Population

Geography
Population Size and Distribution
The 2011 Census data reveal that Uttar Pradesh with a population size of
199 million is the most populous state of India. Uttar Pradesh accounts for
about 16 per cent of the country’s population. On the other hand, the
Himalayan state of Sikkim has a population of just about 0.6 million and
Lakshadweep has only 64,429 people. Almost half of India’s population
lives in just five states. These are Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Bihar, West
Bengal and Andhra Pradesh. Rajasthan, the biggest state in terms of area,
has only 5.5 per cent of the total population of India.
 INDIA’S POPULATION DISTRIBUTION BY
DENSITY
Population density provides a better picture of the uneven distribution.
Population density is calculated as the number of persons per unit area.
India is one of the most densely populated countries of the world. Only
Bangladesh and Japan have higher average population densities than
India. The population density of India in the year 2011 was 382 persons
per sq km. Densities vary from 1,102 persons per sq km in Bihar to only 17
persons per sq km in Arunachal Pradesh. Assam and most of the Peninsular
states have moderate population densities. Hilly, dissected and rocky
nature of the terrain, moderate to low rainfall, shallow and less fertile
 INDIA’S POPULATION DISTRIBUTION BY
DENSITY
soils have influenced population densities in these areas. The Northern
plains and Kerala in the south have high to very high population densities
because of the flat plains with fertile soils and abundant rainfall.
Identify the three states of the Northern Plains with high population
densities.
 POPULATION GROWTH
Growth of population refers to the change in the
number of inhabitants of a country during a specific
period of time, say during the last 10 years. Such a
change can be expressed in two ways: in terms of
absolute numbers and in terms of percentage change
per year. The absolute numbers added each year or
decade is the magnitude of increase. It is obtained by
simply subtracting the earlier population (e.g. that of
2001) from the later population (e.g. that of 2011). It is
referred to as the absolute increase.
POPULATION GROWTH
Since 1981, however, the rate of growth started
declining gradually. During this period, birth rates
declined rapidly. Still 182 million people were added to
the total population in the 1990s alone. The declining
trend of the growth rate is indeed a positive indicator
of the efforts of birth control.
PROCESSES OF POPULATION CHANGE
There are three main processes of change of population
: birth rates, death rates and migration. The natural
increase of population is the difference between birth
rates and death rates. Birth rate is the number of live
births per thousand persons in a year. It is a major
component of growth because in India, birth rates have
always been higher than death rates. Death rate is the
number of deaths per thousand persons in a year. The
main cause of the rate of growth of the Indian
PROCESSES OF POPULATION CHANGE
population has been the rapid decline in death rates.
Till 1980, high birth rates and declining death rates led
to a large difference between birth rates and death
rates resulting in higher rates of population growth.
Since 1981, birth rates have also started declining
gradually, resulting in a gradual decline in the rate of
population growth.
PROCESSES OF POPULATION CHANGE
The third component of population growth is migration.
Migration is the movement of people across regions and
territories. Migration can be internal (within the
country) or international (between the countries).
Internal migration does not change the size of the
population, but influences the distribution of population
within the nation. Migration plays a very significant
role in changing the composition and distribution of
population.
PROCESSES OF POPULATION CHANGE
In India, most migrations have been from rural to
urban areas because of the “push” factor in rural areas.
These are adverse conditions of poverty and
unemployment in the rural areas and the “pull” of the
city in terms of increased employment opportunities
and better living conditions. Migration is an important
determinant of population change. It changes not only
the population size but also the population composition
of urban and rural populations in terms of age and sex
composition.
 ADOLESCENT POPULATION
The most significant feature of the Indian population is the size of its
adolescent population. It constitutes one-fifth of the total population of
India. Adolescents are, generally, grouped in the age group of 10 to 19
years.
NATIONAL POPULATION POLICY
Recognising that the planning of families would improve individual health
and welfare, the Government of India initiated a comprehensive Family
Planning Programme in 1952. The Family Welfare Programme has sought to
promote responsible and planned parenthood on a voluntary basis. The
National Population Policy (NPP) 2000 is a culmination of years of planned
efforts. The NPP 2000 provides a policy framework for imparting free and
compulsory school education up to 14 years of age, reducing infant mortality
rate to below 30 per 1000 live births, achieving universal immunisation of
children against all vaccine preventable diseases, promoting delayed marriage
for girls, and making family welfare a people-centred programme.
Thank You