Election Commission of India (ECI) data could be bringing out a stark reality on the issues of declining births and migration to urban areas in Karnataka. The electoral list available for the State is showing that some districts are reporting a sharp decline in the birth rate, or migration which has been reflected in the elector-population (EP) ratio.
The assessment of the birth rate came after the Election Commission found the EP ratio in several districts far higher than the State or the national average. While the current State ratio is 70.16, the national is 66.76 (February 2024).
The EP ratio is the total number of registered voters against the projected population since the 2011 Census.
The trend has continued after the EP ratio was initially noticed during the final electoral rolls ahead of the 2023 Assembly elections. The latest publication of the final electoral rolls was in January 2025.
Chikkamagaluru where the EP ratio was found to be the highest in the State with 85.84 was a case example for the Election Commission, which after a study found that the birth rate in the Malnad district was far too low.
