Accelerated Decline in Fertility in India since the 1980s

This study finds that fertility among Muslims follows nearly the same pace of transition as that of Hindus, particularly when an accelerated decline in fertility in the country is taking place. Based on the experience both from the west and other developing countries, there is no reason to believe that fertility transition will stall once the process sets in. Therefore, the scepticism about fertility transition among Indian Muslims is unwarranted. The paper also analyses the proximate determinants of fertility among Hindus and Muslims as against the socio-economic differentials as causes for the differences in reproductive behaviour.