Guwahati : Assam has recorded significant improvement in its sex ratio at birth, with the state registering 946 female births per 1,000 male births during 2022-24, surpassing the national average of 918, according to recently released Central government data.

The figures show that the sex ratio at birth in Assam stood at 943 in rural areas and 971 in urban areas during the three-year period. The state had earlier recorded a sex ratio at birth of 938 during 2021-23, including 936 in rural areas and 961 in urban regions, indicating a steady improvement across both rural and urban Assam.

Among states, Chhattisgarh recorded the highest sex ratio at birth at 978 females per 1,000 males, followed by Kerala at 974, while Uttarakhand registered the lowest ratio at 872. The report also highlighted progress in fertility indicators in Assam. The Total Fertility Rate (TFR) in the state declined to 1.9 in 2024 from 2.2 in 2018, matching the national average.

The TFR in rural Assam stood at 2.1 in 2024, while urban Assam recorded a significantly lower figure of 1.3. Data showed that Assam’s TFR had remained at 2.2 in 2018 and 2019 before declining to 2.1 in 2020. It remained unchanged for the next two years before dropping to 2.0 in 2023 and further to 1.9 in 2024.

In rural Assam, the TFR declined from 2.4 in 2018 to 2.1 in 2024, while urban TFR decreased from 1.6 to 1.3 during the same period. At the national level, Bihar recorded the highest TFR at 2.9, while Delhi reported the lowest at 1.2.

The report noted that India’s overall TFR has now fallen below the replacement level of 2.1, with several states and Union Territories also recording fertility rates below replacement level, including Assam. The Gross Reproduction Rate (GRR) in Assam was recorded at 1 in 2024, while the national average stood at 0.9.

The report further stated that institutional deliveries remained high in Assam. In 2024, around 85.7 per cent of deliveries in the state took place in government hospitals, including 87.3 per cent in rural areas and 73.2 per cent in urban regions.

An additional 8.7 per cent of deliveries occurred in private hospitals, with the share higher in urban areas at 25.7 per cent compared to 6.6 per cent in rural Assam.

The General Fertility Rate (GFR) in Assam stood at 65.5 overall, including 69.6 in rural areas and 43.6 in urban areas, while the Crude Birth Rate was recorded at 19.6 against the national average of 18.3.

The report also showed variations in fertility rates based on women’s educational attainment. Illiterate women in Assam recorded a TFR of 2.8 in 2024, while women educated up to Class 10 had a TFR of 1.5. Women who were graduates and above recorded a TFR of 1.7.

The data reflects a broader demographic transition in Assam, with improvements in gender balance at birth and a continuing decline in fertility rates across the state.