Sex Ratio in India : Trends and Patterns

Dr. R.S.Dahiya Assoc. Professor, Surgery Pt BDS PGIMS Rohtak & Dr Anil K Dhull Medical Lecturer, SHFWTC Rohtak
2006

What is Sex Ratio ?

Sex ratio, in India, is defined as the number of females per 1000 males in the population It is an index of male-female balance in population At the Census 2001, sex ratio of population stood at 933 females per 1000 males which is a marginal increase from 927 recorded at the 1991 Census

Why Study of Sex Ratio?

1. If sex ratios are assumed to be correct, they indicate the gender balance in the society. Sex ratios may be analysed to determine the degree which one gender group is systematically undercounted in Census, Civil Registration System or Survey. Sex ratio is one indicator used to assess

2.

3.

What is the expected sex ratio of the population under normal conditions?
1. If data are correctly reported and in the absence of sex-selective mortality and migration, a gender balance is expected in any population. 2. However, in reality we dont expect a sex ratio of unity in any population. 3. In most of the developed countries, females outnumber males. That is, a sex ratio of more than 1000 females per 1000 males. This is so because longevity is higher for females than males and on an average, women in developed countries live about 6

What is Child Sex Ratio (0-6 years)?

Child Sex Ratio, i.e. sex ratio in the age group 0 to 6 years is a powerful indicator to examine the Social Response and Attitude towards the girl child.

What is Sex Ratio at Birth?

1. It is defined as the number of female births per 1000 male births in a year. 2. It is a universal observation that male births exceed female births in any given year which is due to biological reasons.

3. Studies have shown that the sex ratio at birth is remarkably constant and that it usually exhibits a value of approximately 950 female births per 1000 male births. That is, for every 1000 female births, about 1050 male births are expected to occur. 4. The probability of occurrence of male birth (0.51) is slightly higher than that of female birth (0.49).
5. It is now a well-established fact that the males exceed females at the time of birth. It is believed that generally 943-952 female births take place for every 1000 male births, which in effect would mean that there is a deficiency of about 50 females per 1000 males in every birth

Sex Ratio in Selected Countries

India Pakistan Bangladesh China Indonesia 933 938 953 944 1004 U.S.A U.K. Italy Germany France Japan More developed countries 1036 1058 1061 1049 1052 1043 1059

Sex Ratio, India, 1901-2001

980 970 960 972 964 955 950 950 940 930 930 920 910 900
1901 1911 1921 1931 1941 1951 1961 1971 1981 1991 2001

