Census 2011 snippets

At 1.21 billion, India’s population is almost equal to the combined population of the US, Indonesia, Brazil, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Japan. This also means that India has added another Brazil to its population over the last 10 years despite population growth slowing down. Mainland China’s population is 1.35 billion. The Census 2011 provisional data affirms the India growth story—population growth slowing down and the number of literates, especially female, growing. The census is the sole database in India that the government uses to formulate its policies. The census also reaffirms another fact—a fact so disturbing that it could cast a shadow on the positive developments: Girls seem to have no place in India’s growth story. The data shows that the sex ratio for kids below 6 has dropped from 927 to a dismal 914 girls for every 1,000 boys. The gender bias yet again draws attention to a lingering societal flaw that economic growth is not being able to correct. The literacy rate has gone up to 74% nationwide for people aged 7 and older, from 64.8% ten years ago. Offsetting the general gender bias is the fact that of the 217 million literates added, 110 million are women, outnumbering men. Better medical technology, education and quality of life has seen the overall gender ratio improving from 933 women for 1,000 men to 940. The female population has increased by 18.1%, touching 586.5 million. Maharashtra is the second most populous state in India after UP. Its population grew from 9.69 crore in 2001 to 11.24 crore in 2011, a growth of 15.99% compared to the national average of 17.64%. Thane district is the most populous in India with 1.15 crore people. The population in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region has grown 42%, with one-third of the state’s people living here. While there are 5.84 crore males in 2011 (5.04 cr in 2001), women number 5.4 crore (4.65 cr in 2001). The sex ratio (females:males) has crept up to 925:1000 but is still below the national average of 940:1,000. Shockingly, the child sex ratio (girls:boys 0-6 years) has dropped from 913:1,000 in 2001 to 883:1,000. The national average is 914/1,000. However, the state has achieved 82.9% literacy against 76.8% in 2001. Population increases by more than 181 million, or 17.6%, from 1.03 billion to 1.21b between 2001 & 2011. Male population rises 17.2% to 624 million, female by 18.1% to 586 m 2001-2011 is the first decade (with the exception of 1911-1921) when population has grown less than in the previous decade. In 1991-2001, it grew 21.5%, and the decade before by 23.9% UP (199.6m) is the most populous state in the country, followed by Maharashtra, (112.4m), Bihar (103.8m), West Bengal (91.3m) and AP (84.7m) The total number of children in the age-group 0-6 years is 158.8m, a decline of 5m, or 3.1%, since 2001; -2.4% for males and –3.8% for female Population density (no. of persons per sq km has risen by 17.5% to 382 from 325 National sex ratio rises to 940 (females for every 1000 males) in 2011 from 933 in 2001. Been rising since 1991 and highest since 1971 Three major states (J&K, Bihar & Gujarat) have shown a decline Among major states, Kerala with 1,084 has the highest sex ratio followed by TN with 995; the lowest are Delhi with 866 and Haryana with 877 Child sex ratio (0-6 years) has worsened to 914 in 2011 from 927 in 2001. Decline unabated since 1961 Census Among big states, Chhattisgarh has the highest ratio of 964 followed by Kerala with 959 Haryana is at the bottom (830) followed by Punjab (846) Except for a few states, it’s got worse everywhere Literacy rate has gone up to 74% from 65%. For males it has risen to 82% from 75%, for females to 65% from 54% Percentage growth in literacy during 2001-2011 is 38.8; for males 32%, females 49% Kerala has the highest rate of 94%, Bihar lowest of 64%