Kerala vs Madhya Pradesh: fertility, marriage age and wanted children

In SRS 2023, Madhya Pradesh records 2.4 children per woman and Kerala records 1.5.

In NFHS-5 (2019-21), women in Kerala had about 1.8 children against a wanted 1.7, and women in Madhya Pradesh had about 2.0 against a wanted 1.6.

6.3% of women aged 20 to 24 in Kerala were married before 18, compared with 23% in Madhya Pradesh.

Since 2003, the SRS figure fell by 0.3 in Kerala and fell by 1.4 in Madhya Pradesh.

Last updated:

Side by side

MeasureSourceKeralaMadhya Pradesh
Children per womanSRS 20231.52.4
Children per womanNFHS-51.82.0
Wanted children per womanNFHS-51.71.6
Actual minus wantedNFHS-50.10.4
Women 20-24 married before 18*NFHS-56.3%23%
Women 15-19 who have begun childbearing*NFHS-52.4%5%

* Rounded in source: one of these states' NFHS-5 state report publishes whole percents, the other's fact sheet one decimal.

Trends since 2003 (SRS)

Kerala

Children per woman in Kerala and all-India, SRS 2003 to 2023 Kerala: 1.8 in 2003, 1.5 in 2023. All-India: 3.0 to 1.9. 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0 3.5 200320132023 1.5 1.9
Kerala All-India SRS, children per woman

Madhya Pradesh

Children per woman in Madhya Pradesh and all-India, SRS 2003 to 2023 Madhya Pradesh: 3.8 in 2003, 2.4 in 2023. All-India: 3.0 to 1.9. 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0 3.5 4.0 200320132023 2.4 1.9
Madhya Pradesh All-India SRS, children per woman