Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao: Impact Study Shows Significant Shift in Sex Ratio at Birth
New Delhi: India’s flagship campaign, Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao (BBBP), is showing tangible results in reversing historical gender imbalances. A new report titled “Policy Interventions and the Sex Ratio at Birth: Evidence from India” highlights that the government’s targeted efforts have successfully improved the odds of baby girls being born, particularly in districts where the initiative was first rolled out.
According to the findings, the program has been credited with an increase of approximately 15 additional girls for every 1,000 births. Perhaps most significantly, this progress is occurring exactly where social pressure has historically been the most intense: among families who already have a daughter.
Breaking the Cycle of Son Preference
The study provides compelling causal evidence that large-scale social behavioral interventions can indeed alter birth outcomes in a society long plagued by gender bias. Researchers observed that the impact was most pronounced in second or subsequent pregnancies. In households where the first child was a girl, the probability of the second child also being a girl rose by a substantial 3.7 to 5.3 percentage points. This translates to an estimated 37 to 53 more girls per 1,000 births in these specific families.
Interestingly, the data suggests that parental attitudes toward the first-born child remain largely neutral. Researchers found virtually no change in sex ratios among first-borns, suggesting that Indian families are generally accepting of either gender for their first child. The pressure to ensure a male heir typically mounts only after the birth of a daughter, and it is here that the BBBP campaign has made its most critical inroads.
National Trends and Regional Gains
On a national level, India has seen a steady rise in the sex ratio at birth (SRB), which has climbed from 919 girls per 1,000 boys in 2015-16 to approximately 930 currently, as reported by the official BBBP dashboard.
While the highest overall sex ratios continue to be recorded in states like Goa, Kerala, Mizoram, Chhattisgarh, and the Northeast states of Tripura and Arunachal Pradesh, the momentum of change is shifting. Some of the sharpest improvements over the last few years have been documented in regions such as Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, Ladakh, and Sikkim.
Mapping the Progress
The report notes a diverse landscape across India’s 757 districts. Currently, 26 districts have achieved a milestone of having more girls than boys at birth—reporting a sex ratio above 1,000. Additionally, 243 districts now sit in the positive range of 950 to 1,000, including regions like Udupi, Jaisalmer, Baramulla, and North Goa.
The study concludes that the success of the BBBP initiative lies in its multi-pronged approach—combining policy interventions, rigorous awareness campaigns, and grassroots community outreach. By fostering a more supportive environment for the girl child, these interventions appear to be successfully dismantling the deep-rooted cultural preference for sons, signaling a potential long-term shift in India’s demographic health.
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