What does total fertility rate indicate?

Total fertility rate is a demographic measure that reflects the average number of children a woman would have over her lifetime, assuming that current age-specific fertility rates remain constant throughout her reproductive years. This statistic is crucial in understanding population growth or decline, as it provides insight into reproductive behavior and family planning trends within a specific population.

By capturing this average, the total fertility rate can indicate potential future population trends, such as increasing or decreasing population sizes, and it can also inform policy decisions related to education, healthcare, and social services. Other options, while related to population metrics, do not encompass the idea of a woman's lifetime reproductive output as clearly or accurately as the total fertility rate does.