Is Son-Only Family the Route of India's Fertility Transition?

Nowaj Sharif, Jawaharlal Nehru University
Bhaswati Das, Jawaharlal Nehru University

The latest round of National Family Health Survey (2019-22) and Sample Registration System 2022 observes that India’s total fertility rate has reached at replacement level. In that context the current study analysed the level and trend of couples with single girl vis-a-vis single boy child by their background characteristics and, factors that are influencing the couples to stop fertility with single child. Binary logit regression is used to understand the effect of predictor variables on the dependent variable where women with only sons are coded as one (‘1’) and only daughters as zero (‘0’). The results show that over the years the proportion of couples with single son increased faster than families with single daughter. The major determinants of limiting fertility with single son is significant among the urban, educated, nuclear family and the richest standard of living categories. The sex ratio is highly skewed towards boys among these couples. To arrest the existing son preference government of India, so far has introduced several welfare measures for the girl child. A major call on their survival is given in the Beti Bachao, Beti Padao scheme that was launched in 2015, which is the most important need of the hour.

Keywords: Fertility

See paper.