Page "Sex-selective abortion" Paragraph 7

Sex-selective abortion has been seen as worsening the sex ratio in India, affecting gender issues related to sex compositions of Indian households.

According to the decennial Indian census, the sex ratio in the 0-6 age group in India went from 104. 0 males per 100 females in 1981, to 105. 8 in 1991, to 107. 8 in 2001, to 109. 4 in 2011.

The ratio is significantly higher in certain states such as Punjab and Haryana ( 126. 1 and 122. 0, as of 2001 ).

The use of ultrasound and abortion for sex selection has been banned since 1994 in India and 1995 in China, however, there is evidence that such bans are rarely enforced, and numerous dedicated sex selection clinics operate in many regions of those countries.

The practice is most common among educated and wealthy residents, who are most likely to afford the procedure.

An article published in The Lancet analyzed Indian census data and concluded that selective abortion of female fetuses has increased in India over the past few decades due to increased prenatal sex discernment and has contributed to a widening imbalance in the child sex ratio, though the basis of the finding has been questioned.