India Sex Ratio 2023
According to National Family Health Survey, 2020-21 (NFHS-5) India’s Sex ratio in 2023 is 1020 females per 1000 males. In the rural area, the Sex ratio is 1037, and in the urban areas, it’s 985 females to 1000 males. The previous census which was held in 2011, shows India’s sex ratio of 943 females per 1000 males.
As per the survey, Indian families are becoming less likely to use abortions to ensure the birth of sons rather than daughters. Government efforts to curb sex selection and ban prenatal sex tests and social changes have made a difference in the last decade and thus normalizing the sex ratio. The sex ratio at birth for children born in the last five years in India is 929 females per 1,000 males.
| Sex Ratio (Females per 1000 males) | 2011 Census | 2023 (NFHS-5 Survey) |
| Urban | 929 | 985 |
| Rural | 949 | 1037 |
| India | 943 | 1020 |
also read about life expectancy in India
Indian States and UTs by Sex Ratio
As per National Family Health Survey, 2019-21 (NFHS-5) India’s Sex ratio in 2023 is 1020 females per 1000 males*. Among the Indian States, Kerala with 1145 females per 1000 males has the highest sex ratio and Haryana with 926 females per 1000 males has the lowest.
Let’s have a look at the Sex ratio by Indian states and Union Territories.
| States/UTs | Total | Urban | Rural |
| Andhra Pradesh | 1045 | 1024 | 1055 |
| Andaman & Nicobar | 963 | 1023 | 929 |
| Arunachal Pradesh | 997 | 989 | 998 |
| Assam | 1012 | 982 | 1017 |
| Bihar | 1090 | 982 | 1111 |
| Chandigarh | 917 | 918 | 868 |
| Chhattisgarh | 1015 | 1016 | 1014 |
| D&D | 827 | 775 | 875 |
| Delhi (NCT) | 913 | 914 | 859 |
| Goa | 1027 | 982 | 1092 |
| Gujarat | 965 | 929 | 991 |
| Haryana | 926 | 911 | 933 |
| HP | 1040 | 936 | 1057 |
| J&K | 968 | 961 | 944 |
| Jharkhand | 1050 | 989 | 1070 |
| Karnataka | 1034 | 1034 | 1035 |
| Kerala | 1121 | 1138 | 1105 |
| Ladakh | 1125 | 994 | 966 |
| Lakshadweep | 1187 | 1193 | 1166 |
| Madhya Pradesh | 970 | 953 | 976 |
| Maharashtra | 966 | 954 | 977 |
| Manipur | 1066 | 1077 | 1060 |
| Meghalaya | 1039 | 1118 | 1020 |
| Mizoram | 1018 | 1043 | 988 |
| Nagaland | 1007 | 980 | 1020 |
| Odisha | 1063 | 1010 | 1074 |
| Puducherry | 1112 | 1086 | 1172 |
| Punjab | 938 | 918 | 950 |
| Rajasthan | 1099 | 968 | 1022 |
| Sikkim | 990 | 1033 | 964 |
| Tamil Nadu | 1088 | 1062 | 1113 |
| Telangana | 1049 | 1015 | 1070 |
| Tripura | 1011 | 1024 | 1029 |
| Uttar Pradesh | 1017 | 961 | 1036 |
| Uttarakhand | 1016 | 943 | 1052 |
| West Bengal | 1049 | 1016 | 1065 |
| India | 1020 | 985 | 1037 |
Source: National Family Health Survey 2020-21
Sex Ratio at Birth in India
As per the National Family Health Survey 2020-21, the Sex ratio at birth for children born in the last five years in India is 929 females per 1,000 males. The sex ratio at birth has increased from 919 in 2015-16 to 929 in 2019-21.
The Sex ratio at birth for children born in the last five years has improved in 2019-21 from 2015-16 in all states except for Himachal Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Meghalaya, Goa and Nagaland.
The sex ratio at Birth is calculated by children born in the last five years.
