The Statistics Ministry released the 27th edition of Women and Men in India 2025: Selected Indicators and Data at the National Deliberative Summit on Data for Development in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, on 29 April 2026. The publication compiles official gender-disaggregated statistics to present the status of women and men across population, education, health, economic participation, decision-making, violence against women and other gender-related issues. Metadata for 50 key indicators has been added to clarify concepts, definitions, sources and methods behind the statistics.
The publication presents several indicators by rural-urban classification, state and Union Territory, and over time where available. This is intended to help policymakers, researchers and stakeholders understand changing gender disparities and development trends. The evidence can inform gender-responsive policies and programmes for inclusive and sustainable development.
Key highlights show improvement in several indicators. The sex ratio at birth at the all-India level rose from 904 in 2017-19 to 917 in 2021-23, indicating improved survival of females. Infant mortality for both female and male infants recorded a sustained decline between 2008 and 2023. Gender parity has been achieved across school education from primary to higher secondary level. In higher education, gross enrolment ratio improved from 28.5 to 30.2 for females and from 28.3 to 28.9 for males between 2021-22 and 2022-23. Labour force participation rate for ages 15 and above rose for both men and women; rural females saw the highest increase, from 37.5 percent to 45.9 percent during 2022 to 2025. Women in managerial positions increased by 102.54 percent between 2017 and 2025, compared with 73.80 percent for men.