Sex Ratio = No. of females per 1000 males

Sex Ratio

945

946 941 934 927 933

Census Year

Sex Ratio, Andhra Pradesh, 1901-2001

1050

Sex Ratio = No. of females per 1000 males

1000

Sex Ratio

985 950

992

993

987

980

986

981

977

975

972

978

900

850
1901 1911 1921 1931 1941 1951 1961 1971 1981 1991 2001

Census Year

1050

Sex Ratio, Karnataka, 1901-2001

Sex Ratio = No. of females per 1000 males

1000

Sex Ratio

983 950

981 969 965 960 966 959 957 963 960

978

900

850
1901 1911 1921 1931 1941 1951 1961 1971 1981 1991 2001

Census Year

1100

Sex Ratio, Kerala, 1901-2001

Sex Ratio = No. of females per 1000 males

1050

Sex Ratio

1000

1022 1027 1004 1008 1011

1028 1022 1016

1032 1036

1058

950

900

850
1901 1911 1921 1931 1941 1951 1961 1971 1981 1991 2001

Census Year

1100

Sex Ratio, Tamil Nadu, 1901-2001

Sex Ratio = No. of females per 1000 males

1050 1044 1042

Sex Ratio

1029 1027 1000 1012 1007 992 978 950 977 974 987

900

850
1901 1911 1921 1931 1941 1951 1961 1971 1981 1991 2001

Census Year

1100

Sex Ratio, Haryana, 1901-2001

Sex Ratio = No. of females per 1000 males

Sex Ratio

1000

900 867 835 800

1901 1911 1921 1931 1941 1951 1961 1971 1981 1991 2001

869 844 844

871

868

867

870

865

861

Census Year

1100

Sex Ratio, Punjab, 1901-2001

Sex Ratio = No. of females per 1000 males

1000

Sex Ratio

900 844 854 865 879 882 876

800

832 780 799

815

836

700
1901 1911 1921 1931 1941 1951 1961 1971 1981 1991 2001

Census Year

1100

Sex Ratio, Rajasthan, 1901-2001

Sex Ratio = No. of females per 1000 males

Sex Ratio

1000

900

905

908

896

907

921 906

908

911

919

910

921

800
1901 1911 1921 1931 1941 1951 1961 1971 1981 1991 2001

Census Year

Sex Ratio, Uttar Pradesh, 1901-2001

1050

Sex Ratio = No. of females per 1000 males

1000

Sex Ratio

950 937 900 915 909 904 907 910 909 879 850
1901 1911 1921 1931 1941 1951 1961 1971 1981 1991 2001

898 885 879

Census Year

Sex Ratio, Gujarat, 1901-2001

1050

Sex Ratio = No. of females per 1000 males

1000

Sex Ratio

950

954

946

944

945

952 941 940 934

942 934

900 888 850

1901 1911 1921 1931 1941 1951 1961 1971 1981 1991 2001

Census Year

1100

Comparative Picture of Sex Ratio

Sex Ratio = No. of females per 1000 males
1058 1004 1008 1022 1027 1028 1022 1016 1011

Kerala

1032 1036

Sex Ratio

1000

India
972 900 867 835 800
1901 1911 1921 1931 1941 1951 1961 1971 1981 1991 2001

964

955

950

945

946

941

930

934

927 865

933

Haryana
844 844

869

871

868

867

870

861

Census Year

Census years

Persons

Males

Females

1901 1951
1961

238 361
439

121 186
226

117 176
213

1971
1981 1991 2001

548
683 846 1028

284
353 439 532

264
330 407 496

Census thus reveals that the deficit of women has risen from 4 million in 1901 to 36 million in 2001

Trend in Sex Ratio of Child Population (0-6 years), India, 19912001

980 970 960 976 964 962

Sex Ratio

950 940 930 920 910 900 1961 1971 1981

945

927

1991

2001

Census Year

Child Sex Ratio

Census
1981 1991 2001

Total
962 945 927

Rural
963 948

Urban
931 935

934

903

Decline in child sex ratio from 945 in 1991 to 927 in 2001 has activated the entire political, legal and administrative set up of the country.

If it is accepted that the impact of differential sex selective undercount, age reporting and migration is negligible then, the sex ratio in the age-group 0-6 years will be principally influenced by:
1. Sex ratio at birth 2. Sex selective mortality

at younger ages

The sex ratio at birth is usually a biological constant with a value that lies between 943 to 954. As the male infant mortality is higher than female in normal populations, the child sex ratio would tend to increase and improve over the globally accepted constant.

Sex Ratio for Selected States of India, 2001 census

India / State Sex Ratio Total Population
Kerala Tamil Nadu 1058 987

Child Population in age group 0-6

960 942

Andhra Pradesh
Karnataka Rajasthan Madhya Pradesh Uttar Pradesh Punjab Haryana

978
965 921 919 898 876 861

961
945 909 932 916 798 819

India

933

927

Child Sex Ratio Top Ten Districts in India

District

South (Sikkim) Upper Siang (Arunachal Pradesh) Pulwama (Jammu & Kashmir) Bastar (Chhatisgarh)
Dantewada (Chhatisgarh) East Kameng (Arunachal Pradesh) Kupwara (Jammu & Kashmir) Senapati (Manipur) Mokukchung (Nagaland) Badgam (Jammu & Kashmir)

Child Sex Ratio (2001) 1036 1018 1017 1014 1014 1011 1010 1007 1004 1003

Child Sex Ratio Bottom Ten Districts in India

District Child Sex Ratio (2001) 754 770 770 775 775 779 779 783 783 784

Fathegarh Sahib (Punjab) Patiala (Punjab) Kurukshetra (Haryana) Gurdaspur (Punjab)

Kapurthala (Punjab) Bhatinda (Punjab) Mansa (Punjab) Amritsar (Punjab) Sonipat (Haryana) Ambala (Haryana)

Distribution of districts by ranges of Child Sex Ratio, 1991 & 2001 (Provisional)
Ranges of Child Sex Ratio (0-6) Total Less than 800 800 - 849 Census Years 1991 2001 577 577 16 1 32

