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English · हिन्दी · తెలుగు · தமிழ் · മലയാളം · मराठी · ಕನ್ನಡ

Census, size, distribution, density and growth

తెలుగులో వివరణ

Human geography of India · Part 1 / 4 · Fact-checked on · how we check

Written with AI from the sources listed at the bottom of this page, then fact-checked by a separate AI.

How the Census counts India's people and its history from 1872 to the 2027 round; the population of 2011 and India as the most populous country; why people are spread unevenly; arithmetic, physiological and agricultural density; how growth is measured and its four phases since 1901; the demographic transition and fertility (NFHS-5); and population policy from 1952 to the National Population Policy, 2000.

Each idea is explained first in Telugu (తెలుగు), ending with the English and Hindi exam terms, followed by the same point in exam English. UPSC Prelims is in English or Hindi, so understand it in Telugu and revise it in English.

ఇప్పటివరకు నేల, నీరు, పరిశ్రమల గురించి చదివాం; ఇప్పుడు మనుషుల గురించి. మన దేశంలో ఎంతమంది ఉన్నారు, ఎక్కడ ఉంటారు, ఎంత వేగంగా పెరుగుతున్నారు అనేది ఈ భాగం. ఉదాహరణకు మన జిల్లాలో కోనసీమ లాంటి పచ్చని ప్రాంతంలో ఊళ్లు దగ్గర దగ్గరగా, అడవి కొండల్లో దూరం దూరంగా ఉంటాయి కదా, అది ఎందుకో ఇక్కడ చూస్తాం. తర్వాతి భాగాల్లో జనాభా కూర్పు, వలసలు, నగరాలు, గిరిజనులు. (→ English: human geography; population · हिन्दी: मानव भूगोल; जनसंख्या)

In exam EnglishThis chapter turns from land, water and industry to people. Human geography asks how many people a country has, where they live, how their numbers change, what the population is made of, how people move and settle, and how particular communities such as the Scheduled Tribes relate to the land. This first part deals with numbers and space: how India counts its people through the Census, how large the population is, why it is spread so unevenly, how crowded different regions are, and how fast it has grown since 1901. It ends with the demographic transition, the fall in fertility and the policies the state has used. Part 2 then looks at the make-up of the population, Part 3 at migration and cities, and Part 4 at the tribes.

జనాభా లెక్కలు అంటే ఒకే సమయంలో దేశంలోని ప్రతి ఒక్కరినీ లెక్కపెట్టడం, వయసు, చదువు, పని లాంటి వివరాలతో. ఇంటింటికీ వచ్చే ఎన్యుమరేటర్ ఇదే చేస్తారు. ఇది కేంద్ర జాబితాలో 69వ అంశం; 1948 చట్టం కింద హోం మంత్రిత్వ శాఖలోని రిజిస్ట్రార్ జనరల్ చేస్తారు, మన జవాబులు రహస్యంగా ఉంటాయి. 1872లో మొదటి లెక్క, కానీ అన్నిచోట్లా ఒకేసారి కాదు; 1881లో మొదటిసారి దేశమంతా ఒకేసారి. 2011 పదిహేనవది, స్వాతంత్ర్యం తర్వాత ఏడవది. తదుపరి లెక్కకు తేదీ 1 మార్చి 2027. (→ English: census · हिन्दी: जनगणना)

In exam EnglishThe census is the complete official count of every person in the country at one point in time, with details such as age, sex, literacy, work and migration. It is entry 69 of the Union List, and it is conducted under the Census Act, 1948 by the Office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner, India, under the Ministry of Home Affairs; the Act keeps each person's answers confidential. A first count, not taken at one time everywhere, was completed in 1872; the first synchronous census, held at one moment across the country, came in 1881, and a census followed every ten years up to 2011, the fifteenth in all and the seventh after independence. The round due in 2021 was postponed. In June 2025 the government notified a reference date of 1 March 2027, with 1 October 2026 for Ladakh and the snow-bound parts of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand.

