Sex ratio in Andhra Pradesh and India - An analysis of census data

Abstract

Ever since the beginning of population data recording started in India, it was evident that there was always a deficit of women over men in number. Over the span of 110 years, this deficit of female population has increases, i.e., number of women per 1000 men has come down from 972 in 1901 to 933 in 2001 and after hundred years, it has started an increasing trend by 7 points i.e., to 940 in 2011. Andhra Pradesh has a starting figure of 985 females per 1000 males in the year 1901 while at the national level, the sex ratio was 972. This difference of a better than the national sex ratio was maintained all through the century. Five districts in Telangana region namely Medak, Hyderabad, Ranga Reddi, Mahabubnagar, Nalgonda, three districts in Rayalaseema region Kadapa, Kurnool and Anantapur and only Prakasam district from Andhra region still remain below the state average sex ratio in 2001 and 2011 Census. During 19812011, the child sex ratio has declined by 48 points in India. The census data indicates that the child sex ratio is faring better in Andhra Pradesh than that of all India level for the last six census years i.e., from 1961–2011. Rangareddi in Telangana region, Guntur and Nellore districts from coastal Andhra region were above the state average child sex ratio in 2011 and were below state average in 2001. There were nine districts ‘viz’ Hyderabad, Mahabubnagar, Nalgonda, Warangal, Prakasam, Kadapa, Kurnool, Anantapur and Chittoor districts came above the state average in 2011 and those were below the state average in 2001. As many as 264 (57%) mandals have reported below the State average (943) child sex ratio in Telangana region, 154 (38%) mandals in Coastal Andhra and 161 (69%) mandals found lowest child sex ratio in Rayalaseema region in 2011 Census.