The two Telugu States of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh had recorded birth rates much lower than the national average in both urban and rural areas, whereas the death rates are slightly more. Also, the infant mortality rate has improved indicating better healthcare facilities over the years. This is as per the latest yearly ‘Sample Registration System (SRS)’ brought out by the Office of Registrar General of India for all States and Union Territories.
The SRS provides reliable annual estimates of Infant Mortality Rate (IMR), birth rate, death rate and other fertility and mortality indicators at the national and sub-national levels. It is a large-scale demographic survey conducted every year and the latest bulletin released on Tuesday is for 2019, which means the COVID years’ (20-21) figures are not yet available.
If the national birth rate per thousand population is 19.7 with 16.4 in urban areas and 21.4 in rural areas, it is 16.7 in TS with 16.1 in urban areas and 17 in rural areas; whereas in neighbouring AP the figures are: 15.9 in total with 15.2 in urban areas and 16.2 in rural areas.
Birth rate is a crude measure of fertility of a population and is a crucial determinant of population growth. It has declined drastically over the last four decades from 36.9 in 1971 to 19.7 in 2019. The rural-urban difference too, has narrowed over these years even if rural areas have a high rate. In 2018, the national birth rate has been 20, TS 16.9 and AP 16.
With IMR, national figure is 30 infant deaths per thousand live births with 20 deaths per thousand in urban areas and 34 deaths per thousand in rural areas. In TS, total deaths per thousand have been 23 with 18 deaths in urban areas and 26 in rural areas. In AP, it has been 25 in total with 19 deaths in urban areas and 28 in rural areas. In 2018, national IMR has been 32, TS 27 and AP 29.
If we take the death rates into account, it has declined to 6 in 2019 from 6.2 in 2018. This reduces to 5 in urban areas and goes up to 6.5 in rural areas. In TS, it is a wee bit higher with 6.1 and goes more high in rural areas at 7.2 and in urban areas death rate is at 4.3 deaths per thousand. For AP, death rate in total is higher comparatively at 6.4 which rises further to 7.1 in rural areas but comes down to 4.8 in urban areas. In 2018, TS had 6.3 and AP 6.7.
Natural growth rate or the replacement population rate has been 13.8 in total nationally with 11.4 in urban areas and 14.9 in rural areas. For TS, it has been 10.6 in total with 11.8 in urban areas and 9.8 in rural areas. In AP, the total is 9.5 with 10.4 in urban areas and 9.1 rural areas. In 2018, it was 13.8 nationally, 9.7 in TS and 9.4 in AP.