Why is it in the news?

• The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) released the “State of World Population 2024” report titled “Interwoven Lives, Threads of Hope: Ending Inequalities in Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) and Rights”.

 Key findings

• India leads globally in population size, estimated at 4417 billion, followed closely by China with 1.425 billion.
• India’s population is projected to double in 77 years, with 68% of the population belonging to the age group of 15-64 years and 26% in the 10-24 years age group.
• The Total Fertility Rate (TFR) in India stands at 2.0 births per woman in the reproductive age group.
• Life expectancy at birth in India is estimated at 71 years for men and 74 years for women.
• Child marriage rates in India were reported at 23% between 2006-2023.
• Women with disabilities experience up to 10 times more gender-based violence compared to women without disabilities.
• Despite 30 years of progress in Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH), the report highlights that marginalized communities have often been overlooked.
• Initiatives taken in India to improve SRH include the Janani Suraksha Yojana and the Surrogacy (Regulation) Amendment Rules, 2024.
• Globally, initiatives such as the International Conference on Population and Development Programme of Action in Cairo, Egypt (1994) and the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (1995) have been significant in advancing SRHR.