Population and the Census
Population questions are factual and repeat every year: totals, density, sex ratio, literacy and rankings. These numbers come from the Census of India, conducted every ten years by the Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India under the Ministry of Home Affairs. The Census Act 1948 governs it.
About the Census
- The first complete, synchronous census was in 1881 (under Lord Ripon); the 1951 census was the first after independence. The 2011 Census was the 15th (and the 7th since independence).
- Census 2011 reference date: 1 March 2011.
- Census 2011 slogan: "Our Census, Our Future."
- The 2021 Census was postponed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Government notified the next census in 2025 with a reference date of 1 March 2027 (and 1 October 2026 for the snow-bound areas of Ladakh, J&K, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand). It will be digital and will include caste enumeration, in two phases (house-listing, then population enumeration). Check the Registrar General's website for the latest timeline.
- Latest official figures are still those of Census 2011. The Technical Group of the National Commission on Population has projected a population of about 1.4 billion in 2025. The UN estimates put India as the most populous country since 2023.
Key Census 2011 figures
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Total population | 1,210,854,977 (about 121.09 crore) |
| Males / females | About 62.37 crore / 58.65 crore |
| Decadal growth (2001-11) | 17.64 percent (the lowest since independence at that time) |
| Density | 382 persons per sq km |
| Sex ratio | 943 females per 1,000 males |
| Child sex ratio (0-6 years) | 919 |
| Literacy | 74.04 percent (male 82.14, female 65.46) |
| Rural / urban | 68.84 / 31.16 percent |
| Scheduled Castes | About 16.6 percent |
| Scheduled Tribes | About 8.6 percent |
India's share
- India has about 2.4 percent of the world's land area but around 17-18 percent of the world's people.
- The population was 361 million in 1951 and passed 1 billion in 2000 (the 2001 census counted 1.02 billion).
Population growth phases
| Phase | Period | Features |
|---|---|---|
| Stagnant | 1901-1921 | Famines and epidemics; 1921 is the Great Divide (growth became positive afterwards) |
| Steady growth | 1921-1951 | Better health, falling death rate |
| Rapid growth | 1951-1981 | Death rate fell sharply, birth rate stayed high (the "population explosion") |
| High but declining | 1981-present | Birth rate falls; growth slows |
Demographic concepts
- Birth rate, death rate, natural growth; Total Fertility Rate (TFR) is now about 2.0 (NFHS-5, 2019-21), slightly below the replacement level of 2.1.
- Demographic transition model: India is in the third (late expanding) stage.
- Demographic dividend: large working-age (15-64) share; about two-thirds of the population is in the working-age group.
- Dependency ratio, life expectancy (about 70 years), IMR and MMR are health indicators from the SRS (Sample Registration System).
- Population policy: National Population Policy 2000; family planning started in 1952, the first country in the world to do so.
Keep practising
Notes are only half the work. Test yourself with questions and discuss doubts with other aspirants.
Prepared for exam revision from NCERT, standard geography textbooks, the Census of India 2011, the India State of Forest Report, IMD, Ministry of Agriculture and other official sources. Maps are schematic teaching maps, not Survey of India maps, and zone boundaries are approximate. Figures such as production, capacity, counts of parks and ports, and census status change, so check the latest official source before relying on them. Found a mistake? Tell us.