According to the provisional 2011 Census report released here on Thursday country’s population has increased by more than 181 million in the last 10 years, The population comprising 623.7 million males and 586.5 million females is almost equal to the combined population of the United States, Indonesia, Brazil, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Japan put together. The population has increased by more than 181 million during the decade 2001-2011, the report said.
Releasing the report Registrar General of India and Census Commissioner of India C Chandramauli said in presence of Home Secretary Gopal K Pillai that the 2001-2011 period is the first decade — with exception of 1911-1921 — which has actually added lesser population compared to the previous decade, Among the states and Union territories, Uttar Pradesh is the most populous state with 199 million people and Lakshadweep the least populated at 64,429.
The highest population density is in Delhi’s north-east district (37,346 per sq km) while the lowest is in Dibang Valley in Arunachal Pradesh (just one per sq km).Child sex ratio in 2011 is 914 female against 1,000 male–the lowest since Independence.
According to the data, literates constitute 74 percent of the total population aged seven and above and illiterates form 26 percent.The literacy rate has gone up from 64.83 percent in 2001 to 74.04 percent in 2011 showing an increase of 9.21 percent.
Interestingly, the addition of 181 million population during 2001-2011 is slightly lower than the total population of Brazil, the fifth most populous country in the world.
While China has 19.4 percent of the world’s total population, India has 17.5 percent of the world population.However, the percentage decadal growth during 2001-2011 has registered the sharpest decline since independence — a decrease of 3.90 percentage points from 21.54 to 17.64 percent.Apart from UP, other most populous states are — Maharashtra (112.3 million), Bihar (103.8 million), West Bengal (91.3 million) and Andhra Pradesh (84.6 million).
Besides Lakshadweep, smallest UTs and states are – Daman and Diu (2,42,911), Dadra and Nagar Haveli (3,42,853), Andaman and Nicobar Islands (7,79,944) and Sikkim (6,07,688).
The percentage decadal growth rates of the six most populous states have declined during 2001-2011 compared to 1991-2001.
Uttar Pradesh (25.85 percent to 20.09 percent), Maharashtra (22.73 per cent to 15.99 per cent), Bihar (28.62 per cent to 25.07 per cent), West Bengal (17.77 per cent to 13.93 per cent), Andhra Pradesh (14.59 per cent to 11.10 per cent and Madhya Pradesh (24.26 per cent to 20.23 per cent).
“For the first time, there is a significant fall in the growth rate of population in the Empowered Action Group states after decades of stagnation,” Chandramouli said. The EAG states are: UP, Bihar, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh Chhattisgarh and Orissa.