850 - 899 900 - 949 950 - 999

1000 - 1049

68 181 306
21

71 208 242
8

Distribution of villages by ranges of Child Sex Ratio, 1991 & 2001 Census : PUNJAB
Ranges of Child Sex Ratio (0-6) Number of villages 2001 1991

Less than 750

751 900

4697
4563

2688
4284

901 1000
1001 1200 Above 1200 Total

1695
899 424 12278

2762
1843 851 12428

Distribution of villages by ranges of Child Sex Ratio, 1991 & 2001 Census : HARYANA
Ranges of Child Sex Ratio (0-6) Number of villages 2001 1852 3359 1057 367 129 Total 6764 1991 977 3142 1818 949 239 7125

Less than 750 751 900 901 1000 1001 1200 Above 1200

Amritsar Bathinda Faridkot Fatehgarh Sahib Firozpur Gurdaspur Hoshirpur Jalandhar Kapurthala Ludhiana Mansa Moga Mukthasar Nawanshahar Patiala Roopnagar Sangrur Total

150 140 130 120 110 100 90 80 70 60 50

Reported sex ratio at birth Punjab District level 2000

Rural Urban

Reported sex ratio at birth by religion Punjab - 2000

150 140 130 120 110 100 90 80 70 60 50 Sikh Hindu Muslim Christian Total

136

132

134 121

134

Some of the important reasons for observed low sex ratio in India are:
Neglect of female children resulting in their

higher mortality at younger ages

High maternal mortality
Sex selective female abortions

Female infanticide
Change in sex ratio at birth

Larger undercount of females than males in the

census

Child Mortality Rates by Sex, India (National Family Health Survey - 2, 1998-99
45 40 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 Total Urban Rural 25 20 15 Females Males 28 37 42

The female child mortality rate (the number of deaths at age 1-4 years per 1000 children surviving to age 1 year) is one and half times the male child mortality rate. The female disadvantage in survival from age one to exact age five years is evident in urban and rural areas, but is much more severe in rural than in urban areas.

Sex Differentials in Child Mortality (National Family Health Survey - 2, 1998-99)

India/State Child Mortality Males India Andhra Pradesh Bihar Madhya Pradesh Rajasthan Uttar Pradesh 25 17 31 49 29 29 Females 37 28 44 66 52 53 Under-5 Mortality Male 98 88 105 142 116 121 Female 105 95 116 148 135 144

Male/Female Differentials in Selected Indicators

India Female Male Andhra Pradesh Female Male

Sex Ratio (No. of women per 1000 men)

Literacy (age 6+) School Attendance (%) 6-10 years 11-14 years

960
51.4 78 67

1000
74.5 85 80

984
46 83 55

1000
67 88 71

Child Mortality Rate (1-4)

Percentage of Children Under Weight (weight-for-age) Stunted (height-for-age)

37
49 47

25
45 44

28
40 40

17
35 37

Children Breastfed (in months)

Percentage of Children Fully Immunized Not Immunized Percentage of sick children taken to hospital for Diarrhoea ARI

24.6
41 15.3 62 61

26.4
43 13.5 65 67

23
63 4 64 66

28
54 5 73 72

Source: NFHS-2, 1998-99

PROBLEMS AFFECTING WOMEN DURING SPECIFIC STAGES OF THE LIFE CYCLE

Infancy and childhood (0-9 years) Sex selection Discriminatory nutrition and health care

Post-reproduction (50+ years)

Cardiovascular diseases Gynecological cancers Osteoporosis Osteoarthiritis Diabetes

Lifetime health problems Gender violence Certain occupational & environmental health hazards Depression Domestic Violence Sexual Abuse Reproductive years (15-49 years) Unplanned pregnancy STDs and AIDS Unsafe abortion Pregnancy complications Malnutrition, especially iron deficiency Anaemia

Adolescence (10-19 years)

Early age at marriage and childbearing Unsafe abortion STDs & AIDS Under nutrition and micronutrient deficiency Substance abuse

Enhancing the Status of the Girl Child Recommendations of the 4th World Conference on Women, China, 1995

Eliminate all forms of discrimination against the girl child; Enact and enforce appropriate legislation that guarantees equal right to succession and ensures equal right to inherit; Eliminate negative cultural attitudes and practices against girls; Eliminate discrimination development, and training; against girls in education, skills

Eliminate discrimination against girls in health and nutrition; Eliminate the economic exploitation of child labor and protect young girls at work; Strengthen the role of the family in improving the status of the girl child.