The people are the most important component of a country. India is the second most populous country in the world after China, with a total population of 1,210 million (2011 Census). Such a large population puts immense pressure on limited resources and lies at the center of many socio-economic challenges in the country.
Population data in India are collected through the Census operations, which are conducted every 10 years.
India has a highly uneven pattern of population distribution. A few states hold the vast majority of the population, while others have very sparse distributions.
The uneven spatial distribution of population is determined by a combination of physical, socio-economic, and historical factors:
Density of Population is expressed as the number of persons per unit area. It provides a better understanding of the spatial distribution of population in relation to land.
The average density of population in India in 2011 was 382 persons per sq km, up steadily from 117 persons per sq km in 1951.
To get a better insight into the human-land ratio and pressure on cultivable land, geographers use physiological and agricultural densities:
Physiological Density:
$$\text{Physiological Density} = \frac{\text{Total Population}}{\text{Net Cultivated Area}}$$Agricultural Density:
$$\text{Agricultural Density} = \frac{\text{Total Agricultural Population}}{\text{Net Cultivable Area}}$$Note: Agricultural population includes cultivators, agricultural labourers, and their family members.
Growth of Population is the change in the number of people living in a particular area between two points of time. Its rate is expressed in percentage. It has two components: natural (births and deaths) and induced (migration).
The annual growth rate of India's population is 1.64 percent (2011).
The growth rate of population in India over the last century shows four distinct phases:
An important aspect of India's population growth is its youth and adolescent share.
Population Composition is a field of study within population geography analyzing age, sex, place of residence, language, religion, and occupational characteristics.
India is a highly diverse linguistic nation. According to the Grierson's Linguistic Survey of India (1903-1928), there were 179 languages and 544 dialects. Today, there are 22 Scheduled Languages under the Constitution of India.
| Language Family | Sub-Family / Branch | Percentage Share | Primary Speech Areas |
|---|---|---|---|
| Austric (Nishada) | Austro-Asiatic, Austro-Nesian | 1.38% | Meghalaya, Nicobar Islands, West Bengal, Bihar, Odisha, Assam, Madhya Pradesh |
| Dravidian (Dravida) | South, Central, and North Dravidian | 20.00% | Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Maharashtra |
| Sino-Tibetan (Kirata) | Tibeto-Himalayan, North Assam, Assam-Myanmari | 0.85% | Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram |
| Indo-European (Aryan) | Indo-Aryan, Iranian, Dardic | 73.00% | North and Central India (UP, Bihar, Punjab, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, West Bengal, etc.) |
Religion is a major cultural force in India. The spatial distribution of major religious groups is detailed below:
| Religious Group | Population (in Millions) | % of Total (2011) | Primary Concentrations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hindus | 966.3 | 79.8% | Major group in most states (70-90% and above), except border areas and parts of the Northeast. |
| Muslims | 172.2 | 14.2% | Jammu & Kashmir, West Bengal, Kerala, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Lakshadweep. |
| Christians | 27.8 | 2.3% | Western coast (Goa, Kerala), hill states of Northeast (Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland). |
| Sikhs | 20.8 | 1.7% | Concentrated in Punjab, Haryana, and Delhi. |
| Buddhists | 8.4 | 0.7% | Maharashtra, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh (Lahul and Spiti). |
| Jains | 4.5 | 0.4% | Urban areas of Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Maharashtra. |
| Others / Unstated | 10.8 | 0.9% | Tribal and indigenous faiths scattered across the country. |
The population of India is divided into three economic groups based on work status:
In India, the proportion of workers (both main and marginal) is 39.8 percent (2011), leaving a large dependent non-working population of about 60 percent.
| Sector | Percentage of Total Workers | Male Workers | Female Workers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Primary (Agriculture & Allied) | 54.6% | 16,54,47,075 | 9,75,75,398 |
| Secondary (Household & Manufacturing) | 3.8% | 97,75,635 | 85,60,672 |
| Tertiary (Services & Others) | 41.6% | 15,66,432,220 | 4,37,41,311 |