Bihar logged 891 girls per 1,000 boys in 2022, lowest sex ratio at birth

Bihar is the only state where the sex ratio at birth has fallen each year since 2020, dropping from 964 to 891 even as political parties woo women voters

Bihar has recorded the lowest sex ratio at birth (SRB) in India for 2022, with just 891 girls born for every 1,000 boys, according to the latest Vital Statistics of India based on the Civil Registration System (CRS) report released by the Office of the Registrar General of India.

 

The state is also the only one in the country to register a consistent year-on-year decline in its sex ratio at birth since 2020. From 964 girls per 1,000 boys in 2020, the ratio dropped to 908 in 2021, and has now further declined to 891 in 2022.

 

Priyanka Gandhi slams Bihar government over sex ratio figures

 

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Monday (June 9) took to X to attack the NDA government over the data.

 

 

“On the one hand, the continuous atrocities on women and on the other hand, the worst situation in the country in terms of sex ratio, is an indication that Bihar’s double engine is proving to be dangerous for women,” she remarked.

 

What does the low female sex ratio mean before Bihar elections?

 

The data arrives at a politically charged moment, as Bihar heads into its next Assembly election in 2025, and political parties begin crafting campaigns aimed at the state’s significant women voter base. Several states like Jharkhand, Maharashtra and Haryana have already seen major political parties use cash transfers and welfare guarantees to woo women. Bihar is likely to see similar strategies.

 

But how do you offer schemes for women when the very number of girls being born is steadily falling?

 

The CRS data raises uncomfortable questions: How meaningful are these promises of empowerment if fewer girls are being born in the first place?

 

Which other states have low or high sex ratios at birth?

 

Bihar’s downward spiral on the sex ratio at birth stands in contrast to some of the worst-performing states from previous years, many of whom have shown improvement in 2022. Assam, for instance, which reported the lowest SRB in 2021 (863), has improved its ratio to 933. Meanwhile, Maharashtra (906), Telangana (907) and Gujarat (908) trail Bihar on the lower end of the spectrum, but none show a multi-year declining trend like Bihar does.

 

At the other end, Nagaland (1,068) recorded the highest SRB in 2022, followed by Arunachal Pradesh (1,036), Ladakh (1,027), Meghalaya (972), and Kerala (971).

 

The overall national average stood at 943 girls per 1,000 boys, placing Bihar well below the national line by a margin of 52 points.

 

More births in Bihar but fewer girls

 

Despite the troubling ratio, Bihar reported the third-highest number of births in India in 2022, registering over 3.07 million births. However, the gender breakdown tells a stark story: of these, only 1.31 million were girls, while 1.47 million were boys. The absolute gap between male and female births in Bihar—over 160,000—is the widest in the country.

 

Across India, 25.44 million births were registered in 2022, up from 24.2 million in 2021, suggesting a post-pandemic rebound. But the gender split remained skewed nationally as well: 52.4 per cent of the births were boys, while only 47.6 per cent were girls.

 

Urban areas accounted for 56.5 per cent of these births, while rural India logged 43.5 per cent.

 

What are the national trends in birth and death registrations?

 

The CRS report also shows that registered deaths fell sharply in 2022, down to 8.65 million from 10.22 million in 2021, the year India faced the brunt of the Covid-19 pandemic. Male deaths (60.4 per cent) continued to outnumber female deaths (39.6 per cent). A majority, 59.5 per cent, of deaths were reported from rural areas, with urban areas accounting for 40.5 per cent.

 

The report noted that the number of stillbirths also declined to 115,000 in 2022 from 124,000 the year before.

 

Gaps in the data system

 

The CRS and Medical Certification of Cause of Death (MCCD) reports for 2022 have been released in quick succession, just weeks after the long-delayed release of 2021 data. However, the third crucial pillar of demographic statistics, the Sample Registration System (SRS) report, which offers estimates on birth and death rates and is considered the most rigorous of the three, is yet to be made public for 2022.

 

That absence is conspicuous, especially as the SRS is the only source that includes unregistered vital events, making it crucial to validate CRS trends.

 

Where is the system failing in Bihar?

 

The CRS report, while primarily a statistical compilation, hints at systemic issues:

 

Bihar’s birth registration within 21 days remains in the 50–80 per cent compliance category, indicating significant delays and possible underreporting, especially in rural regions where gender bias is often more acute.

 

Despite 3.07 million registered births in 2022, the SRB is so low that it suggests selective registration, possible under-reporting of female births, or worse, prenatal sex selection and female foeticide.

 

The state has conducted 4,522 inspections of registration units and 4,768 health institution inspections in 2022, suggesting a reasonable administrative apparatus. Yet, the declining numbers point to social behaviour outpacing state regulation.

 

Bihar, notably, did not submit data on penalties imposed under Section 23 of the RBD Act, which allows punishment for non-registration or false reporting, implying weak enforcement against malpractices in birth registration.

What are the implications of a declining sex ratio?

 

The consistent drop in sex ratio at birth in Bihar, within a short three-year span, is a demographic red flag. It suggests either a disturbing preference for male children, possible misuse of sex-selective technologies, or under-reporting of female births.

 

The CRS report, prepared from statutory returns submitted by State Registrars, is not a survey—it is a legal record. If even official records show such a grim picture, the reality may be worse.

 

Bihar has long struggled with gender inequality, poor female literacy, low female labour force participation, and high maternal mortality. But the latest data shows the challenge is now being carved into demography itself.