In the Indian state of Haryana, the Health Ministry is looking into data from 120 fertility clinics to understand how effective their campaign against the elimination of girls before birth has been. Haryana is known for having one of the most imbalanced ratios of girls to boys in the world.
Typically, there are about 104 to 106 boys born for every 100 girls. However, this ratio changes due to higher natural mortality rates for boys under one year old. By adulthood, there are slightly more women than men, except in Asia and some Balkan countries where girls are often eliminated before or after birth.
There are various ways to eliminate girls before birth. Parents can choose the sex of their child by sorting sperm or embryos before they are implanted. After pregnancy begins, blood tests can identify the sex chromosomes of the embryo. More invasive methods like amniocentesis can also determine the sex. The easiest way to find out the gender is through an ultrasound starting at around 16 weeks of pregnancy.
In India, some states have a ratio of 115 boys for every 100 girls, while states like Kerala have a more balanced population. Although sex-selective testing was banned in 1994, wealthier families still find ways to have it done. This issue is especially prevalent in Haryana, where recent government data shows that the birth ratio fell to 910 girls for every 1,000 boys in 2024, down from 916 the previous year. A major census in 2011 recorded a shocking ratio of just 834 girls for every 1,000 boys.
In neighboring China, the gender imbalance was similarly high, with a ratio of 115.3 boys for every 100 girls in 2023, despite the end of the one-child policy in 2015. South Korea experienced a peak gender ratio of 116 boys for every 100 girls in 1991 but has since returned to a more normal balance.
Since the 1990s, countries like Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Albania have seen rising gender imbalances similar to those in India. In Armenia, the government is aware of the impact this has had on their population, stating that around 80,000 girls have “never been born,” which affects their demographic balance.
Even after migrating, some families continue these practices, leading to an estimated shortage of 1,400 to 4,700 girls in England and Wales. France, however, seems to be less affected by this issue. In the Netherlands, revealing the sex of a fetus during ultrasound for medical reasons is prohibited, but some clinics offer “fun” ultrasounds for commercial purposes starting as early as 13 weeks into the pregnancy.
The UN Population Fund (UNFPA) has identified three common reasons for the elimination of girls in certain countries: a strong preference for sons, declining fertility rates, and access to medical technologies that allow gender selection. In many Asian countries, cultural practices reinforce this preference, making families view daughters as financial burdens instead of assets.
To combat this issue, it’s crucial to have accurate statistics. In India, over half of children are not registered, making it difficult to measure the problem accurately. Haryana has implemented new rules to limit the distribution of abortion pills outside approved facilities and to investigate clinics that perform more abortions than average.
The main reason for the elimination of girls is the societal preference for boys, which results in unequal treatment of men and women. The case of South Korea is a notable example; after 1990, as women became more educated and entered the workforce, sex-selective abortions declined significantly.
Efforts to address the issue continue, with organizations like UNICEF promoting the importance of civil registration at birth to improve data collection and support for girls.
This article has been translated and simplified by artificial intelligence from a French article “En Inde comme dans d’autres pays, les autorités se battent contre l’élimination des filles”
It may therefore contain errors. The French version is the reference version..