The report presents a broad overview of gender-related trends across population, education, health, employment and decision-making in India.
Key Highlights of the Report
- Population
- Sex ratio at birth: Improved from 904 in 2017-19 to 917 in 2021-23.
- Arunachal Pradesh has highest sex ratio (1085), while Jharkhand (899) is at the bottom.
- Population Growth: India’s average annual exponential population growth follows an inverted U-shape, peaking in 1971–81 and declining thereafter.
- Sex ratio at birth: Improved from 904 in 2017-19 to 917 in 2021-23.
- Health
- Maternal Mortality Ratio: Significant decline from 254 in 2004-06 to 88 in 2021-23.
- Total Fertility Rate: TFR in urban areas has shown a decline between 2019 to 2023 (Urban-1.5 and Rural-2.1).
- Education
- Literacy Rate: There is a 14.4 percentage point gender gap in literacy rates in India (Male- 84.7% and Female- 70.3%).
- Gross Enrolment Ratio: The Female GER exceeds the Male GER at all levels of school education.
- Participation in Economy
- Worker Population Ratio (Aged 15 and above): In 2025, it is 76.6% for males and 38.8% for females.
- Female Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR): Increased from 37.5% to 45.9% in rural areas.
- Participation in Decision Making
- Voter Turnout: Female voter turnout surpassed male turnout in the 2019 and 2024 General Elections.
- Representation of Women in Parliament: As of 2025, women constitute 13.65% of MPs and hold 9.86% of ministerial portfolios.
