Population Distribution, Density, Growth and Composition in India

The One Thing

India’s population is large but unevenly distributed, and its growth and composition vary significantly between regions. Understanding population density, demographic change and population characteristics is essential for planning education, health care, employment, housing, infrastructure and balanced regional development.

Who and What

• Population Distribution: The spatial pattern of where people live in a region or country. In India, distribution is highly uneven because relief, climate, soil fertility, water supply, mineral resources, industrialisation, transport, urbanisation, historical settlement and government policies vary between regions.
• Population Density: The number of persons living per unit of land area, usually expressed as persons per square kilometre.

Population Density = Total Population / Total Geographical Area

• Arithmetic Density: Total population divided by total geographical area.
• Population Growth: The change in the size of a population over a specified period.
• Natural Growth: Population growth caused by the difference between births and deaths, excluding migration.

Natural Increase = Births - Deaths

• Actual Growth: Population change after considering births, deaths, in-migration and out-migration.

Actual Change = Births - Deaths + In-migration - Out-migration

• Birth Rate: The number of live births per 1,000 people in a year.
• Death Rate: The number of deaths per 1,000 people in a year.
• Migration: The temporary or permanent movement of people from one place to another. In India, it may result from employment, education, marriage, family movement, natural disasters, social conditions or political factors.
• Population Explosion: A very rapid increase in population caused by a high birth rate and a falling death rate.
• Population Composition: The structure and characteristics of a population, including age, sex, literacy, occupation, residence, language and religion.
• Age Structure: The distribution of population among children, working-age people and the elderly. The working-age population is commonly defined as the 15–59 age group, although some statistical sources use different limits.
• Sex Ratio: The number of females per 1,000 males. According to Census 2011, India’s sex ratio was 943 females per 1,000 males.
• Child Sex Ratio: The number of girls per 1,000 boys in the 0–6 age group. India’s child sex ratio was 919 girls per 1,000 boys in Census 2011.
• Literacy Rate: The percentage of people aged 7 years and above who can read and write with understanding in any language. India’s literacy rate in Census 2011 was 74.04%; male literacy was about 82.14% and female literacy about 65.46%.
• Occupational Structure: The distribution of workers among primary, secondary and tertiary activities. Primary activities include agriculture, fishing, forestry and mining; secondary activities include manufacturing and construction; tertiary activities include trade, transport, communication, banking, education, health and administration.
• Rural-Urban Composition: The division of population between rural and urban settlements. India has a large rural population, but urbanisation has increased through industrialisation, service-sector growth, education, transport and rural-to-urban migration.
• Population Pyramid: A diagram representing the age-sex composition of a population. A broad-based pyramid indicates many children and high potential for future population growth. A narrow-based or nearly column-shaped pyramid indicates declining birth rates and a relatively stable population.
• Demographic Transition: The process through which a population changes from high birth and death rates to low birth and death rates as society develops. Improvements in health and sanitation generally reduce mortality first, while fertility may decline later.
• Dependency Ratio: The relationship between dependent groups, especially children and elderly people, and the working-age population. A high dependency ratio indicates that a large share of the population depends on working-age people.
• Demographic Dividend: The potential economic benefit created when the working-age population becomes larger than the dependent population, provided that education, health care and employment opportunities are available.
• Census: An official population count and collection of population information, generally conducted once every ten years in India. Census data support planning for education, health, employment, housing and infrastructure.

Chronology

Causes and Consequences

• Physical conditions influence population distribution. Fertile plains, river valleys, coastal plains and deltaic regions provide favourable soils, water supplies and settlement conditions. Consequently, very high population concentrations occur in the Ganga plains, coastal plains and deltaic regions.

• Difficult terrain and limited resources reduce population concentration. The Himalayan region, north-eastern hill areas, Thar Desert and parts of the Deccan Plateau generally have low densities because of rugged terrain, harsh climate, water scarcity or limited economic opportunities.

• Economic development attracts population. Developed industries and transport networks create employment and improve accessibility. Therefore, industrialised and urbanised areas tend to have higher population concentrations than regions with fewer economic opportunities.

• Population density does not by itself measure prosperity or pressure. Density must be interpreted with land quality, resources and economic development because two regions with equal density values may differ greatly in productive capacity and living conditions.

• Fertility, mortality and migration determine population growth. Natural growth depends on the difference between births and deaths, while actual growth also includes in-migration and out-migration. Migration may result from employment, education, marriage, family movement, natural disasters, social conditions or political factors.

• Declining death rates initially accelerate population growth. During 1951–1981, death rates fell significantly while birth rates remained high, producing rapid growth. This illustrates how improvements in health and sanitation can reduce mortality before fertility declines.

• Population growth has slowed but has not stopped. During 1981–2011, the growth rate declined while the total population continued to rise. The continuing increase reflects population momentum and the effects of earlier high fertility.

• Population composition creates different planning requirements. A large child population requires schools and child health services; a large working-age population requires education, skills and employment; and a large elderly population requires health care and social security.

• A high dependency ratio increases pressure on workers and public services. When children and elderly people form a large share of the population, the working-age population supports more dependants. Conversely, a favourable age structure may create a demographic dividend if people are educated, healthy and productively employed.

• Sex-ratio and literacy differences indicate unequal social opportunities. Regional differences in sex ratio, literacy, age structure, occupational structure and urbanisation reflect unequal access to education, health care, employment and wider social opportunities.

• Urbanisation changes the spatial and occupational structure of population. Industrialisation, service-sector growth, education, transport and rural-to-urban migration increase the urban population and expand secondary and tertiary employment.

• Census information supports policy and regional development. Regular population data allow planners to identify regional needs and design policies for education, health, employment, housing, infrastructure, resource management and inclusive development.

What Gets Asked

• Explain why population distribution in India is uneven, referring specifically to the Ganga plains, coastal plains, deltaic regions, Himalayan region, north-eastern hill areas, Thar Desert and Deccan Plateau.
• Distinguish between population density, arithmetic density, natural growth and actual growth, including the formulas for Population Density, Decadal Growth Rate, Natural Increase and Actual Change.
• Describe the four population-growth phases from 1901 to 2011 and explain why 1951–1981 experienced rapid growth while 1981–2011 showed a declining growth rate.
• Interpret Census 2011 indicators, including India’s population of about 1.21 billion, average density of 382 persons per square kilometre, decadal growth rate of 17.64%, sex ratio of 943, child sex ratio of 919 and literacy rate of 74.04%.
• Compare the significance of age structure, sex ratio, literacy rate, occupational structure and rural-urban composition for planning and development.
• Evaluate whether population growth is a pressure or an opportunity by relating population explosion, dependency ratio and demographic dividend to education, health care, employment and infrastructure.