2011 లెక్కల్లో మనం దాదాపు 121 కోట్లు. ప్రపంచ భూమిలో మనకు ఉన్నది 2.4 శాతమే, కానీ ప్రపంచ జనాభాలో 17.5 శాతం మనమే; అంటే చిన్న ఇంట్లో పెద్ద కుటుంబం లాంటిది. ఒక్క ఉత్తరప్రదేశ్‌లోనే దాదాపు 20 కోట్లు, దేశంలో ఆరో వంతు; తర్వాత మహారాష్ట్ర, బిహార్. అతి తక్కువ సిక్కిం, దాదాపు 6 లక్షలు. ఐక్యరాజ్యసమితి అంచనా ప్రకారం 2023లో మనం చైనాను దాటి ప్రపంచంలో అత్యధిక జనాభా దేశం అయ్యాం. (→ English: population · हिन्दी: जनसंख्या)

In exam EnglishCensus 2011 counted about 1,210.8 million people, roughly 121 crore. With about 2.4 per cent of the world's land, India then held about 17.5 per cent of its people. Single states are as large as whole countries: Uttar Pradesh alone had about 199.8 million people, around one-sixth of India's total, followed by Maharashtra and Bihar, while Sikkim, with about 6.1 lakh, was the least populous state. The United Nations Population Division estimates that India passed China in 2023 to become the most populous country in the world. Because no census has been held since 2011, today's totals come from such projections and from sample surveys, while the 2011 count remains the latest complete official record of who lives where.

మన దేశంలో జనం అంతటా సమానంగా లేరు. గంగా మైదానం, తీర మైదానాలు, నదీ డెల్టాల్లో కిక్కిరిసి ఉంటారు; హిమాలయ శిఖరాలు, లద్దాఖ్, థార్ ఎడారి, ఈశాన్య అడవి కొండల్లో చాలా తక్కువ. ఇలా ఆలోచించండి: గోదావరి డెల్టాలో చదునైన సారవంతమైన నేల, నీరు ఉన్నాయి కాబట్టి ఊళ్లు దట్టంగా ఉన్నాయి; ఏటవాలు కొండలు, చలి, ఎండిన నేల ఉన్నచోట పంట, ఇల్లు, ప్రయాణం కష్టం, అందుకే జనం తక్కువ. (→ English: distribution of population · हिन्दी: जनसंख्या का वितरण)

In exam EnglishPeople are spread very unevenly across India. A few broad zones hold most of them: the Ganga plains from Punjab to West Bengal, and the coastal plains and river deltas of the east and west. Large areas, by contrast, are thinly peopled: the high Himalaya and Ladakh, the Thar desert of western Rajasthan, the forested hills of the north-east and parts of the central plateau. Physical conditions explain much of this pattern. Level land with fertile alluvial soil, dependable rain or irrigation and a moderate climate can feed dense farming populations. Steep slopes, severe cold, dryness, thick forest and thin soils keep numbers low, because they make farming, building and travel difficult and costly.

నేల, వాతావరణం మాత్రమే కాదు; పని దొరికే చోటికి జనం వెళ్తారు. ముంబై, కోల్‌కతా, చెన్నై, దిల్లీ రేవులు, ప్రభుత్వం, ఉద్యోగాల వల్ల పెరిగాయి; చోటానాగ్‌పూర్ గనుల పట్టణాలు ఖనిజాల వల్ల. ఉదాహరణకు రెండు మండలాల్లో ఒకే రకం నేల ఉన్నా, కాలువ, హైవే, ఫ్యాక్టరీ పట్టణం ఉన్న మండలంలోనే జనం ఎక్కువ. 1947 విభజనతో లక్షలాది శరణార్థులు పంజాబ్, దిల్లీ, బెంగాల్‌కు వచ్చారు. అందుకే జనాభా పటం, నీటిపారుదల, రోడ్ల పటంలాగే కనిపిస్తుంది. (→ English: distribution of population · हिन्दी: जनसंख्या का वितरण)

In exam EnglishPhysical conditions are not the whole story. Industry, mining, trade and services pull people to particular places even where nature is harsh: Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai and Delhi grew around ports, government and jobs, and the mining towns of Chota Nagpur grew on minerals. Transport links, a long history of settlement and access to water supply, schools and hospitals add to the pull. Political events can also move people in large numbers, as when the Partition of 1947 brought millions of refugees into Punjab, Delhi and West Bengal. Suppose two districts have much the same soil: the one with a canal, a highway and a factory town will usually hold many more people. That is why a map of population in India looks so much like a map of its irrigation, roads and cities.

