The total fertility rate in an economy is defined as:
A.the number of children born per 1000 people in the population in a year.
B.the number of children born to a couple in their lifetime in a given population.
C.the birth rate minus death rate.
D.the average number of live births a woman would have by the end of her child-bearing age.✓ Correct
Explanation
The Total Fertility Rate (TFR) is defined as the average number of live births a woman would have by the end of her child-bearing age (typically 15-49 years), assuming she experiences the current age-specific fertility rates throughout her reproductive life. A TFR of approximately 2.1 is considered the replacement-level fertility in developed countries. India's TFR has declined to about 2.0 according to NFHS-5 (2019-21), reaching below replacement level. Option (a) describes the crude birth rate, while (c) describes the rate of natural increase.
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