Skewed child sex ratios in India: a revisit to geographical patterns and socio-economic correlates

This study revisits the regional and socio-economic pattern of masculinisation of Child Sex Ratios (CSR), Sex Ratio at Birth (SRB) and Sex Ratio at Last Birth (SRLB) by using successive rounds of the National Family Health Survey (NFHS). Although the masculinisation of CSR continues in many Indian states as well as in different socio-economic settings, a tremendous change in previously established patterns of CSR can be observed from the findings. District-level analysis presents intra-state variation in CSR, SRB and SRLB, which helps in identifying the emerging ‘hotspots’ of the problem. The decline in preference for a son and rise in skewed CSR, SRB and SRLB invites the attention of researchers towards drawbacks in the method of measurement of preference for a son as people are now more aware of the legal consequences of sex-selective abortions and underreport the same.