NEW DELHI: According to the 2024 Sample Registration System Statistical Report, nearly two-thirds (66.4%) of all live births in India are first-born children, with the percentage of fourth or higher-order births falling to just 3.5%. The report highlights the significance of birth spacing for maternal health and child development, revealing that 53.5% of second or later births occurred 36 months or more after the previous birth.
The 2024 data indicates that about 23% of births were second-order, referring to the second child, while 7.3% were third-order births. Analyzing urban and rural trends, the report shows that 65.4% of live births in rural areas were first-order births, compared to 69% in urban areas.
Among major states and Union territories, Telangana reports the highest percentage of first-order births at 82.7%, while Kerala has the lowest at 47.9%. Conversely, Kerala also leads in second-order births at 34.9% and third-order births at 13.3%, whereas Telangana has the lowest percentages for these categories, with 13.4% and 2.9%, respectively. Madhya Pradesh has the highest percentage of fourth or higher-order births at 6.5%, while Andhra Pradesh ranks lowest at 0.5%.
Birth order and the intervals between live births have been monitored through the Sample Registration System (SRS) since 1990. These metrics are essential indicators of child spacing and fertility levels. The observed trends are consistent with previous years; for example, in 2023, first-order births accounted for 66% and fourth or higher-order births were at 3.6%. Similarly, in 2022, 64% of live births were first-order, while fourth or higher-order births represented 4.7%.
On the topic of birth spacing, 53.5% of second and higher-order births occurred 36 months or more after the preceding live birth, with a mere 1.4% occurring within 10-12 months of the previous birth. The distribution of these intervals varies significantly across states and Union territories; for instance, 36 months or more between births ranges from 32.8% in Andhra Pradesh to 79% in Assam.
Previous research and government reports, including the National Family Health Surveys, underscore the pressing need for improved birth spacing methods in family planning. They have noted that pregnancies spaced less than a year apart can increase the risk of diarrhoea, respiratory infections, and stunting among children under the age of five in India.
The report also establishes a correlation between women’s education and fertility rates; while India’s total fertility rate stood at 1.9—below the replacement level of 2.1 in 2024—illiterate women exhibited a higher fertility rate of 3.2, in contrast to 1.8 among literate women.
