India’s sex ratio is one of the worst in the world, with only 918 girls for every 1,000 boys. And, according to the most recently released data, this skewed ratio is common across all religions.
Among Hindus, the largest religious group in the country, the sex ratio declined from 925 girls in 2001 to 913 girls in 2011 per 1,000 boys, the census data showed.
Child sex ratio is the number of girls aged between zero and six years for every 1,000 boys in the same age group. An unbalanced gender ratio is a manifestation of the country’s preference of sons over daughters.
Apart from Sikhs and Jains, all other religious groups saw a dip in the child sex ratio in favour of male children.
However, Sikhs and Jains have consistently had one of the worst female-to-male ratios among all religious communities in India. Despite the recent increase, their ratios are far below the national average of 918 girls per 1,000 boys.