Meghalaya Tops Female Fertility List

Shillong, Apr 8 : Sex ratio in matrilineal Meghalaya, which now stands at 986 females every 1,000 males, has risen up both at state and district levels, with the highest being in East Khasi Hills. This was revealed in the provisional population totals under Census 2011.

"Meghalaya has the highest fertility rate in the country," states the latest census report for the state which was released by deputy chief minister Rowell Lyngdoh here on Thursday.

"The sex ratio in East Khasi and Jaintia Hills is above the state average. In the rest of the districts, it is below," director of Census Operations (Meghalaya) KL Tariang sai. The latest census has revealed that the population of the state now stands at 2,964,007 1,492,668 females and 1,471339 males with a decadal growth rate of 27.82.

While East Khasi Hills has 413,699 females against 410,360 males, the corresponding figures for West Khasi Hills are 190,973 and 194628; West Garo Hills 318,023 and 324,900; East Garo Hills 156,246 and 161,372; South Garo Hills 69,252 and 73,322; Ri Bhoi 125,935 and 132,445 and Jaintia Hills 197,211 and 195,641.

"Sex ratio in Meghalaya was either higher or equal to male per thousand. From 1931, it had been slowing down until it started rising progressively from 1971. It reached 986 in 2011. By and large, Meghalaya has not been a gender critical state during the last 11 decades," the report notes.

The highest density of population is in East Khasi Hills with 292 persons per sq km and the least in West Khasi Hills with only 73 persons per sq km. Only East Khasi Hills and West Garo Hills have a density of population above the state average. In the rest of the districts, the density is below the state average. In South Garo Hills and West Khasi Hills, it is in two digits only.

Child population in the 0-6 age group has been found at 555,822 out a total population of 29,64,007, while the state's literacy rate has touched 75.48 per cent from 62.56 per cent in 2001. While male literacy has jumped to 77.17 per cent in 2011 from 65.43 per cent in 2001, the increase rate is from 59.61 per cent to 73.78 per cent among females. East Khasi Hills has the highest female literacy at 84.15 per cent and West Garo Hills has the lowest at 63.34 per cent. The literacy rate is also highest in East Khasi hill at 85.26 per cent, while it's lowest in Jaintia Hills.