Maharashtra (a large, economically dominant state on India's western coast) recorded a sex ratio of just 899 girls per 1,000 boys in 2022–24, placing it among the five worst-performing Indian states and well below the national average of 918, according to the latest Sample Registration System Statistical Report. Urban areas were a particular concern, with the city sex ratio falling sharply to 885 girls per 1,000 boys — offsetting meaningful gains made in rural parts of the state, and bucking the national trend where urban areas generally fare better than rural ones. The figures highlight persistent gender-biased sex selection in one of India's wealthiest states, even as Maharashtra showed progress on other health indicators, including a falling infant mortality rate and a low fertility rate of 1.4 children per woman.