The Data Point is a bi-weekly newsletter in which The Hindu’s data team decodes the numbers behind today’s biggest stories.
(This article is a part of the Data Points newsletter curated by The Hindu’s data team. To get the newsletter delivered to your inbox, subscribe to Here,
On April 18, 2023, the India’s Supreme Court begins hearing petitions seeking to legalize same-sex marriage Under the Special Marriage Act The Special Marriage Act of 1954 provides a civil form of marriage for couples who cannot marry under their own personal law.
While the main petitioners in the case, Supriyo and Abhay Dang, argue that non-recognition of same-sex marriage amounts to discrimination that strikes at the root of dignity and self-fulfillment of LGBTQIA+ couples, several religious bodies and non-governmental organizations Have run for this. The court claimed that the Indian society was not ready for the legalization of such marriages. Their justifications range from issues such as the definition of “marriage” to the “psychological effect” that growing up with two men or two women as parents will have on the children.
The central government has also taken a stand against marriage equality, stating that such a decision lies within the purview of Parliament and not the judiciary and that the petition reflects urban elitist views and will not be accepted by the general public.
Attitude towards homosexuality in India
While the central government claimed that the legalization of same-sex marriages only voiced “urban elite views”, data showed that urban elites were no more accepting of same-sex relationships than the rural poor. According to a survey conducted by CSDS-Lokniti and Azim Premji University in 2019, only 19% of respondents believed that same-sex relationships should be accepted, while 55% disagreed. About 25% did not give any opinion on the subject. Notably, 59% of respondents from urban areas disagreed with accepting same-sex relationships in India, while 53% from rural areas were against such relationships.
Additionally, the share of respondents who strongly disagreed with society accepting same-sex couples increased by 6 percentage points, from 47% among the poor to 53% among the upper class.
All religious groups had negative attitudes towards gay marriage. Over 70% of Christian respondents disapproved of same-sex relationships, while 50% of Muslims held the same opinion. The share of Hindus and Sikhs was 40%. Notably, acceptance of same-sex relationships was highest among Hindus (22%).
Worldwide
While attitudes towards homosexuality, same-sex relationships and marriages vary somewhat among groups in Indian society, the government’s position against gay marriage is not unique, as only 34 countries have legalized marriage between same-sex couples, even though 133 Countries decriminalized homosexuality.
In 2022, more than 6.77 billion people worldwide will be living in countries where same-sex marriage is not legal, while only 1.21 billion will be living in countries where it is legal.
According to a 2020 survey by the Pew Research Center, Western Europe and the US were generally more accepting of homosexuality than Eastern Europe, Russia, Ukraine, West Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa. Religious beliefs, political attitudes, and the economic status of a country all factor into people’s attitudes toward homosexuality, let alone same-sex marriages.
In 2002, the share of people who accepted homosexuality in America was 51%. This share increased to 72% in 2019. Notably, although South Africa and India had a relatively low share of people who accepted homosexuality, their acceptance rates had increased significantly over time. For example, in 2002, 33% of respondents in South Africa accepted homosexuality, while by 2019 this had risen to 54%. In 2013, only 15% of people in India accepted homosexuality. This share increased by 22 percentage points to 37% in 2019. indicating a rapid change in attitudes towards homosexuality.
In Latin American countries such as Argentina and Brazil, there has been a significant increase in the share of people who accept homosexuality. In Argentina, the share of those who believed that homosexuality should be accepted by society increased by 10 percentage points. It increased from 66% in 2002 to 76% in 2019 in the country. In Brazil, this share increased from 61% in 2011 to 67% in 2019. But a 2014 survey by the Pew Research Center found that people in Latin America were less accepting of same-sex marriage. While 45% in Brazil and 52% in Argentina accepted same-sex marriage, in eight Latin American countries including Honduras, Paraguay and Ecuador, more than 70% did not accept marriage equality.
In the case of Europe, while more than 75% of people in countries such as the Netherlands, Sweden, France and Spain accept the gay community, Eastern European countries were less tolerant of homosexuality. In countries such as Poland, Ukraine, Slovakia, Lithuania and Hungary, less than 35% accept the community.
Religious belief is a major factor in influencing attitudes towards homosexuality in Eastern Europe. According to a 2019 survey by the Pew Research Center, the religion’s repulsion towards same-sex couples is reflected in their attitudes towards them, with major parts of the population identifying as Catholic in Poland, Lithuania, Hungary and Croatia. Is. In Croatia, Poland and Hungary more than 60% of Catholics were against same-sex marriage. The share was more than 80% among Catholics from Latvia, Belarus and Lithuania.
