Fertility transition in the Maharashtra State of India

Dr. Vijay M Sarode, Reader in Statistics, Mulund College of Commerce, Mumbai-80

This paper attempts the relationship between development indicators of Maharashtra districts , and whole Maharashtra state and demographic changes. This study uses Census, SRS, and NFHS-2-3 data and the development variables considered are the Human Development, Gender related Health and Reproductive Health Index and the demographic situation is described by factors such as age at marriage, fertility, contraception and mortality. Thus better-developed Maharashtra district have higher age at marriage, lower fertility and mortality. But when all Maharashtra districts are taken into consideration, in spite of their differences in the level of their development and demographic transition experience, the whole Maharashtra is placed in a far better position in respect of both development and demographic situation in contrast to entire India. Thus demographic transition of Maharashtra districts have been probably induced by development in general and social development in particular during the recent three decades. KEYWORDS: Low Fertility, Transition, Family Planning