Karnataka vs Kerala: fertility, marriage age and wanted children
Karnataka and Kerala both record 1.5 children per woman in SRS 2023.
In NFHS-5 (2019-21), women in Karnataka had about 1.7 children against a wanted 1.4, and women in Kerala had about 1.8 against a wanted 1.7.
21.3% of women aged 20 to 24 in Karnataka were married before 18, compared with 6.3% in Kerala.
Since 2003, the SRS figure fell by 0.8 in Karnataka and fell by 0.3 in Kerala.
Last updated:
Side by side
| Measure | Source | Karnataka | Kerala |
|---|---|---|---|
| Children per woman | SRS 2023 | 1.5 | 1.5 |
| Children per woman | NFHS-5 | 1.7 | 1.8 |
| Wanted children per woman | NFHS-5 | 1.4 | 1.7 |
| Actual minus wanted | NFHS-5 | 0.3 | 0.1 |
| Women 20-24 married before 18 | NFHS-5 | 21.3% | 6.3% |
| Women 15-19 who have begun childbearing | NFHS-5 | 5.4% | 2.4% |
Trends since 2003 (SRS)
Karnataka
Kerala
Sources
- SRS 2023 via RBI Handbook of Statistics on Indian States, Table 6 (2023)
- NFHS-5 state fact sheet (2019-21)
- NFHS-5 state report (DHS Program) (2019-21)
- NFHS-5 state fact sheet (2019-21)
- NFHS-5 state report (DHS Program) (2019-21)