Demographics refer to statistical data relating to the population in a region. This covers various factors like population growth rate, the percentage of different age groups within the population, the literacy rates, the sex ratio, urban-rural population ratios, etc. A decent knowledge of this information will help in understanding the problems faced by the country. Social development and demographics are important topics in the UPSC civil services mains exam. It is also an important part of economic development. These are important topics in GS papers II and III. This article gives you a few statistical data that will aid you in your UPSC exam preparation.
Population of India
| Total population | Around 1.38 billion
Around 1.22 billion (as per census 2011) |
| World rank in population | 2 |
| Percentage of the world population | 17.71% |
| Population density | 464 per sq. km |
| Growth rate | 0.99% |
| Median age: Total | Total: 28.1 years |
| Male: 27.5 years | |
| Female: 28.9 years | |
| Infant mortality rate | 26.6 deaths per 1000 live births |
| Under – 5 mortality rate | 32.9 deaths per 1000 live births |
| Life expectancy at birth | Total: 70.42 years |
| Male: 69.2 years | |
| Female: 71.8 years | |
| Rural population | Around 65% |
| Urban population | Around 35% |
The population of India by state (UTs not included)
Given below is the population of various Indian states as per the Census 2011:
| Â | Most populated | Population | Â | Least populated | Population |
| 1 | Uttar Pradesh | 199,812,341 | 1 | Sikkim | 610,577 |
| 2 | Maharashtra | 112,374,333 | 2 | Mizoram | 1,097,206 |
| 3 | Bihar | 104,099,452 | 3 | Arunachal Pradesh | 1,383,727 |
| 4 | West Bengal | 91,276,115 | 4 | Goa | 1,458,545 |
| 5 | Madhya Pradesh | 72,626,809 | 5 | Nagaland | 1,980,602 |
Â
Population density (persons per sq. km) by state (UTs not included)
| Highest | Density | Â | Least | Density | |
| 1 | Bihar | 1106 | 1 | Arunachal Pradesh | 17 |
| 2 | Â West Bengal | 1028 | 2 | Mizoram | 52 |
| 3 | Kerala | 859 | 3 | Sikkim | 86 |
| 4 | Uttar Pradesh | 828 | 4 | Nagaland | 119 |
| 5 | Â Haryana | 573 | 5 | Manipur | 122 |
Literacy Rates in India
The data and figures given below are based on Census 2011:
Total Literacy Rate: 74.04%
Male Literacy Rate: 82.14%
Female Literacy Rate: 65.46%
| Highest | Rate (%) | Â | Least | Rate (%) | |
| 1 | Kerala | 93.91 | 1 | Bihar | 63.82 |
| 2 | Lakshadweep | 92.28 | 2 | Telangana | 66.5 |
| 3 | Mizoram | 91.58 | 3 | Arunachal Pradesh | 66.95 |
| 4 | Tripura | 87.75 | 4 | Rajasthan | 67.06 |
| 5 | Goa | 87.4 | 5 | Andhra Pradesh | 67.4 |
Fertility Rate in India (Number of children born per woman)
Total fertility rate: 2.2
The table given below depicts the figures announced by NITI Aayog for the fertility rate in India (as of 2013):
| Â | Top Three | Rate | Â | Bottom Three | Rate |
| 1 | Andaman & Nicobar Islands | 0.7 | 1 | Bihar | 3.4 |
| 2 | Tripura | 1.3 | 2 | Uttar Pradesh | 3.1 |
| 3 | Goa | 1.4 | 3 | Madhya Pradesh | 2.9 |
Sex Ratio in India (not including UT’s)
The figures given below are based on NITI Aayog’s data for 2013-2015:
Total sex ration in India: 900
(900 females per 1000 males)
| Top Three | Sex Ratio | Â | Bottom Three | Sex Ratio | |
| 1 | Kerala | 967 | 1 | Haryana | 831 |
| 2 | Chhatisgarh | 961 | 2 | Uttrakhand | 844 |
| 3 | West Bengal | 951 | 3 | Gujarat | 854 |
| 4 | Odisha | 950 | 4 | Rajasthan | 861 |
| 5 | Karnataka | 939 | 5 | Delhi | 869 |
Also Read:
| Demographic Dividend – Overview on Opportunities, Challenges in India |
| Infant Mortality, Replacement Rate in Fertility |
| Sex Ratio |
Comments