Founder & Director

Rukmini S

Rukmini's areas of focus include demographics, gender and household economics. She was previously a data editor, and wrote a book, 'Whole Numbers & Half Truths', on data and India. She is passionate about taking knowledge from data to everyone.

14 articles

Featured work

Selected by the author to showcase their most insightful analyses

India's Gen Z is a shrinking demographic

Population

India's Gen Z is a shrinking demographic

With falling fertility, India's generational cohorts are experiencing a fundamental realignment. Younger cohorts are no longer dominant in size, and are increasingly squeezed by older cohorts.

Life expectancy

Population

Life expectancy

A child born in India today can expect to live much longer than her parents and grandparents. In this piece we examine what life expectancy is, how it has grown, and where inequalities in outcomes persist.

India's disease transition

Health

India's disease transition

India is in the midst of a key public health transition, with communicable diseases now accounting for a falling share of deaths.

All articles

Read the author's full set of work across key socio-economic themes

Population Fertility

India's Gen Z is a shrinking demographic

With falling fertility, India's generational cohorts are experiencing a fundamental realignment. Younger cohorts are no longer dominant in size, and are increasingly squeezed by older cohorts.

India's Gen Z is a shrinking demographic

Living Conditions Amenities

Fuel for cooking

A majority of Indian families now use Liquefied Petroleum Gas for cooking, up from just 20% two decades ago. However, a substantial share of households, particularly in poorer states and in rural areas, are still reliant on firewood.

Fuel for cooking

Population Population growth

Life expectancy

A child born in India today can expect to live much longer than her parents and grandparents. In this piece we examine what life expectancy is, how it has grown, and where inequalities in outcomes persist.

Life expectancy

Population Fertility

Fertility in India

India has reached a key demographic milestone - fertility in India is now below replacement levels. In India's southern and western states, fertility levels are now particularly low. Birth rates are projected to fall further.

Fertility in India

Population Population growth

Is India's demographic dividend over?

India's relative youth has set it up for demographic and economic opportunities. But what is the demographic dividend, and is India still in a position to take advantage of it?

Is India's demographic dividend over?

Updates Population growth

Data update: births and deaths in India

Newer Indian and international data on population growth, fertility, mortality and ageing have allowed us to substantially update our work on these topics. We outline the changes in Indian demographics that our updates reflect.

Data update: births and deaths in India

Population Ageing

Age distribution in Indian states

Whether in the north or the south, Indian states are all seeing their populations begin to age. However over a decade separates India's youngest and oldest states, and the southern states are already seeing a shrinking working-age population.

Age distribution in Indian states

Population Births

Mother's age at childbirth

The majority of births every year in India are to women in their twenties. But as family sizes decline, the age at which women have their children is changing in unusual ways.

Mother's age at childbirth

Measurement Mortality

Measuring Mortality

Why is it so difficult to accurately estimate how many people die every year, and of what?

Measuring Mortality

Health Diseases

India's disease transition

India is in the midst of a key public health transition, with communicable diseases now accounting for a falling share of deaths.

India's disease transition

Health Nutrition

Anaemia in India

India has higher than expected levels of anaemia. Could measurement be part of the explanation?

Anaemia in India

Living Conditions Amenities

Access to drinking water

Most Indians now have access to clean drinking water, but progress on tap water has been slower.

Access to drinking water

Population Mortality

Mortality in India

Over the last 50 years, India has radically lowered the risk of dying young.

Mortality in India

Population Population growth

Population growth in India

After decades of growing faster than the world, India's population growth has slowed down dramatically.

Population growth in India