First, the sex ratio of the population stands at 1,020 women for 1,000 men, a historic high and a major turnaround from 991:1,000 in NFHS 4 conducted in 2015-16. This should put paid to alarmism over India’s population — although this is still growing in a few States. There is also an intriguing mismatch between sex ratio at birth (SRB) and the sex ratio of the population, which the NFHS 5 researchers should explain. However, there is less dispute over the link between female education levels and reduced fertility. The rise in female education levels over the last decade or so is finally making its effects felt.

Source: The Hindu November 30, 2021 01:52 UTC