UPSC CSE Prelims 2024
The Total Fertility Rate (TFR) is a demographic indicator that represents the average number of live births a woman is expected to have over her reproductive lifespan (typically 15-49 years), assuming current age-specific fertility rates remain constant. It is a hypothetical measure that provides an estimate of the completed family size of a cohort of women if they were to experience the current age-specific fertility rates throughout their childbearing years. A TFR of approximately 2.1 children per woman is generally considered the replacement-level fertility, which is the level at which a population exactly replaces itself from one generation to the next, accounting for mortality.
1) This definition corresponds to the Crude Birth Rate (CBR). The Crude Birth Rate measures the number of live births per 1,000 population in a given year. It is a general measure of fertility for the entire population, not specifically for women in their childbearing age.
2) This describes the actual number of children born to a specific couple or household, which is a measure of completed family size for that unit. The Total Fertility Rate, however, is an aggregate statistical measure derived from age-specific fertility rates across the entire female population of childbearing age, not a direct count for individual couples.
3) This definition describes the Natural Growth Rate or Rate of Natural Increase of a population. It calculates the population change solely based on births and deaths, excluding migration, and is a measure of overall population growth, not a fertility rate.