Data from the recently published NFHS-5 report indicates that the All-India sex ratio crossed 1000 for the first time. Data also indicates an improvement in sex ratio at birth. However, the SRS reports present different numbers. Here is a review of this divergence. The key findings of Phase-II of the fifth edition of the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5), covering 14 states/UTs were released recently by the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare. The findings of NFHS-5 in respect of 22 States & UTs covered in Phase-I were released in December 2020. The second phase of the survey, covering the states of Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, and others was held during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. The survey is significant as it provides some of the most critical information on the demographic, health, nutrition, and socio-economic status of people in the country. The findings of the survey help in monitoring the progress, ascertaining the progress with respect to the Sustainable Development Goals, identification of the areas that require intervention, and in decision-making & policy formulation. For the first time, the number of women is more than the number of men, according to NFHS-5 Numerous media reports have stated that the findings of the survey point towards a demographic shift in India. This is because, for the first time in the country, ever since the NFHS survey exercise began in 1992, the proportion of women in the country was higher than that of men. The sex ratio is defined as the number of females per 1000 males in the population. For every 1000 men, there were 1,020 women at an All-India level, as per the findings of NFHS-5. The sample size of the NFHS 5 survey is 6.1 lakh households. The ratio is an important social indicator that helps measure the extent of prevailing equity between males and females in a society at a given point in time. According to NFHS-5, the sex ratio was more than 1000 in 23 states and UTs. In other words, there were more women than men in these 23 states while the sex ratio was below 950 in 6 states/UTs including Delhi, Punjab, and Haryana. As per NFHS-4 carried out in 2015-16, the All-India sex ratio was 991. A total of 18 states/UTs had a sex ratio of more than 1000 in the previous survey while Haryana and Delhi reported a sex ratio of less than 900 in NFHS-4. The sex ratio has increased by 29 points from NFHS-4 Compared to NFHS-4, the sex ratio has increased by 29 points in a period of around 5 years. Across states, this difference in sex ratio varies by 165 points in Lakshadweep, 72 points in Kerala, and more than 50 points each in Haryana, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Delhi. On the other hand, the sex ratio fell by 38 points in Himachal Pradesh, while in Ladakh and Kashmir, the sex ratio fell by 29 and 23 points respectively. TFR has dropped to below replacement level Another important finding from the NFHS-5 is about the Total Fertility Rate (TFR). TFR is defined as the average number of children that would be born to a woman if she experiences the current fertility pattern throughout her reproductive span (15-49 years). As per NFHS-5, the All-India TFR reduced from 2.2 to 2.0 which is below the replacement level of 2.1. This is because, a TFR of less than 2.1 implies that a woman has an average of two children over a lifetime and that the existing generation of people will get replaced over the years, without any substantial increase in population. If the Fertility rate further declines, the population will also decline over years. Despite the reduced TFR, the child sex ratio indicates that the probability of survival of a male child is more than the female. Sex ratio at birth improved from 919 in NFHS-4 to 929 in NFHS-5 The sex ratio at birth is the number of females per 1,000 males born in the last five years. This is a very vital indicator to understand the underlying abnormalities which are leading to an imbalanced sex ratio. If the sex ratio at birth improves, then it would surely lead to an increase in the overall sex ratio in each age group. As per NFHS-5, the sex ratio at birth has improved from 919 in NFHS-4 to 929 in NFHS-5, an increase of 10 points. Except for Tripura, Ladakh, and Lakshadweep, all states and UTs have a child sex ratio of less than 1000. The difference in sex ratio at birth in NFHS-4 & NFHS-5 reveals a huge difference Comparison of the sex ratio at birth in NFHS-4 & NFHS-5 reveals a huge difference across states. Delhi has reported improvement in the child sex ratio from 812 to 923, an increase of 111 points. The sex ratio at birth in Ladakh, Lakshadweep, Sikkim, and Puducherry have also increased by more than 100 points. In Kerala, the ratio fell by 96 points and in Tamil Nadu by 76 points.