ABSTRACT
This chapter highlights some of the achievements and failures of the Kerala development pattern. The Kerala development pattern has positive results in literacy and education, health, status of women and demographic factors. Kerala is in the third stage of demographic transition, wherein both the death rates and birth rates decline resulting in a low rate of population growth. The fertility rate in Kerala is at or below replacement level. Kerala recorded the lowest decadal growth rate of 13. 98 among all the Indian states and Kerala have the lowest birth rate among all major Indian states. Since 1981, the infant mortality rate in Kerala has almost always been less than one third of India’s. In Kerala, unlike the rest of India, the majority of deliveries take place in institutions and this has contributed considerably to low infant and maternal mortality.
