According to the Third All India Survey of Family Planning Practices in India, the percentage of Muslim couples practicing family planning was 33.8% (O.R.G.1988). As compared with other communities, it was, indeed, the lowest: Jains (65%), Sikhs (60.2%), Christians (61.6%) and Hindus (45.5%). However even among the Hindus, the proportion of acceptors (45.5%) is less than that of non-acceptors (54.5%).
Couples Currently Using Any Family Planning Method by Religion and State (Percentages)
|
State |
Muslim |
Hindu |
Christian |
Sikh |
|
All India |
33.8 |
45.5 |
61.6 |
63.2 |
|
Andhra Pradesh |
40.3 |
51.1 |
60.8 |
0 |
|
Assam |
24 |
47.5 |
17.7 |
58.3 |
|
Bihar |
31.4 |
32.6 |
20.2 |
44 |
|
Chandigarh |
35.8 |
70.2 |
88 |
78.2 |
|
Delhi |
53.8 |
69.6 |
88 |
50.7 |
|
Goa |
49 |
62.1 |
58 |
0 |
|
Gujarat |
49 |
56.8 |
25.6 |
47 |
|
Haryana |
39.4 |
59.1 |
0 |
47 |
|
Jammu & Kashmir |
35 |
48.5 |
39.5 |
69.2 |
|
Karnataka |
34.4 |
49 |
40.8 |
53.4 |
|
Kerala |
64.4 |
70.8 |
85.8 |
0 |
|
Madhya Pradesh |
39.6 |
39.5 |
70.5 |
63.2 |
|
Maharashtra |
45.8 |
51 |
64 |
65.7 |
|
Orissa |
44 |
45.3 |
43.9 |
0 |
|
Pondicherry |
77.2 |
66.5 |
65.9 |
0 |
|
Rajasthan |
16.1 |
30.9 |
7.9 |
51.7 |
|
Tamil Nadu |
56.6 |
59.1 |
73.9 |
0 |
|
Uttar Pradesh |
18.1 |
29.4 |
82.1 |
0 |
|
West Bengal |
42.2 |
59.1 |
42.4 |
0 |
* Muslims in Pondicherry (have) family planning rate of72.2%, higher than all other communities. Similarly in Madhya Pradesh also it is higher though marginally (Muslims 39.6%; Hindus 39.5%).
* No generalization is possible to make for the country as a whole, since there are wide variations among states with the rate of Muslim acceptors ranging from as low as14.6% in Bihar and 18.1% in UP, to as high as 72.2% in Pondicherry and 64.4% in Kerala. In four states there are more Muslim acceptors than non-acceptors.
* Muslims family planning acceptors in as many as 15states are higher than Hindu acceptors in UP, Bihar and Rajasthan (Table above), in spite of supposed anti-Family Planning stance of Muslims. The possibility of this uptrend gaining momentum is strong.
On the other hand, when it comes to sterilization (as against other family planning methods), the percentage comes down substantially for all communities. With Jains(42.1%) in the lead. Muslims (19.4%) are again found at the bottom. In this respect Sikhs (31.3%) come down from the second position to the fourth, whereas Hindus group from the fourth position to the second Inter-State differences for all communities are glaring. For Muslims, it ranges between 3.9 (UP) and42.7 (Kerala). For Hindus, too, the difference is wide, with UP (18.2) and Kerala (63.5), representing two ends of the spectrum. There is no state where Muslims have an acceptance ratio higher than that of Hindus. However, acceptors of sterilization in as many as 11 States are higher than Hindu acceptors in Bihar and UP.
Sterilization by Religion and State (Percentages)
|
State |
Muslim |
Hindu |
Christian |
Sikh |
|
All India |
19.4 |
32.6 |
36.6 |
31.3 |
|
Andhra Pradesh |
32.9 |
47.2 |
54.1 |
0 |
|
Assam |
7.2 |
23 |
9.4 |
0 |
|
Bihar |
6.6 |
21 |
5.5 |
0 |
|
Chandigarh |
0 |
21.4 |
31.5 |
22.2 |
|
Delhi |
12.3 |
26.9 |
25.9 |
0 |
|
Goa |
27.2 |
36.6 |
41.7 |
0 |
|
Gujarat |
23.2 |
40.2 |
14.1 |
14.5 |
|
Haryana |
13.3 |
39.1 |
0 |
31.9 |
|
Himachal Pradesh |
16 |
41.8 |
40.5 |
31.9 |
|
Jammu & Kashmir |
28.8 |
29.1 |
9.9 |
0 |
|
Karnataka |
22.4 |
27.9 |
23.8 |
0 |
|
Kerala |
42.7 |
63.5 |
52.3 |
0 |
|
Madhya Pradesh |
20.9 |
35.6 |
23.7 |
0 |
|
Maharashtra |
30.1 |
45.3 |
27 |
23.9 |
|
Orissa |
13.7 |
34.1 |
46 |
36.9 |
|
Pondicherry |
10.3 |
31.5 |
37.2 |
0 |
|
Punjab |
28.3 |
36.9 |
100 |
98.4 |
|
Rajasthan |
7.9 |
24.6 |
3.5 |
0 |
|
Tamil Nadu |
31.6 |
37.6 |
35 |
0 |
|
Uttar Pradesh |
3.8 |
18.2 |
37.8 |
89.2 |
|
West Bengal |
22 |
32.8 |
15.4 |
89.2 |
Three consecutive decadal surveys underline the trend of growing acceptance of family planning among Muslims. Between 1971 and 1951, it increased by 84percentage points and among Hindus by 16.9 percentage points. We look at the rate of growth of acceptance, was faster for the Muslims at 300%, as compared with 264%of the Hindus (Table below). Even in respect of sterilization, the rate of growth of Muslim acceptors was only marginally lower (15.5%) than of the Hindus (21%).
Rate of Decadal Increase in Family Planning Acceptance (All Methods & Sterilization)
1970-71 1980-81 %Change Increase Rate
A B A B A B A B
Muslims 2.80 8.80 11.20 22.50 +8.40 +13.70 300% 155%
Hindus 6.40 13.80 23.30 36.10 +16.90 +22.30 264% 161%
A = All Methods B= Sterilization
Attitude of Eligible Couples towards the Practice of Family Planning: 1970 and Percentages
Hindus Muslims
1970 1980 1970 1980
1. Approving Family Planning 60 83 53 65
2. Disapproving Family Planning 40 16 47 33
3. Neutral - 1 - 2
Trends in fertility levels during the decade 1971-81underline a decline in general marital fertility rates. Among the Muslims, this decline was marginally below their average for all religious groups, both in urban and rural areas. Significantly, in rural areas, percentage decline among Muslims was higher (17.3) than among Sikhs (15.5) and Buddhists (15.2). In urban areas however, the percentage of decline among the Muslims was the least among all communities.
Conclusion: It is clear from the foregoing that Indian Muslims have not been oblivious to family planning but their acceptance of the concept and practice is the lowest among various religious groups, with certain notable regional variations.
