Sex Ratio UPSC relevant
In Indian census usage, the sex ratio is the number of females per 1,000 males in the population (note: this is the inverse of the males-per-100-females convention used in many countries).
It is computed directly from the age-sex data of Population Enumeration and is published at every level from national down to village/ward. The 2011 Census recorded an overall sex ratio of 943 females per 1,000 males. The 2027 enumeration (reference date March 1, 2027) will give India its first census-based sex ratio in 16 years, against which survey-based estimates (SRS, NFHS) can be benchmarked — a longer inter-census gap than at any time since the synchronous series began in 1881, which raises the stakes for this indicator.