Population Overview
India's population, as the second-most populous country in the world with 1.21 billion people (2011 Census), reflects significant socio-economic challenges. This section provides a comprehensive analysis of India’s population, exploring key aspects such as distribution, density, growth, and composition.
Key Points:
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Population Distribution: The distribution of India's population is uneven, with states like Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Bihar being highly populated, while states like Arunachal Pradesh have very low population densities.
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Density of Population: Expressed as the number of people per unit area, India’s population density as of 2011 stood at 382 persons/sq km. This figure has risen significantly over the decades, indicating population pressures on land and resources.
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Growth Rates: The section discusses the natural growth of India’s population, highlighting a steady increase and four distinct growth phases over the last century, with a particular explosion from 1951 to 1981 due to decreasing mortality rates coupled with high fertility.
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Composition: It covers population characteristics related to urban-rural distribution, linguistic diversity, and religious affiliations. Approximately 68.8% of the population resides in rural areas, reflecting significant challenges regarding urbanization and development.
Overall, this section integrates census data and socio-economic analyses to illustrate that demographic dynamics significantly influence India's development trajectory.