POPULATION OF INDIA

INTRODUCTION

• India is the second most populous country in the world after China.
• Population of India (2011): 1210 million.
• About every sixth person in the world is an Indian.
• India has only 2.42% of world land area but supports nearly 17% of world population.
• India ranks 7th in area but 2nd in population.
• Every year, India adds more than 17 million people to its population.

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DISTRIBUTION OF POPULATION IN INDIA
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REGIONAL VARIATION

• Uttar Pradesh has the highest population, followed by Maharashtra, Bihar and West Bengal.
• Ten states together account for about 76% of India’s population.
• Jammu & Kashmir, Arunachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand have very small share of population despite large area.

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FACTORS AFFECTING POPULATION DISTRIBUTION
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1. PHYSICAL FACTORS

Landforms:
• Plains have high population density (Indo-Ganga Plain).
• Mountains and plateaus have low density (Arunachal Pradesh, Himalayas).
• Availability of water and drainage also affects settlement.

Climate:
• Moderate climate supports high density (Kerala, West Bengal).
• Extreme climate areas like Rajasthan desert and cold Himalayas have low density.

Soil:
• Fertile alluvial and deltaic soils support dense population.
• Desert and eroded soils support sparse population.

2. SOCIO-ECONOMIC FACTORS

• Industrialization, trade, transport, education and historical factors influence population.
• Example: Mumbai-Pune industrial region grew due to industry, port, oil fields, labour and transport.
• Chotanagpur Plateau saw population growth due to mineral-based industries.

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DENSITY OF POPULATION
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• Density = Number of persons per square kilometre.
• Density of India (2011): 382 persons per sq km.
• Density increased from 117 (1951) to 382 (2011).

AREAS OF HIGH DENSITY (>400):
• Kerala, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Delhi, Chandigarh, Puducherry.

AREAS OF MODERATE DENSITY (100–400):
• Most Indian states like Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka, MP, Odisha, etc.

AREAS OF LOW DENSITY (<100):
• Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Sikkim, Andaman & Nicobar.

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GROWTH OF POPULATION IN INDIA
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Growth of population means change in population between two time periods.

PHASES OF POPULATION GROWTH

Phase I (1901–1921): Stagnant Growth
• High birth and death rates.
• Poor health, food supply and medical facilities.

Phase II (1921–1951): Steady Growth
• Death rate declined due to better health and sanitation.
• Birth rate remained high.

Phase III (1951–1981): Rapid Growth (Population Explosion)
• Sharp fall in death rate.
• Development, planning, migration and better living conditions.

Phase IV (1981–Present): Declining Growth Rate
• Decline in birth rate.
• Due to education, family planning, higher age at marriage, awareness.

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REGIONAL VARIATION IN POPULATION GROWTH
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Low Growth States:
• Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Goa, Puducherry.

High Growth States:
• Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Assam, West Bengal, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, etc.

• Overall, growth rate is declining in almost all states.

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POPULATION COMPOSITION
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Meaning:
• Study of age, sex, literacy, occupation, religion, language, rural-urban, etc.

RURAL – URBAN COMPOSITION

• India has more than 6.4 lakh villages.
• About 31% population lives in urban areas (2011).
• Bihar and Sikkim have very high rural population.
• Goa and Maharashtra have higher urban population.
• Urban population is growing faster due to migration and development.

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LINGUISTIC COMPOSITION

• India has 22 scheduled languages.
• Hindi has the highest number of speakers.
• Smallest groups: Sanskrit, Bodo, Manipuri.

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RELIGIOUS COMPOSITION

• Hindus are majority in most parts of India.
• Muslims concentrated in J&K, West Bengal, Kerala, UP, Delhi and Lakshadweep.
• Christians concentrated in Kerala, Goa and North-East.
• Sikhs mainly in Punjab, Haryana and Delhi.
• Jains in Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra.
• Buddhists mainly in Maharashtra, Ladakh, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh.

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COMPOSITION OF WORKING POPULATION
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• Population is divided into:
  - Main workers
  - Marginal workers
  - Non-workers

• Only about 39.8% of India’s population are workers (2011).
• About 60% are dependent population.

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OCCUPATIONAL STRUCTURE

• About 54.6% are cultivators and agricultural labourers.
• About 3.8% in household industries.
• About 41.6% in other sectors (industry, trade, services).

• Male workers are more than female workers in all sectors.

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CONCLUSION

• India’s population is a great resource but also a great challenge.
• Proper planning, education, skill development and employment generation are necessary to convert population into human capital.
 

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Subject: Geography

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