Andaman & Nicobar Islands Recorded Lowest Fertility Rate in NFHS-6

The Sixth National Family Health Survey (NFHS-6) has uncovered that the Andaman and Nicobar Islands have had the lowest Total Fertility Rate (TFR) in India at 0.9. This is a survey with data taken in the 2023-2024 period. Published 29 May 2026. The TFR is below the replacement level of 2.1 children per woman while the overall TFR in India for NFHS-6 is 1.9.

Total Fertility Rate (TFR)

The Total Fertility Rate (TFR) is the average number of children a woman would have in her fertile lifetime, usually between the ages of 15 and 49. The replacement threshold utilized in population research is a TFR of 2.1.

NFHS and Its Scope

The National Family Health Survey is a large scale home survey done across India to monitor health, nutrition and demographic variables. NFHS-6 gives data on fertility, child health and demographic structure for states and union territories.

Demographic Shifts in the Union Territory

Andaman & Nicobar Islands have shown a reduction in TFR from 1.3 in NFHS-5 to 0.9 in NFHS-6. In the 2015-16 NFHS-4, the rate was 1.4. The proportion of children below five years of age declined from 5.3 per cent in NFHS-5 to 3.7 per cent in NFHS-6. The population aged 60 years and above grew.

Key Information for the Exams

• Andaman and Nicobar Islands is an Union Territory of India. Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare released the NFHS-6 factsheet on 29 May 2026.
• In the Union Territory, the attendance of two to four-year-old children in preschool decreased to 66.2% in NFHS-6 from 88.5% in NFHS-5.
• According to the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-6), India’s Total Fertility Rate (TFR) is 1.9, below the replacement rate of 2.1.

Population aging is a drop in TFR and a rise in the proportion of elderly persons. The Andaman and Nicobar Islands have low fertility rates and a growing population of people over the age of 60.