Bhavnagar has state’s best sex ratio of 1,192

Anand district--home to a large NRI population--has the lowest sex ratio, at 726 females per 1,000 males

Gandhinagar: The overall child sex ratio (CSR) in Gujarat stands at 955 females per 1,000 males according to the latest National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5).

Gujarat’s Health Minister Nitin Patel revealed the data in the House on Friday, in a written reply to a question from Thasra MLA Kanti Parmar, who asked about the sex ratio of the state and various districts. Patel also said that Gujarat’s birth rate is currently 18.03.

Interestingly, the sex ratio is more unbalanced in the state’s urban areas than in rural parts.

While Bhavnagar has the highest ratio with 1,192 females per 1,000 males, Anand district--which is known for being home to a large NRI population--has the lowest male-female ratio, at 726 females per 1,000 males.

Mehsana and Gandhinagar also have a poor CSR, at 742 and 766, respectively.

The eight districts with a healthy CSR are Tapi (1,185), Dang (1,143), Bharuch (1,112), Rajkot (1049), Porbandar (1,045), Dahod (1,013), and Navsari (1,006).

Citing social beliefs as the biggest reason for the imbalance in male-female ratio, Patel said the government has been holding extensive mass awareness campaigns and strictly implementing the Female Foeticide Prevention Act, in order to improve the ratio.

Meanwhile, Dahod district has the highest birth rate of 28.2, while Tapi district has the lowest, at 10.4.