020, at 28 infants per 1000 live births. The under-five mortality rate has decreased to 32 in 2020 from 43 in 2015.