The impact of COVID-19 pandemic on fertility behaviour in Indian states: Evidence from the National Family Health Survey (2019/21)

At the aggregate level, there was a significant increase in desire for another child and a decrease in contraceptive use after the lockdown, which may influence fertility positively but can be compensated by reduced sexual activities. The influence of the fertility trends in the states with pro-natalist changes on India's recent fertility trend could be greater than those with anti-natalist changes, which can be better understood by analyzing reliable data from a couple of years following the 2019/21 NFHS.