Explain the following bar graph showing India's population and population growth rates during 1951-2001.
Year
Total Population (in millions)
Absolute Increase in the Decade (in millions)
Annual Growth Rate (%)
1951 1961 1971 1981 1991 2001
361.0 439.2 548.2 683.3 846.4 1028.7
42.43 78.15 108.92 135.17 163.09 182.32
1.25 1.96 2.20 2.22 2.14 1.93
The Magnitude and Rate of India's Population Growth
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Solution
(i) The above bar graph reveals that from 1951 to 1981, the annual rate of population growth was steadily increasing which explains the rapid increase in population from 361 million in 1951 to 683 million in 1981. (ii) Since 1981 however, the rate of growth started declining gradually. During the period, birth rates declined rapidly. (iii) Still 182 million people were added to the total population in the 1990s alone. In the year 2001 India's population became 1028 million.