Sex ratio at birth and in all ages in rural areas is better than in urban areas. Releasing the Annual Health Survey results of nine states in New Delhi, Health Secretary K. Chandramouli said that urban areas are recording a decline in female birth rate. The survey was carried out in the states of Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Assam, Jharkhand, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, Orissa and Chhattisgarh – during July 2010-March 2011. These 9 states which account for about 48 per cent of the total population in the country are the high focus states in view of their relatively higher fertility and mortality indicators.