Chandigarh: Punjab has recorded a slight improvement in its sex ratio at birth this year, but fresh health department figures show that progress remains uneven, with a majority of districts in the Malwa belt witnessing a decline.
Official data for 2025 places Punjab’s sex ratio at birth at 924 girls for every 1,000 boys, reflecting only a marginal increase from 922 recorded in 2024. Despite the rise, the state continues to remain below the national average of 928, underlining the persistent challenge of gender imbalance.
The latest district-wise figures show that 14 out of Punjab’s 23 districts have registered lower ratios compared to last year, with Malwa accounting for 10 of those districts.
The Doaba region once again delivered the strongest performance. Nawanshahr topped the state with 964 female births per 1,000 male births, closely followed by Hoshiarpur at 962, reflecting relatively better gender balance in the region.
Among border districts, results were mixed. Fazilka maintained its ratio at 932, while Pathankot posted a noticeable improvement, climbing from 911 in 2024 to 926 this year. However, Amritsar and Tarn Taran both registered slight declines, indicating inconsistent progress across border areas.
The Malwa belt remained the state’s most concerning region. Districts including Ludhiana, Patiala, Barnala, Moga and Mansa reported worsening numbers, reinforcing concerns over social practices that continue to favour male children.
Muktsar emerged as Punjab’s weakest-performing district with a sex ratio of 891. Mohali and Fatehgarh Sahib followed closely at 893 each.
Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s home district Sangrur also remained among the poorer performers. The district’s ratio has steadily dropped over the past three years, falling from 918 in 2023 to 901 last year and further down to 896 in 2025.
Even Malerkotla, the state’s only Muslim-majority district and previously one of the better performers, witnessed a decline from 956 to 952.
Punjab Health Department officials said surveillance efforts remain active. Dr Aditi Salaria, Director of Health and Family Welfare, stated that no formal complaints related to female foeticide or violations under the PC-PNDT Act had been reported so far this year.
She said authorities are regularly reviewing antenatal registrations, monitoring abortion-related data and holding meetings with civil surgeons to track trends and improve accountability.
Awareness drives under the ‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao’ campaign are also being conducted across schools, hospitals, community health centres and Aam Aadmi Clinics to address social bias and encourage equal treatment of girls.
Punjab has historically struggled with one of India’s most skewed gender ratios, driven by deep-rooted son preference, inheritance concerns, dowry pressures and misuse of prenatal sex determination technologies. The latest figures suggest that while awareness efforts are showing results in some regions, the battle for lasting social change is far from over.
