Education, Fertility, and Child Health: Trends in West Bengal by Religion and Social Group

Abstract

West Bengal has a reputation for social equity. Do the institutional and political conditions that reduce inter-group conflict in the state also translate into more equitable human development outcomes? We examine this question using three rounds of the National Family Health Survey (2005–06, 2015–16, 2019–21). We document trends in education, fertility, and child health by religion and caste in West Bengal relative to the rest of India. We find a striking divergence: convergence is sharp and rapid for fertility decline, educational gains among Muslim women, and child mortality, with Hindu–Muslim and caste gaps nearly closing by the latest survey round. In contrast, marriage timing, nutrition, and anemia stagnate or worsen. We argue this pattern reflects the differing sensitivity of these outcomes to public health infrastructure and accumulated schooling versus current household economic resources, with implications for targeting future policy interventions.