Socio-Economic Determinants of Fertility and Mortality in North East India

Fertility and mortality are two of the three primary components of population dynamics that influence the population growth, structure and composition. Both are the key indicators of the population health and it plays important role in national planning for the social and national development of the country as well. Using secondary data from the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5, 2019-21), the Sample Registration System (SRS, 2019-21), the Census of India (2011), and NITI Aayog’s National Multidimensional Poverty Index (2021), this paper examines how socio-economic variables, including female literacy, urbanization, contraceptive prevalence, household wealth, and women’s autonomy shape fertility and mortality outcomes in North Eastern region. The findings reveals that the region’s Total Fertility Rate (TFR) ranges from a low of 1.1 in Sikkim to a high of 2.9 in Meghalaya, against the national average of 2.0. Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) varies between 12 per 1,000 live births in Sikkim and 35 in Meghalaya, while Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) exhibits alarming levels in Arunachal Pradesh (284), Manipur (282), and Meghalaya (266) per 100,000 live births. The findings confirm that female education, contraceptive access, institutional delivery coverage, and economic empowerment are the most powerful predictors of both fertility decline and mortality reduction.