Decline in Birth rate in Kerala

The rapid decline in mortality rates, rendered possible by the spread of modern medicine and public health services, and the high and unchanging fertility rates are generally considered portents of imminent population explosions in many underdeveloped countries of Asia and Latin America. The conventionally held point of view is that, whereas mortality rates can be and are being reduced rapidly in most underdeveloped countries, substantial decline in birth rates is not feasible in most of them since they have not attained the level of industrialisation, urbanisation and per capita income associated with Europe, Japan and other developed countries at the time fertility rates recorded significant decline in these parts of the world. [Working Paper No. 019]