Rukmini S

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 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.

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?

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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