Important Facts about Census 2011

Since 1872, India has conducted a census 15 times. The 2011 Census is the latest data available for analysis since the 2021 Census has been delayed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. This report covers a plethora of aspects like administrative units, literacy rates, population, growth rate, child population, sex ratio, and more. A census helps in the systematic collection of a nation’s population and housing information. The 2011 Census was conducted by Mr C. Chandramouli, the Registry General and Statistical Commissioner of India. 

A country’s census gives important information about financial action, education, shelter & domestic accommodations, urban growth, procreation and morbidity, scheduled castes and tribes, dialect, faith, migration, disability, and social, economic, and population statistics.

Why Is It Necessary to Conduct a Census?

A census is the most reliable source of information for economic growth, literacy, income, education, residential household amenities, urbanisation, fertility, and mortality. Data about these population attributes help the Central and State Governments set up new and amend existing policies, reserve or mark constituencies, and monitor a country’s progress. 

Some Important Discoveries from the 2011 Census

Number of People

• There are now 1.21 billion people in India, an increase of 22.9 % from a decade ago, and female population growth outpaced that of men. 
• An additional 90.97 million men and an additional 90.99 million women were added.
• Females’ growth rate was 18.3%, more significant than the 17.1 Child Sex Ratio of 17.1%.
• Over ten years, from 2001 to 2011, India’s population rose by 17.7 %, compared to 21.5 % in the preceding decade.
• According to Census data, Bihar had the highest decadal growth in population (25.4%), while 14 states and territories had a population growth of at least 20 %.

People Living in Rural and Urban Areas

• Moreover, two-thirds of the population (833.5 million) lives in villages, while 377.1 million reside in urban areas. 
• The percentage of people living in cities has increased from 17.3% in 1951 to 31.2% in 2011. 
• There is less urbanisation in Enhanced Action Group (EAG) states compared to non-EAG states (21.1 %) (39.7 %).
• NCT Delhi has the largest concentration of urban residents (97.5 %). Goa (62.2 %), Mizoram (52.1 %), Tamil Nadu (48.4 %), Kerala (47.7 %), and Maharashtra round out the top five states in terms of urban population (45.2 %).

Education

• In 2011, India’s literacy rate was 73%, compared to 64.84% in 2001, 8%. 
• In contrast to the 80.9 % male literacy rate, the 64.6 % female literacy rate represents a rise of 10.9 % from the 2001 Census.
• Dadra and Nagar Haveli had the most significant jump (18.6 points, from 57.6% to 76.2%), followed by Bihar (14.8 points, from 47.0% to 61.8%) and Tripura (14.0 points) (from 73.2 % to 87.2 %)
• Over the period 2001-11, progress in female literacy outpaced that of males in all save Mizoram (where it was the same for both sexes).

Every Census shows a shrinking disparity between urban and rural populations’ literacy levels. Every Census shows a narrowing of the gender gap in literacy rates. In Census 2011, the disparity remained at 16.3 points.

• Kerala (94%), Lakshadweep (91.8%), Mizoram (91.3%), Goa (887.7%), and Tripura (887.7%) are the top five states and UTs in terms of literacy rates (87.2).
• Bihar (61.8%), Arunachal Pradesh (65.4%), Rajasthan (66.1%), Jharkhand (66.4%), and Andhra Pradesh (66.8%) are the states and UTs with the lowest percentages (67%).

 Density

• Population density has also grown, from 326 in 2001 to 382 in 2011 per square kilometre. 
• Bihar now has the highest population density of India’s central states, with 1106 overtaking West Bengal, which held the top spot in 2001.
• Chandigarh (9,258) is the most densely populated state and UT, followed by Delhi (11,320) in the 2001 and 2011 Censuses. 
• Arunachal Pradesh has a population density of 17, the same in the 2001 and 2011 Censuses.

The Ratio of Males to Females

Since the previous Census, the country’s sex ratio has increased by 10% to 940 females for every 1000 men, which is significant. The male-to-female ratio in Haryana is the worst, while Kerala has the best. 

• In 2011, Haryana had 879 females for every 1000 men, followed by the State of Jammu and Kashmir (892 females) as well as Punjab (890 females) (895 females).
• Uttar Pradesh (911 females) and Bihar are the other two states with unequal numbers of men and women (918 females). 
• Females in Kerala accounted for 1,084 of the state’s total population, followed by Tamil Nadu (995), Andhra Pradesh (992) and Chhattisgarh (991).

The Number of Children 

• In 2011, the total population of children aged 0 to 6 years old grew by 0.4%, from 163.8 million in 2001 to 164.5 million.
• The number of children aged 0 to 6 years old is almost constant. The number of children in 17 states and the District of Columbia decreased in 2011 compared to 2001.

With the announcement of the gender ratio in the age range 0-6, the Census officials hoped to highlight the latest changes in society’s attitudes and outlooks toward the female child. It also served as a predictor of the Total population’s sex ratio in the future.

• This age group has seen an 8 % decrease in the sex ratio. When it comes to the number of girls and boys under six, there were 919 in 2011 and 927 in 2001.
• Male children (0-6) have seen a rise in population, whereas female children have seen a reduction between 2001 and 2011. 
• More than 15% of the population is under 18 in eight states: Jammu and Kashmir, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Jharkhand, Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, and Meghalaya.
• Haryana (834 females), Punjab (846), Kashmir (862), and Rajasthan (888) are the worst-performing states in this Child Sex Ratio (890).
• Malayalam (964), Assamese (962), Bengal (956), Bihar (948) and Karnataka (968) are the top-performing states (948).

Data from the SC/ST

As per the Census Bureau, there are 31 states where Scheduled Castes, UTs, and Scheduled Tribes have been notified. One hundred forty-one distinct ethnic groups have been designated as SCs in various states and territories.

Individual ethnic groupings, etc., have been designated as STs by 705 people. The list of SCs/STs in states and UTs has seen various revisions during the recent decade.

There are presently 201.4 million SC people in India, increasing 20% from the previous Census. Since 2001, the ST population has grown by 23.7 %, reaching 104.3 million people in 2011.

Religion Demography

• On August 25, 2015, the Indian government revealed religious statistics from the 2011 India Census. 
• In India, Hindus account for 79.8% of the population (966.3 million people), whereas Muslims account for 14.23 % (172.2 million people). 
• The “No religion” category was introduced in the 2011 census. In India’s 2011 census, 2.87 million persons were listed as having no religious affiliation. – 
• Of India’s 1.21 billion people, 0.24 % are infected. 

The following is a breakdown of India’s religious makeup by decade till the 2011 census. Muslims, Catholics, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhism, and Parsis are all recognised as “National Minorities” in India.

Conclusion

Both the trail house listing and the Housing Census and Population Enumeration were part of the 2011 Census of India. From 2001-to 2011, India’s total population increased by around 181 million people. According to the 2011 Census, India’s population has grown by more than 181 million in the last decade. Here are some of the most critical findings from the 2011 Indian Census.

It began on April 1 2010, with the President and Vice President of India being the first citizens to be enumerated in the 7th Census of Independent India-2011. It was proclaimed that “Our Census, Our Future” would be the theme of the 2011 count. India’s 2011 Census Commissioner was C. Chandramouli.