According to a UNFPA estimate, 24% of India’s 144 crore people are in the 0–14 age group

India is estimated to have 144 crore people living there, with 24 percent of them being between the ages of 0 and 14. This information comes from the United Nations Population Fund’s (UNFPA) State of the World Population 2024 study.

India’s population is predicted to double in 77 years, according to the UNFPA study “Interwoven Lives, Threads of Hope: Ending Inequalities in Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights.”

According to the research, China has a population of 142.5 crore, while India has the largest population in the world at 144.17 crore.

India has 121 crore people living there as per the 2011 census, which was the most recent one.

The survey went on to say that 24% of Indians are thought to be between the ages of 0 and 14, and 17% are between the ages of 10 and 19.

It is projected that the age group between 10 and 24 makes up 26% of the population, while the age group between 15 and 64 makes up 68%. Moreover, 7% of Indians are 65 years of age or older; the average life expectancy for males is 71 years, and for women it is 74 years.

According to the research, the world’s most marginalized people have mostly been overlooked throughout the last 30 years of advances in sexual and reproductive health.

The research states that between 2006 and 2023, the proportion of child marriages in India was 23.

According to the research, maternal deaths in India have significantly decreased, making up 8% of all maternal fatalities globally.

According to the study, “efforts to address the impact of gender discrimination on health outcomes as well as improved access to affordable, quality maternal health services are often attributed to India’s success.”

The research did point out that there are still significant disparities in maternal mortality risks in India.

According to the UNFPA, recent research into India’s 640 districts revealed that while nearly a third achieved the sustainable development goal of reducing maternal mortality ratio below 70 per 1,00,000 live births, 114 districts still have ratios of 210 or more. This information is cited from a report on “Estimates and Correlates of District-Level Maternal Mortality Ratio in India” by PLOS Global Public Health.

The Tirap district of Arunachal Pradesh, a rural region with a large concentration of indigenous peoples, has the highest rate—1,671 per 1,000 births. It is difficult to break down these numbers by socioeconomic status, race, caste, or religion, but it is evident that these characteristics have an impact on health outcomes,” it said.

According to the survey, compared to their counterparts without impairments, women with disabilities are up to ten times more likely to encounter gender-based violence.

Richer women and members of ethnic groups with greater access to healthcare have profited more from improvements in healthcare availability.

According to the research, “people living with HIV, women and girls with disabilities, immigrants and refugees, ethnic minorities, LGBTQIA+ individuals, and members of disadvantaged castes all face greater risks to their sexual and reproductive health as well as unequal access to sexual and reproductive health care.”

Strong dynamics like mass migration, humanitarian crises, and climate change, which often disproportionately affect women at the periphery of society, further exacerbate their vulnerability, the statement stated.

According to the study, Dalit activists in India have campaigned for legal protection for women who are subjected to caste-based discrimination in the workplace and in schools.

If not, a large number of people would continue to live in poverty and be unable to provide for their families and children, which feeds the cycle of poor sexual and reproductive health. For example, over half of Dalit women do not obtain prenatal care, and gender-based violence is pervasive and used as a tool of oppression and control.

According to the report, millions of women and girls are still far behind, and progress is slowing or stopping on important fronts. For example, 800 women give birth every day, a number that hasn’t changed since 2016; 25% of women find it difficult to say no to their partner for sex; and almost 10% of women are unable to make their own decisions regarding contraception.

The survey said that women’s physical autonomy is declining in 40% of the nations with available data.

“We have secured laws against domestic violence in more than 160 countries, lowered the rate of unwanted pregnancies by nearly one-fifth, and lowered the rate of maternal deaths by one-third in the span of a generation,” said UNFPA Executive Director Dr. Natalia Kanem.

“Despite these advancements, there is still a growing disparity in our communities and healthcare systems, and we have not given enough priority to assisting those who are most in need. With continued investment and international solidarity, our task is not yet complete, but it is yet feasible,” she said.