South Asia

The population growth rate was less than 2% per annum in 1950-1955 and continued to increase till
the peak of 2.5 % in 1975-1980 and then started declining to reach less than 1.5%. Between 1960 and
1990, there was a drop in fertility as seen in fig. 4.3. Within South-Asia, the trend differ among
countries and also within countries. During the 1970-1975, fertility rates above 5 births per woman
existed in all countries except Sri Lanka as shown in fig. 4.4. Thereafter, the countries started
experiencing fertility transitions, mostly during the periods 1970-1975 and 1990-1995. Sri Lanka as
an exception had its fertility transition start in 1955-1960. It decreased from 5.8 to 4 in 1970-1975. It
kept declining and fell close to replacement level in 1995-2000 and then increased slightly, currently
being 2.35.
In India, the fertility started declining in 1965-1970 from 5.7 to 3.7 in 1990-1995. It continued to
decrease to 2.7 in 2005-2010 and 2.5 currently. Within India, there are vast differences between the
states. In the major south Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamilnadu,
demographic transition started two decades earlier than big and populous states in north and east India
such as Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan (Athar Hussain, Robert Cassen and Tim
Dyson, 2006).
The decline started in 1980-1985 in case of Bangladesh and Nepal and in 1985-1990 in Bhutan,
Maldives and Pakistan.