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Census of India 2011 – Highlights of Population Growth, literacy, Sex ratio & Demographic Facts – APSC Exam Notes

Geography Notes APSC, UPSC and State Exam Notes

 

Geography Notes

Census is a process of collecting, compiling, analyzing, evaluating, publishing and disseminating statistical data regarding the population. It covers demographic, social and economic data.

Population trend in India can be classified into 4 major periods:

1. 1891-1921 : Period of stagnant population.
2. 1921-1951 : Period of steady growth.
3. 1951-1981 : Period of high growth.
4. 1981-2011 : Period of declining rate.

First census in India

• Census operations started in India long back during the period of the Maurya dynasty. Modern systematic census was first conducted during 1865 to 1872.
• First synchronized census in India took place in 1881. Since 1901, it has been taking place after every decade.
• Census 2011 is the 15th Census, and 7th after Independence of India.

The slogan of census 2011 is “Our Census, Our Future”.

CENSUS OF INDIA 2011

• Total Population : 1,21,08,54,977
• Male : 62,32,70,258
• Females : 58,75,84, 719
• Density : 382 per sq km
• Adult Sex Ratio : 943
• Child Sex Ratio : 919
• Literacy rate : 73.0 %

Highlights & Important findings of Census 2011

Population

• Total population of India has reached to 121 crores. 17.7 per cent more than the figure in census 2011.
• There was an increase of 90.97 million males and increase of 90.99 million females. 
• India’s population decadal growth is 17.7 per cent during 2001-11, against 21.5 per cent in the previous decade’s growth rate.
• Male population 62.31 crores and Female population 58.74 crores. The growth rate of females was 18.3 per cent which is higher than males (17.1 per cent).
• 14 states and Union Territories have recorded population growth above 20 per cent.
• Among the major states, highest decadal growth in population has been recorded in Bihar (25.4%).

Largest States/UTs (in terms of population)

• Uttar Pradesh > Maharashtra > Bihar > West Bengal > Andhra Pradesh

Smallest States/UTs (in population)

• Sikkim > Daman and Diu > Dadra and Nagar Haveli > Andaman and Nicobar Islands >

District with most population

• Thane (Maharashtra) and North Twenty Four Paraganas ( Pashchim Banga)

District with least population

• Dibang Valley (Arunachal Pradesh) and Anjaw (Arunachal Pradesh)

 

Literacy

• As per the census 2011, the literacy rate in India in 2011 has increased by 8 per cent to 73 per cent, which was 64.8 per cent in 2001.
• Male literacy rate stands at 80.9 per cent, a 5.6 per cent growth in last decade.
• Female literacy rate stands at 64.6 per cent, a 10.9 per cent increase in the last decade.
• Top five states and UTs, where literacy rate is the highest, are Kerala (94 per cent), Lakshadweep (91.8 per cent), Mizoram (91.3 per cent), Goa (88.7 per cent) and Tripura (87.2).
• The bottom five states and UTs are Bihar (61.8 per cent), Arunachal Pradesh (65.4 per cent), Rajasthan (66.1 per cent), Jharkhand (66.4 per cent) and Andhra Pradesh (67 per cent).
• The highest increase took place in Dadra and Nagar Haveli by 18.6 points (from 57.6 per cent to 76.2 per cent), Bihar by 14.8 points (from 47.0 per cent to 61.8 per cent), Tripura by 14.0 points (from 73.2 per cent to 87.2 per cent)
• All the states and UTs recorded higher improvement in female literacy as compare to males literacy rate growth, except Mizoram (where it is same in both males and females) during 2001-11.

 

Density

• The density of population has also increased to 382 per sq km in 2011 from 325 per sq km in 2001.
• Among the major states, Bihar occupies the first position with a density of 1106. West Bengal occupied the first position in Census 2001.
• Delhi (11,320) turns out to be the most densely inhabited followed by Chandigarh (9,258), among all states and UT’s, both in 2001 and 2011 Census.
• The minimum population density works out in Arunachal Pradesh (17) for both 2001 and 2011 Census.

