No city for women: Why is Delhi’s sex ratio falling? Experts weigh in

The Indian capital of Delhi is a bustling metropolitan with developed infrastructure and facilities. But in an alarming trend, the city’s sex ratio at birth has fallen for the fourth consecutive year. According to the Annual Report on Registration of Births and Deaths in Delhi,, released by the Directorate of Economics and Statistics and the Office of Chief Registrar (Births & Deaths) of the Delhi government, the sex ratio at birth has fallen to 920 females for a 1000 males from 933 in 2024. This trend has raised alarm bells among experts with people worrying if Delhi will soon become a city of men.

What is sex ratio?

Sex ratio is a social indicator of gender equality. A sex ratio of 1,000 means that there are an equal number of males and females. Higher than 1,000 and there are more females than males. Similarly, lower than 1000 and there are more males than females. Experts usually say that a ‘normal’ sex ratio is around 952 with females naturally being lesser than males in a society.

Delhi’s trajectory

The Indian capital’s sex ratio at birth steadily rose from 2012 to 2020 from 886 to 933. But dropped after the pandemic started, signalling that people are preferring sons over daughters. Exacerbated by the economic pressures of the pandemic, people seem to have given into the assumption that daughters are economic burdens on the parents while sons are not. This prejudice has deep ideological and also real-life effects on a society.

Impact on Social Fabric. According to Srinivas Goli, Associate Professor in Demography at the International Institute for Population Sciences, Mumbai, a declining sex ratio exacerbates what he calls the ‘male marriage squeeze.’

This occurs when there is a greater number of males than females in marriageable age groups. States like Haryana and Punjab are currently facing a severe shortage of brides. To compensate for this shortage, families often "import" brides from other states like West Bengal, Bihar, and Jharkhand, or even from countries like Nepal and elsewhere. These women often have little autonomy within their new households. In some distressing cases, they are married to multiple brothers or sold to other men in the village. “In the short term, it reflects entrenched gender bias and daughter aversion, indicating that women are often undervalued in society. In the long term, it can create imbalances in the population structure, particularly in marriage markets, where a scarcity of women may affect men’s ability to find partners, says KS James, a former professor with the Jawaharlal Nehru University.

Links between literacy and sex ratio?

Literacy is often assumed to help societies have a better sex ratio. But this is not always the case. “Studies have clearly shown that the sex ratio at birth is better among the poor and illiterate than the middle and upper middle class in India based on the result of the National Family Health Survey Data,” says Professor James. “Increasing literacy particularly female literacy has improved women empowerment.As a result, one child policy may be caused by a falling sex ratio and increased male population,” says Dr CM Lakshmana, Professor and Head of the Institute of Social and Economic Change. This might signal that if people have lesser children, they may have a preference for sons rather than daughters.

Why do states like Mizoram and Kerala fare better?

Mizoram and Kerala have historically done better than other states, including Delhi, in the sex ratio at birth. According to the 2011 census, Mizoram stood at 976 females per 1000 males. While Kerala had 1084 females for every 1000 males, meaning there were more women than men in the state.

“Mizoram and Kerala have historically been known for their matriarchal societies and exhibit lower levels of gender discrimination. In these states, the social value of daughters is significantly higher than in others. When women own property and possess economic power, their status in society improves, which helps remove the patriarchal controls that are the root of the problem,” says Professor Goli.

Need for governmental intervention

A continually declining sex ratio means that Delhi’s populace is preferring boys over girls.. But there are a variety of methods through which the State and Central Governments can help mitigate the imminent demographic disaster. “Anecdotal evidence suggests that with advancing technologies, new means of sex-selective abortions are emerging, and these must be stopped. There is also a need to investigate whether sex selective abortions are being carried out through medical facilities in other countries,” says Professor Goli. “Several Indian states have implemented successful programs to promote the value of girl children. These include financial incentives such as fixed deposits, educational scholarships, and other benefits for families with daughters, ensuring that girls are seen as assets rather than burdens. Some states offer a fixed deposit for every girl born, which matures when she reaches adulthood, providing families with an economic incentive to support female children. Delhi could adapt and expand such programs,” says Professor James.

Masculinisation of society

This trend of a declining sex ratio is not just limited to Delhi in particular. The same has been noted in many states like Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, etc.

A 2021 research paper from Goli and researcher Aradhana Kumari notes that sex ratio at birth has worsened across all social, religious and economic groups, signalling an alarming trend of preferring the masculine over the feminine.