India’s sex ratio at birth
August 26 , 2022
879 days
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- The latest study by Pew Research Center has pointed out that “son bias” is on a decline in India.
- Sex ratio at birth fell from 111 boys per 100 girls in 2011 to 108 boys per 100 girls in 2019-21.
- Average annual number of baby girls “missing” in India fell from about 480,000 (4.8 lakh) in 2010 to 410,000 (4.1 lakh) in 2019.
- World over, boys modestly outnumber girls at birth, at a ratio of approximately 105 male babies for every 100 female babies.
- In the 1970s, India’s sex ratio was at par with the global average of 105-100.
- This was widened to 108 boys per 100 girls in the early 1980s, and reached 110 boys per 100 girls in the 1990s.
- The report points out that between 2000-2019, nine crore female births went “missing” because of female-selective abortions.
- The report has also analysed religion-wise sex selection, pointing out that the gap was the highest for Sikhs.
- The share of “missing” girls among Hindus is also above their respective population share.
- Hindus make up 80% of India’s population but accounted for an estimated 87% or eight crores of the females “missing” due to sex-elective abortions.
- Muslims, accounted for 7%, or approximately 5.9 lakh, of the country’s “missing” girls.
- Christians, who make up 2.3% of the population, have had an estimated 0.6%, or about 53,000, of the total number of sex-selective abortions.
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