Kerala’s birth rate fell into single digits for the first time in 2024, with the state recording the sharpest back-to-back annual declines in the measure in more than three decades. According to the vital statistics report of 2024 published by the state economics and statistics department earlier this month, the state’s birth rate stood at 9.64 births per 1,000 people in 2024, down from 11.06 in 2023, according to the latest vital statistics report released by Kerala’s economics and statistics department.

The number of live births registered in the state declined to 344,766 in 2024 from 393,231 in the previous year, a fall of 48,465, or more than 12%. Here are six key takeaways from the report.

Birth rate drops below 10

Kerala’s birth rate fell to 9.64 in 2024, marking the first time it has dropped below 10 births per 1,000 people.
The rate was 11.06 in 2023 and 12.53 in 2022, indicating that the decline has accelerated over the past two years.
The state registered 344,766 live births during 2024, compared with 393,231 in 2023.

This translates into a decline of 48,465 births in a single year. The fall in registered births was sharper than the decline in the birth rate because the absolute number also reflects changes in the size and composition of the population.

Steepest back-to-back declines in decades

Kerala’s birth rate declined by 1.42 points between 2023 and 2024. This followed a fall of 1.47 points between 2022 and 2023.
An analysis of the state’s birth-rate data since 1992 shows that these were the sharpest consecutive annual declines during the period, suggesting that Kerala’s long-running demographic transition has gathered pace.

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Brief increase after the pandemic

The declining trend had briefly reversed in 2022, when the birth rate rose to 12.53 from 11.94 in 2021.
The increase of 0.59 points came after the Covid-19 pandemic and the lockdown years. The decline, however, resumed in 2023 and became more pronounced in 2024.

Birth rate down sharply from 1992

Kerala’s birth rate stood at 17.67 in 1992 and remained around that level for several years.
It declined to 16.63 in 2006 and 15.75 in 2010. The rate fell below 15 for the first time in 2016, reaching 14.48, before declining further to 13.79 in 2019.

It fell by 1.02 points between 2019 and 2020 and by another 0.83 points between 2020 and 2021.

Northern districts report higher rates

The data show a clear difference between Kerala’s northern and southern districts. Malappuram recorded the highest birth rate in the state at 15.16, followed by Wayanad, Kozhikode and Kannur, all of which reported rates above 10.

Alappuzha had the lowest birth rate at 5.28, followed by Kollam at 6.63. The rates in central Kerala districts such as Pathanamthitta, Idukki and Ernakulam ranged between 7.69 and 9.30.

Death rate stabilises after pandemic spike

Kerala’s death rate stood at 8.77 deaths per 1,000 people in 2024, slightly higher than 8.59 in 2023.

The rate had risen to 9.66 in 2021 and remained elevated at 9.16 in 2022 amid the pandemic, before subsequently easing.
Kottayam recorded the highest death rate among districts for the second consecutive year, at 12.39. Malappuram had the lowest death rate at 5.24.