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The Demographic Structure of the Indian Society Table 3: The Declining Sex R atio inIndia , 1901–2011 Sex ratio Variation over Child Sex ratio Variation over Year (all age groups) previous decade (0–6 years) previous decade 1901 972 – – – 1911 964 –8 – – 1921 955 –9 – – 1931 950 –5 – – 1941 945 –5 – – 1951 946 +1 – – 1961 941 –5 976 – 1971 930 –11 964 –12 1981 934 +4 962 –2 1991 927 –7 945 –17 2001 933 +6 927 –18 2011 943 +10 919 –8 Not: The sex ratio is defined as the number of females per 1000 males; Data on age-specific sex ratios is not available before 1961 Source: Census of India 2011, Government of India. The state-level child sex ratios offer even greater cause for worry. As many as nine States and Union Territories have a child sex ratio of under 900 females per 1000 males. Haryana is the worst state with an incredibly low child sex ratio of 793 (the only state below 800), followed by Punjab, Jammu & Kashmir, Delhi, Chandigarh, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh. As Map 2 shows, Uttar Pradesh, Daman & Diu, Himachal Pradesh, Lakhshadweep and Madya Pradesh are all under 925, while large states such as West Bengal, Assam, Bihar, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka are above the national average of 919 but below the 970-mark. Even Kerala, the state with the better overall sex ratio does not do too well at 964, while the highest child sex ratio of 972 is found in Arunachal Pradesh. Demographers and sociologists have offered several reasons for the decline in the sex ratio in India. The main health factor that affects women differently from men is childbearing. It is relevant to ask if the fall in the sex ratio may be partly due to the increased risk of death in childbirth that only women face. However, maternal mortality is supposed to decline with development, as levels of nutrition, general education and awareness, as well as, the availability of medical and communication facilities improves. Indeed, maternal mortality rates have been coming down in India even though they remain high by 25 international standards. So, it is difficult to see how maternal mortality could have been responsible for the worsening of the sex ratio over time. Combined Reprint 2026-27