GUWAHATI: As per the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5) for 2019-20, there are 1,012 females for every 1,000 males in Assam. The data was released by the Union Health Ministry on the population, health, and nutrition for India on November 24.
As per the data, Assam’s sex ratio has improved as there are 1,012 females for every 1,000 males in Assam. Nationally too, the sex ratio is higher, with 1,020 females per 1,000 males.
In the past 5 years, 964 female children were born against every 1,000 male children. 28.3 percent of the total population of the State is below 15 years of age.
The neonatal mortality rate in Assam is 22.5 percent against the national, and the infant mortality rate is 31.9 percent.
The national survey found that 75.1 percent of women between 15-49 years in Assam are literate against the national average of 71.5 percent, while the literacy rate amongst men of the corresponding age is 81.6 percent against the national average of 84.4 percent.
It was found that 31.8 percent of women between the age of 20-24 years were married before attaining 18 years of age, and 21.8 percent of males between the age of 25-29 years were married before the legal age of 21 years.
Further, an average of 92.6 percent of the household in Assam have electricity, and 86 percent have improved drinking water sources.
The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, designated the International Institute for Population Sciences, Mumbai, as the nodal agency to conduct NFHS-5. The main objective of each successive round of the NFHS is to provide high-quality data on health and family welfare and emerging issues in Assam.
NFHS-5 fieldwork for Assam was conducted from 17 June 2019 to 21 December 2019. The information was gathered from 30,119 households, 34,979 women, and 4,973 men.