India's sex ratio improves, Govt unveils gender-disaggregated data

The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) on Wednesday released the 27th edition of its publication, Women and Men in India 2025: Selected Indicators and Data, presenting a broad overview of gender-related trends across population, education, health, employment and decision-making in India. The publication was released at the National Deliberative Summit on “Data for Development” in Bhubaneswar and compiles gender-disaggregated data drawn from multiple ministries, departments and organisations.

According to the report, the sex ratio at birth improved at the all-India level from 904 in 2017-19 to 917 in 2021-23, indicating progress in female survival at birth. The report also recorded a sustained decline in infant mortality rates for both girls and boys between 2008 and 2023.
In education, the publication said gender parity has been achieved across all levels of school education from primary to higher secondary. It also noted an improvement in Gross Enrolment Ratio in higher education, rising from 28.5 to 30.2 for females and from 28.3 to 28.9 for males between 2021-22 and 2022-23. On labour force participation, the report pointed to gains for both men and women aged 15 and above, with rural women recording the sharpest rise. Female labour force participation in rural areas increased from 37.5 per cent to 45.9 per cent between 2022 and 2025, it said. The publication also highlighted a rise in women in managerial roles, noting a 102.54 per cent increase between 2017 and 2025, compared with a 73.80 per cent increase among men. 
MoSPI said the report includes metadata for 50 key indicators to improve understanding of concepts, definitions and methodologies underlying the data, and is intended to support policymakers and researchers in designing gender-responsive policies. The report presents several indicators by rural-urban classification and state-wise distribution, offering insights into evolving gender disparities and development trends across the country.