Women and Men in India 2024

ମୁଖ୍ୟ ଆକର୍ଷଣ

The Women & Men in India 2024 report, the 26th edition of this annual publication, was released by the Social Statistics Division of the National Statistical Office under the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, Government of India. It brings together data on gender from multiple official sources to present a statistical picture of how women and men fare across population trends, health, education, work, and participation in public life.

Framed as a tool for evidence-based policymaking, the report tracks the “minimum set of gender indicators” identified by the UN Statistical Commission, reflecting a growing reliance on quantified measures to assess progress towards gender equality. Gender statistics, as the report suggests, are central to planning and governance rather than merely descriptive add-ons.

The publication presents sex-disaggregated data across a range of demographic and socio-economic dimensions, including health, education, economic participation, decision-making, violence against women, and other persistent challenges. Across these indicators, a mixed picture emerges. Women’s life expectancy continues to exceed that of men, and gender gaps in educational enrolment have narrowed in several categories. At the same time, women’s participation in paid work remains persistently low, particularly in urban areas. Time-use data included in the report offers partial visibility into the unequal distribution of unpaid domestic and care work, even as it underscores how much of women’s labour remains outside formal economic accounting.

The data also point to uneven progress. Outcomes vary sharply across states, between rural and urban areas, and across social groups, cautioning against interpretations that rely on national averages alone. Indicators related to health, employment, and empowerment point to deep structural constraints that continue to shape women’s lives, often in ways that statistics can only partially capture.

The report includes chapters linking gender outcomes to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), mapping the minimum set of gender indicators, and presenting selected “success stories” from government ministries and departments. This edition expands its scope to incorporate data on disease profiles and financial inclusion, aiming to broaden the coverage of gender-related indicators.

Running to 258 pages, the report is organised into nine sections: Overview (Chapter 1); Population (Chapter 2); Health (Chapter 3); Education (Chapter 4); Participation in Economy (Chapter 5); Participation in Decision Making (Chapter 6); Violence Against Women and Other Challenges (Chapter 7); Sustainable Development Goals & Gender (Chapter 8); Success Stories that changed Women’s Lives (Chapter 9).

    ଫ୍ୟାକ୍ଟଏଡସ

  1. India’s population increased from 36.1 crore in 1951 to 121.1 crore in 2011 and is projected to reach 152.2 crore by 2036. Women constituted 48.5 per cent of the total population in 2011 and are projected to account for 48.8 per cent by 2036. 

  2. The average annual population growth rate is expected to decline to about 0.6 per cent by 2036. At the same time, the proportion of the population aged 60 years and above is rising, increasing old-age dependency, the report notes. 

  3. Declining fertility rates have narrowed the base of the population pyramid, with fewer children, a growing working-age population, and an expanding elderly population. 

  4. The Sex Ratio at Birth (SRB), defined as the number of female births per 1,000 male births, improved from 943 in 2011 and is projected to reach 952 by 2036.

  5. The General Fertility Rate (GFR), measured as live births per 1,000 women aged 15–49 years, is higher among illiterate women than among literate women. The Age-Specific Fertility Rate (ASFR) peaks among women aged 20–29 years and declines sharply after the age of 35.

  6. Amongst all states, Kerala records the lowest gender gap in literacy, while Rajasthan records the highest.

  7. The Gender Parity Index (GPI), measuring the ratio of female to male enrolment in schools, remains close to parity at the primary and higher secondary levels. In higher education, women are concentrated in disciplines such as Arts, Education, and Medical Sciences. 

  8. The Female Labour Force Participation Rate (FLFPR), defined as the proportion of persons aged 15 years and above who are working or seeking work, increased from 23.3 per cent in 2017 to 41.7 per cent in 2023–24. This rise was driven largely by increased participation among rural women. Despite higher participation, rural women continue to earn the lowest wages and they work mostly in low-paid agricultural and informal work.

  9. Women own 39.2 per cent of all bank accounts and hold 39.7 per cent of total deposits, with their highest participation recorded in rural areas. 

  10. The proportion of women among the Central Council of Ministers has declined in recent years, reaching 9.72 per cent in 2024. In Panchayati Raj Institutions, women constitute 46.6 per cent of total elected representatives, reflecting near parity due to reservation policies, the report notes. 

  11. The total number of electors increased from 173.2 million in 1952 to 978.0 million in 2024. Female voter turnout reached 67.2 per cent in 2019 and declined slightly to 65.8 per cent in 2024. The gender gap in voting has narrowed, with female turnout surpassing male turnout in 2024.

  12. While cases of assault on women with intent to outrage modesty and rape declined between 2017 and 2022, NFHS-5 data show that 31.9 per cent of married women aged 18–49 years who participated in the survey reported experiencing intimate partner violence from their husbands.


    Focus and Factoids by Sharati Roy. 

    PARI Library's health archive project is part of an initiative supported by the Azim Premji University to develop a free-access repository of health-related reports relevant to rural India.

ଲେଖକ

Social Statistics Division, National Statistical Office, Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, Government of India, New Delhi

କପିରାଇଟ୍

Social Statistics Division, National Statistical Office, Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, Government of India, New Delhi

ପ୍ରକାଶନ ତାରିଖ

ଫେବୃୟାରୀ, 2024

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#population #health #education #gender-inequality #gender-based-violence

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