Improvement in Sex Ratio at Birth (SRB): SRS 2019

• 19 Jun 2021

The Registrar General of India has released the 2019 report of Civil Registration System (CRS) findings - “Vital Statistics of India based on the Civil Registration System”.

About Sex Ratio

• The Sex Ratio (Number of females per thousand males) at birth is an important indicator to map the sex differential of the population.
• The World Health Organisation estimates that the natural sex ratio at birth is about 952 females to every 1,000 males.

Findings of the Report on SRB

• In a huge improvement from the previous census, none of the State/UT has recorded Sex ratio at birth below 901.
• Arunachal Pradesh had the highest ratio of 1,024 – though this was a steep fall from 1,047 in 2017 – followed by Nagaland and Mizoram, which recorded 1,001 and 975 respectively, a significant improvement from 948 and 964 in 2017. In Kerala, though the SRB was still a high 960, it has worsened from 965 in 2017. Similarly, in Himachal Pradesh, it has been steadily worsening and is now 918.

• Punjab and Chandigarh, notorious for sex-selective abortions, showed significant improvement as did Odisha, where it went up from 930 to 947.
• The lowest SRB was reported by Gujarat (901), Assam (903) and Madhya Pradesh (905), followed by Jammu & Kashmir (909).