States with Highest and Lowest Sex ratio at birth
As per The Registrar General of India’s Civil Registration System Report-2020, shows SRB (number of girls born per 1,000 boys) is the highest for Ladakh (1,104), followed by Arunachal Pradesh (1,011), Andaman and Nicobar Islands (984), and Tripura (974).
As per the CRS report-2020, the only two states with below-900 SRB are Manipur (880) and Dadra and Nagar Haveli (898).
Let’s have a look at the Sex ratio at Birth by states and Uts
| # | States & UTS | Urban | Rural | Total |
| 1 | Andaman & Nicobar | 1023 | 929 | 963 |
| 2 | Andhra Pradesh | 877 | 957 | 934 |
| 3 | Arunachal | 912 | 990 | 979 |
| 4 | Assam | 916 | 970 | 964 |
| 5 | Bihar | 940 | 903 | 908 |
| 6 | Chandigarh | 820 | – | 838 |
| 7 | Chhattisgarh | 933 | 967 | 960 |
| 8 | Daman and Diu | 705 | 940 | 817 |
| 9 | Goa | 822 | 864 | 838 |
| 10 | Gujarat | 931 | 969 | 955 |
| 11 | Haryana | 943 | 873 | 893 |
| 12 | Himachal Pradesh | 843 | 880 | 875 |
| 13 | Jammu & Kashmir | 978 | 976 | 976 |
| 14 | Jharkhand | 781 | 926 | 899 |
| 15 | Karnataka | 1063 | 931 | 978 |
| 16 | Kerala | 983 | 922 | 951 |
| 17 | Ladakh | 897 | 1193 | 1125 |
| 18 | Lakshadweep | 964 | 1361 | 1051 |
| 19 | Madhya Pradesh | 948 | 959 | 956 |
| 20 | Maharashtra | 878 | 941 | 913 |
| 21 | Manipur | 1010 | 947 | 967 |
| 22 | Meghalaya | 915 | 1001 | 989 |
| 23 | Mizoram | 907 | 1038 | 969 |
| 24 | Nagaland | 949 | 943 | 945 |
| 25 | NCT Delhi | 927 | 792 | 923 |
| 26 | Odisha | 950 | 885 | 894 |
| 27 | Puducherry | 857 | 1268 | 959 |
| 28 | Punjab | 858 | 931 | 904 |
| 29 | Rajasthan | 940 | 879 | 891 |
| 30 | Sikkim | 1520 | 746 | 969 |
| 31 | Tamil Nadu | 893 | 867 | 878 |
| 32 | Telangana | 873 | 907 | 894 |
| 33 | Tripura | 1024 | 1029 | 1028 |
| 34 | Uttar Pradesh | 933 | 943 | 941 |
| 35 | Uttarakhand | 1094 | 937 | 954 |
| 36 | West Bengal | 921 | 993 | 973 |
| India | 924 | 931 | 929 |
Source: National Family Health Survey 2020-21
Indian States with highest Sex Ratio
As per the National Family Health Survey 2019-21 on state-wise sex ratio in the country Kerala ranked highest in the list with 1121 females per 1000 males.
| # | States | Sex Ratio |
| 1 | Kerala | 1121 |
| 2 | Rajasthan | 1099 |
| 3 | Bihar | 1090 |
| 4 | Tamil Nadu | 1088 |
| 5 | Manipur | 1066 |
| 6 | Odisha | 1063 |
| 7 | Jharkhand | 1050 |
| 8 | Telangana | 1049 |
| 9 | West Bengal | 1049 |
| 10 | Andhra | 1045 |
Source: National Family Health Survey 2019-21
Indian States with Lowest Sex Ratio
As per the National Family Health Survey 2019-21 on state-wise sex ratio in the country Haryana ranked lowest in the list with 926 females per 1000 males.
| # | States | Sex Ratio |
| 1 | Haryana | 926 |
| 2 | Punjab | 938 |
| 3 | Gujarat | 965 |
| 4 | Maharashtra | 966 |
| 5 | Madhya Pradesh | 970 |
| 6 | Sikkim | 990 |
| 7 | Arunachal Pradesh | 997 |
Source: National Family Health Survey 2019-21
