The table compares the number of females per 100 males in six regions of the world – Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, Central America and Oceania – in 1995 and 2005.
Overall, Asia recorded the highest female-to-male ratio in both years. While most regions experienced a decline over the period, Africa and Europe showed slight increases.
In 1995, Asia had the highest ratio at 105.3 females per 100 males, followed by Oceania with 103.9. North America and Central America were almost equal at around 100. In contrast, Africa and Europe reported lower figures, at 97.8 and 89.4 respectively, with Europe having the lowest ratio among all regions.
By 2005, Asia remained the leading region despite a marginal decrease to 104.9. Oceania saw a more notable decline, falling by about four points to 99.8. Both North America and Central America dropped to below 100, at 96.9 and 97.5 respectively. Meanwhile, Africa and Europe experienced modest growth, rising to 99.2 and 92.8 in that order.