Kolkata: Bengal's urban birth rate at 11 live births per 1,000 people is the lowest among bigger states in the country while its rural birth rate at 15.3 is the fifth lowest.
The state's overall birth rate of 14 is also way below the national average of 18.4, the Sample Registration Survey report for Sept reveals.
Bengal's birth rate mirrors a nationwide trend of steady decline, the survey shows.
Neighbour Bihar tops the list among bigger states with a birth rate of 25.8 while Tamil Nadu's is at the bottom with 12. Among other neighbours, Jharkhand's birth rate is 20.6, Assam's 19.8 and Odisha's 16.
The report also shows a declining death rate in Bengal. At 5.7, the state's death rate is lower than India's 6.4.
Bengal's death rate of 5.7 is also a marked improvement from the 6.3 reported in the June SRS bulletin and, according to experts, indicates better access to healthcare facilities.
Rural Bengal's death rate at 5.6 is marginally lower than urban Bengal's 5.9.
Bengal's natural growth rate (difference between birth and death rate, not taking migration into account) remains a steady 8.3 (it was 8.2 in the previous SRS bulletin). Rural Bengal is growing faster at 9.7 against urban Bengal's 5.2.
The SRS pegs Bengal's infant mortality rate at 17 for rural and urban Bengal, lower than national average of 25.
About the gap between Bengal's urban and rural birth rates, economist Abhirup Sarkar said population at urban centres most often weigh the cost of caring for a child before taking a decision. "In some cases, the decision to go for a child could be impacted by per capita income in a state. In demographic theories, birth rate is higher among very low income groups and death rate is high. When income rises, death rate dips faster than birth rate.
In third stage, both birth and death rates decline," he said.