Marginal Increase in Delhi’s Gender Ratio

The dismal sex ratio in the national capital has shown a slight improvement from 822 female births against 1,000 male ones in 2005 to 831:1,000 in 2006, the Delhi government said Wednesday. However, the number is much below the national average of 927 females per 1,000 males.

Releasing the annual report on the Registration of Births and Deaths in Delhi, Delhi Finance and Planning Minister Ashok Walia said: "The number of female births per thousand male births increased from 822 in 2005 to 831 in 2006, which shows an increasing trend in the sex ratio in Delhi.

"The birth rate in Delhi too has declined from 20.61 births per thousand population during 2005 to 19.95 during 2006. The average number of births registered per day in Delhi decreased from 889 in 2005 to 884 in 2006," the minister said.

The report prepared by the Directorate of Economics and Statistics provides valuable indicators like the birth rate, death rate and trends in birth order.

According to the report, the death rate in Delhi is 6.11 against one thousand births, compared to the national figure of 7.60. "In Delhi 884 births were reported per day, and 271 deaths were reported in a day," the report said.

India registers 71,812 births and 22,932 deaths a day. Walia stated that the total number of births registered during 2006 were 323,000 against 324,000 during 2005.

Out of total births registered in 2006, about 176,000 were males and 147,000 were females. In 2005, the figures were 178,000 male births and 146,000 female ones.

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There is a slight increase in the percentage of institutional delivery as the report has found that 78 percent of childbirths took place in hospital during 2006 as against 74 percent in 2005.

Source-IANS
LIN/V