Countries such as Tunisia and Nigeria have the lowest level of tolerance for homosexuality among African countries, with less than 10% of people accepting it. According to a survey conducted by Afrobarometer, of the 23 African countries analyzed in 2019-20, more than 70% of people in 18 countries, including Tunisia, Morocco, Kenya and Uganda, were intolerant of same-sex neighbors. Senegal topped the list, with 98% strongly disliking having a gay neighbor.
Asian countries follow African countries in intolerance towards homosexuality. The Pew Research Center survey also showed that only 9% of people in Indonesia were accepting of homosexuality in 2019. In Turkey, this share was 25%, while in Lebanon the acceptance of homosexuality was 13%. In particular, the Philippines stood out, as homosexuality rose from close to 65% in 2002 to 73% in 2019. Japan also fared quite well, with 68% accepting the gay community in 2019.
Cultural beliefs and the influence of monotheistic religions that colonized Asian and African nations are a significant factor in the different views and attitudes toward homosexuality in these continents.
fortnightly statistics
- 142.86 crores According to the data released by the United Nations, India’s projected population by the middle of 2023 is ahead of China’s by 142.57 crore. With 2.9 million more people in the country, India is expected to overtake China as the world’s most populous country. Contrary to alarm bells about rising numbers, population trends point to slower growth and aging societies everywhere. Two-thirds of people now live in a country where lifetime fertility has coincided with zero growth, with only eight countries accounting for half of the projected increase in global population by 2050.
- ₹14.6 lakh crore The project is worth investing in India in the fourth quarter (January-March) of 2023. The quarter saw the highest ever investment, driven by private sector outlays, which reached an all-time high of ₹10.5 lakh crore. The record growth is led by manufacturing investment, with total new investment projects announced in India during a fiscal year reaching a new peak of ₹37 lakh crore in 2022-23.
- 6.03% Growth in total merchandise exports was projected at $447.46 billion in 2022-23, while the import bill grew by 16.5% to $714 billion. In March, India’s merchandise exports contracted for the second month in a row, falling 13.9% to $38.38 billion, while imports fell 7.9% to $58.11 billion. According to the commerce ministry, the goods trade deficit is set to widen by nearly 40% to $266 billion in 2022-23 as compared to $190 billion in 2021-22.
- 754 Indians stranded in war-torn Sudan were evacuated under Operation Kaveri and brought back to India on April 28, 2023. While 392 people arrived in New Delhi in a C-17 heavy-lift aircraft of the Indian Air Force, another batch of 362 Indians were brought to Bengaluru. According to official figures, the total number of Indians repatriated now stands at 1,360. Indians have been rescued from conflict zones in Khartoum and other areas in buses to Port Sudan. Sudan is witnessing deadly fighting between the country’s army and a paramilitary group that has left nearly 400 people dead.
- 5.66% India’s consumer inflation in March 2023 slipped below the 6% mark for the first time in 2023 – and only the third time in the past 15 months. The decline was aided by base effects, as the same month last year recorded a price increase of nearly 7%. March inflation levels were last seen in December 2021, after which prices rose faster than the central bank’s upper tolerance limit of 6% for ten consecutive months.
chart of the week
The chart shows all the days between 1952 and 2023 when Kolkata recorded a maximum temperature of 40 °C or more. (Red cross) indicates April, (Peach cross) indicates May and (Blue cross) indicates June. In previous years, days touching/crossing the 40 degree Celsius mark used to come in May or June. Only once in 2016 did the temperature reach 40 °C in April. But by April 18 in 2023, three times the temperature had crossed the 40 degree Celsius mark. This is important because temperatures gradually reach a peak in late April or early May. Whereas in April 2023, the record temperature was recorded around the middle of April, indicating that more warm temperatures are already being recorded earlier this year.
To know more about heat wave in different states of India visit this Story
remembering
As Karnataka prepares for its state elections this year, the data team analyzed the state’s electoral patterns over the years. data point titledata | BJP had an edge in recent bipolar contests in Karnataka”, published on April 22, 2023, reveals that in the 2018 Karnataka Assembly elections, 77% of the seats saw bipolar contests, which meant that only two parties were effectively contesting in those constituencies. This marked a change from the 2013 and 2008 elections when less than 50% of the seats saw bipolar contests. The bipolar contests benefited the BJP, which came to power in the state that year. This is not exclusive to Karnataka as Uttar Pradesh also showed a similar pattern in the 2022 state elections. data point title, “data | BJP benefits from bipolar contest in Uttar Pradesh elections”, published on March 16, 2022, shows that UP saw bipolar contests in more than 70% of the seats as compared to only 7.4% seats in 2002, also shows that BJP gets the most from bipolar contests While the Samajwadi Party is leading in non-bipolar seats. In general, multi-cornered fights involving more than three parties have become rare in the country.
Thanks for reading this week’s edition of the Data Points newsletter! click to subscribe Here, please send your feedback rebecca.varghese@thehindu.co.in