5. Kerala Kerala may be one of India ’s poorest states but it has experienced the greatest fall in fertility rates. Here women have an average of 2 children, the same level as the UK

9. The position of women Kerala's success is thanks to the state government's priority in meeting the basic needs of people, especially young mothers. Compared to other parts of India, women have been treated differently in Kerala for over a century. Keralese women are regarded as an asset rather than a drain on a family's finances. Instead of paying out a dowry when daughters marry, parents in Kerala receive money from the bridegroom's family. Some women can inherit and own land, giving them financial independence and power of their own.