 

Sex ratio

• India’s sex ratio in 2011 is 940 female against 1000 males, a marginal increase from 933 in 2001 census.
• Kerala with sex ratio of 1,084 is the best state.
• Haryana with sex ratio of 879 is the worst male-female ratio among all states.

Top performing states in terms of sex ratio are

• Kerala (1,084)
• Tamil Nadu (996)
• Andhra Pradesh (993)
• Chhattisgarh (991)
• Odisha (979).

Among UT – Puducherry (1037)

Worst performers states are

• Haryana (879)
• Jammu and Kashmir (889 female)
• Punjab (895 females)
• Uttar Pradesh (912 females)
• Bihar (918 females).

Among UT – Daman & Diu (618) and Dadra and Nagar Haveli (774)

 

District with highest sex ratio

• Mahe, Puducherry (1176) and Almora, Uttarakhand (1142)

District with lowest sex ratio

• Daman, Daman & Diu (533) and Leh, Ladakh in J&K (583)

 

Child population

Child population in the age of 0 to 6 years has seen an slight increase of 0.4 per cent to 164.5 million in 2011 from 163.8 million in 2001. While in 17 states and UTs, the child population has declined in 2011 compared to data of census 2001.

In 2011, the child sex ratio (0-6) stands at 919 female against 1000 male in comparison to 927 females in 2001. This is an worrying 8 per cent decline in the sex ratio of 0-6 age group.

Male child (0-6) population has increased whereas female child population has decreased during 2001-11.

The best performing states in sex ratio of age group of 0 to 6 years are

• Chhattisgarh (969)
• Kerala (964)
• Assam (962)
• West Bengal (956)
• Jharkhand (948) and Karnataka (948).

Worst performing states in sex ratio of age group of 0 to 6 years are

• Haryana (834)
• Punjab (846)
• Jammu and Kashmir (862)
• Rajasthan (888) and
• Gujarat (890)

Eight states have proportion of child population more than 15 per cent – Jammu and Kashmir, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, and Meghalaya.

 

Religious Data

The religious data on India Census 2011 was released by the Government of India on 25 August 2015. For the first time, a “No religion” category was added in the 2011 census. 

HINDU
Population – 96.63 crore
Percentage Growth – 79.8%
Decadal Growth – 16.8%

MUSLIM
Population – 17.22 crore
Percentage Growth – 14.2%
Decadal Growth – 24.6%

CHRISTIAN
Population – 2.78 crore
Percentage Growth – 2.3%
Decadal Growth – 15.5%

SIKH
Population – 2.08 crore
Percentage Growth – 1.7%
Decadal Growth – 8.4%

BUDDHIST
Population – 0.84 crore
Percentage Growth – 0.7%
Decadal Growth – 6.1%

JAIN
Population – 0.45 crore
Percentage Growth – 0.4%
Decadal Growth – 5.4%

No Religion 2.87 million

“National Minority” status  – Six religions – Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists and Parsis.

Scheduled Castes (SC) / Scheduled Tribes (ST) data

Scheduled Castes are notified in 31 states and UTs and Scheduled Tribes in 30 states. There are altogether 1,241 individual ethnic groups, etc. notified as SC’s in different states and UT’s. The number of individual ethnic groups, etc. notified as ST’s is 705.

The SC population in India now stands at 201.4 million, which is 20 per cent more than the 2001 census.

The ST population stands at 104.3 million in 2011 – 23.7 per cent more than 2001 census.

Rural and urban population

• As per Census 2011, 83..35 crore persons live in rural area as compare to 37.71 crore persons live in urban areas.
• Urban population percentage reached 31.2 per cent in 2011 up from 17.3 per cent in 1951.
• Top five states in share of urban population are Goa (62.2 per cent), Mizoram (52.1 per cent), Tamil Nadu (48.4 per cent), Kerala (47.7 per cent) and Maharashtra (45.2 per cent).
• Highest proportion of urban population is in NCT Delhi (97.5 per cent).

Highest Sex Ratio

Highest Growth Rate