The sex ratio at birth in Delhi has dropped for the third year in a row, with 922 girls born for every 1,000 boys in 2023, down from 929 in 2022. This continuous decline has sparked concerns among health experts, who believe it could be linked to an increase in illegal pre-natal sex determination tests.

The Delhi government is now being urged to enforce stricter regulations to address this pressing issue.

These figures were revealed in the 'Annual Report on Registration of Births and Deaths in Delhi-2023,' published by the Directorate of Economics and Statistics. Despite the decrease in the sex ratio, Delhi's birth rate has shown slight improvement, rising from 14.24 per 1,000 people in 2022 to 14.66 in 2023. The death rate, however, also saw a marginal increase from 6.07 to 6.16 during this period.

Historically, Delhi's sex ratio has experienced fluctuations. In 2005, there were only 822 girls born for every 1,000 boys, but that number soared to 1,004 girls by 2008, possibly influenced by the introduction of the Ladli scheme by the Delhi government. However, the ratio slipped to 898 in 2015 before recovering to 933 in 2020. Unfortunately, since then, it has been in decline, reaching 922 in 2023.

Dr. Arun Yadav, a former hospital administrator, emphasized the need for stronger action to reverse this trend. He urged authorities to ensure that the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT) Act, which aims to prevent sex selection and regulate diagnostic techniques, is strictly enforced.

Gynaecologist Dr. Nancy Nagpal shared similar concerns, highlighting that some affluent families seek sex determination tests abroad. She pointed out that if the sex ratio is falling in Delhi, the situation in rural areas could be even more concerning.

To monitor the situation, Delhi has been tracking the sex ratio of institutional births monthly since 2004, gathering data from 100 major hospitals, which accounted for 71.7% of all registered births in 2023.

The infant mortality rate in Delhi decreased slightly from 23.82 per 1,000 live births in 2022 to 23.61 in 2023. The maternal mortality rate also saw a minor improvement, dropping from 0.49 to 0.45 per 1,000 live births. In total, 3,15,087 births were registered in 2023, a rise from 3,00,350 in 2022, averaging 863 births per day. Most births, 64.56%, took place in government hospitals, with 86.21% occurring in urban areas.

In nearly all births (99.68%), a doctor, nurse, or trained midwife was present, with only 0.01% of births relying on relatives or others for assistance.

The report also provided insights into the age of mothers, with 42.95% of births to women aged 25-29, followed by 24.71% to women aged 30-34. Additionally, Delhi saw an average of 363 deaths per day in 2023, compared to 351 in 2022. The leading causes of death included septicaemia (17.3%), shock (10.6%), liver diseases (4.73%), heart and pulmonary issues (4.65%), and hypertension (4.63%).

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