Financial issues among top obstacles for breeding freedom in India: United Nations report
A new report of the United Nations focuses on breeding freedom from population numbers. It highlights India’s reproductive duality and refer to policies to remove social and economic obstacles for reproductive freedom.
In short
- United Nations report focuses on breeding freedom at the size of population
- India’s fertility rate has reached replacement level but inequalities persist
- Financial obstacles limit many by achieving reproductive freedom
Breeding freedom is more important than studying overpopulation or underpopulation in breeding crisis, highlighting a new landmark report released by the United Nations.
The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has released the World Population (SWP) 2025 report titled “The Real Fertility Crisis”, which has not been asked to focus on the number of policy makers, but on enabling reproductive freedom: Individuals have the ability to make independent and informed options about sex, contraceptive and family planning.
Drawing a survey of 14 countries, including India’s input, the report removes the simple narratives of ‘population explosion’ or ‘population collapse’.
Instead, it indicates a more fine and pressure issue: millions of persons, including India, are unable to realize their desired reproductive results due to a complex web of structural, social and economic obstacles.
This is a real crisis, not underpopulation or overpopulation.
Reproduction rate hides inequality
India, Report notes, have achieved replacement level fertility, which is defined as 2.1 births per woman, the national figure now stands at 2.0.
This achievement has been credited for progress in education, better access to breeding healthcare and a strong family planning structure.
“India has made significant progress in reducing the fertility rate from about five children per woman in 1970, thanks to the improvement in education and access to the reproductive healthcare. Woznar, Anaflade India Representative said.
While India may have reached replacement-level fertility of 2.0, many people, especially women, still face obstacles to make independent and informed decisions about their reproductive life.
The report also highlights intervals in areas and states.
These obstacles suggest that the report identifies India’s “high fertility and low breeding duality”.
States like Bihar, Jharkhand, and Uttar Pradesh continue to report high-fertility rates, while bottom-replacement levels have been continued in southern and urbanized areas such as Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Delhi.
This duality reflects the results of permanent inequalities, quality healthcare and access to education and patriarchal social norms, the United Nations researchers say.
According to the findings of the survey, One of the biggest obstacles Financial insecurity for breeding freedom.
About 40% of the respondents said that they are unable to the number of children they want due to economic boundaries.
Other cited factors include:
- Housing shortage (22%)
- Job insecurity (21%)
- Lack of affordable childcare (18%)
- Poor General Health (15%)
- Infertility
- Limited access to pregnancy related care (14%)
In addition, emotional and social pressure are shaping breeding decisions.
About 19% of the respondents said that they experienced partner or family pressure for less children than individually.
Climate change, political instability and growing concerns over the rapidly uncertain future were also reported as a preventive for the child’s birth.
The report states that modern breeding decisions are not just medical or biological options, they take shape by complex realities of contemporary life.
“The actual demographic dividend comes when everyone has a means of making freedom and informed breeding options. India has a unique opportunity to show how reproductive rights and economic prosperity can move together,” said Wozner.
new challenges
Beyond traditional obstacles, reports attract attention to many faces difficulty in emerging social realities such as an increase in loneliness, moving the dynamics of the relationship and finding supportive partners.
Social stigma around reproductive options, especially unmarried individuals, between lgbtqia+ individuals, and who choose non-traditional family routes, obstruct reproductive freedom.
A concern is an increasing expectation of “intense parenting”, an event that puts uneven pressure on women and strengthens unevenly careful roles and affects decisions about having children.
These expectations, the report argue, not only discourage paternity, but also limits women’s individual and professional agency.
In response to these challenges, UNFPA has proposed a five-dimensional structure to guide India towards demographic flexibility,
- Universal access to sexual and reproductive health services: including contraceptive, safe abortion, maternal healthcare and infertility treatment.
- Removing structural obstacles: Childcare, education, housing and workplace through investment in flexibility.
- Promoting Inclusion: By expanding healthcare and reproduction services for unmarried individuals, LGBTQIA+ communities and marginalized population.
- Increasing data and accountability: to track unmatched needs and physical autonomy beyond reproductive figures.
- Driving social change: Through community -led campaigns that challenge stigma and improve reproductive health literacy.
The report states, “The real reproductive crisis is not how many children are there, but so many people are unable to children they want, if they want, they want.”