Sex ratio at birth: Kerala on top, Northeast states show decline

The highest improvement was in Punjab at 126 points, but its SRB remained among the lowest among the states at 860 in NFHS-4.

The sex ratio at birth (SRB) in the country, defined as the number of female births per 1,000 male births, improved from 914 to 919 between the third and fourth National Family Health Surveys (NFHS), carried out in 2005-06 and 2015-16 respectively. The highest improvement was in Punjab at 126 points, but its SRB remained among the lowest among the states at 860 in NFHS-4. The sharpest decline was in Sikkim, where the SRB dropped 175 points to reach 809, the lowest among all states in 2015-16.

These trends emerge out of state-wise data tabled by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in reply to a question during the recently concluded Parliament session.

Next to Punjab, the highest improvement in SRB was in Kerala, by 122 points from 925 in 2005-06. Its 1,047 in 2015-16 was the highest SRB among all states.

Next to Sikkim, the five states with the highest declines included four more in the Northeast.