New Delhi , India ( CNN ) -- Indians ' preference for sons over daughters has manifested itself in a worrisome population imbalance in the world 's second-most populous nation , according to a preliminary census report released this week . The 2011 census recorded an alarming drop in the percentage of girls among India 's preschoolers . For every 1,000 boys aged up to 6 years old , the report counted 914 girls , a drop from 927 a decade ago . That 's the lowest ratio since India gained independence in 1947 , said the preliminary census . It 's illegal in India to abort a child just because of its sex , but such abortions happen , often aided by illegal clinics . `` The reasons for high number of incidence of female feticide in India include a deep-rooted traditional son preference , continued practice of dowry and concern for safety of the girl child and exploitation and abuse of women and girl children , '' India 's Women and Child Development Minister Krishna Tirath told Parliament last month . To try to restore balance , several Indian states have announced incentives for the birth of baby girls and have criminalized sex-selective abortions , she said . Tirath also stressed that socio-economic empowerment of women is essential to help them make informed decisions and change their mind sets . Among Indian adults , the ratio of men to women has taken a slightly positive turn for females . There are now 940 women to every 1,000 men , compared to 933 in the previous census , taken in 2001 . India 's population grew 17 percent in the last decade and now stands at 1.21 billion , the report said . That 's more than the United States , Indonesia , Brazil , Pakistan , Bangladesh and Japan put together . While the growth rate was slower than in the 2001 census , forecasters predict India will surpass China as the most-populated nation in the world by 2030 .
A new census in India counts 1,000 girls under a decade ago per every 914 boys that age . That 's a drop from age 6 and the lowest ratio in modern India 's history . Gender-based abortions are a problem in India due to cultural concerns .