జనసాంద్రత అంటే ఒక చదరపు కిలోమీటరులో ఎంతమంది ఉంటారో. 2011లో దేశంలో 382; బిహార్ 1,106తో అత్యంత దట్టం, బెంగాల్ కూడా వెయ్యి దాటింది; అరుణాచల్ 17 మాత్రమే; దిల్లీ పదకొండు వేల పైనే. కానీ ఈ లెక్క నేల ఎలాంటిదో చెప్పదు. ఉదాహరణకు ఒక కుటుంబానికి పది ఎకరాలు ఉన్నా అందులో ఒక ఎకరమే సాగుకు పనికొస్తే, ఆ ఒక్క ఎకరం మీదే అందరూ ఆధారపడతారు కదా; అందుకే సాగు భూమితో భాగించే మరో రెండు రకాల సాంద్రతలు వాడతారు. (→ English: population density; physiological density · हिन्दी: जनसंख्या घनत्व; कायिक घनत्व)

In exam Englishpopulation density measures crowding as the number of persons per square kilometre. In 2011 India's density was 382, up from 325 in 2001. Among states, Bihar was the densest at 1,106, with West Bengal also above 1,000, while Arunachal Pradesh, at 17, was the sparsest; among union territories, the National Capital Territory of Delhi was far denser than any state, at over 11,000. This simple figure, called arithmetic density, ignores the quality of the land, so geographers also use physiological density, the total population divided by the net cultivated area, and agricultural density, the population that depends on farming divided by that same cultivated area. A dry, rocky state may look empty by arithmetic density yet be crowded in relation to the little land that can actually be farmed.
Three measures of population density
MeasureHow it is worked outWhat it shows
Arithmetic densityTotal population ÷ total area (per sq km)Overall crowding; India 382 in 2011
Physiological densityTotal population ÷ net cultivated areaPressure of all people on farmed land
Agricultural densityFarming population ÷ net cultivated areaPressure of farm households on farmed land

జనాభా పెరుగుదల రెండు దారుల్లో వస్తుంది. ఒకటి సహజ పెరుగుదల: పుట్టినవారు మైనస్ చనిపోయినవారు. రెండు వలసలు: ఊళ్లోకి వచ్చినవారు కలుపుతారు, వెళ్లిపోయినవారు తీసేస్తారు. ఉదాహరణకు హైదరాబాద్ లాంటి నగరం పెరగడంలో వలసలు పెద్ద పాత్ర; దేశం మొత్తానికి మాత్రం దాదాపు అంతా సహజ పెరుగుదలే. జనాభా లెక్కలు పదేళ్ల పెరుగుదల శాతం ఇస్తాయి. 1911-21లో జనాభా తగ్గింది. 2001-11లో పెరుగుదల 17.7 శాతం, అంతకుముందు దశాబ్దంలో 21.5 శాతం. (→ English: decadal growth rate; natural increase · हिन्दी: दशकीय वृद्धि दर; प्राकृतिक वृद्धि)

In exam EnglishPopulation growth is the change in the number of people in an area between two dates, given as an absolute number or as a percentage. It has two parts. Natural increase is births minus deaths; migration adds those who move in and subtracts those who move out. For India as a whole, natural increase accounts for almost all of the change, but for one state or city migration can matter as much. The Census reports decadal growth, the percentage change over ten years, and an average annual rate is also worked out. Growth can be negative when deaths and departures outnumber births and arrivals, as happened in India in 1911–21. Between 2001 and 2011 the population grew by about 17.7 per cent, down from about 21.5 per cent in 1991–2001, the steepest fall between two decades since independence.

1901 నుంచి మన జనాభా నాలుగు దశల్లో పెరిగింది. మొదటి దశ 1901-21: కరువులు, అంటువ్యాధులు, 1918 ఫ్లూ వల్ల పుట్టినంతమంది చనిపోయారు, 1911-21లో జనాభా తగ్గింది కూడా; అందుకే 1921ని 'గొప్ప విభజన సంవత్సరం' అంటారు. రెండో దశ 1921-51: మరణాలు తగ్గి నెమ్మదిగా పెరుగుదల. మూడో దశ 1951-81: మందులతో మరణాలు బాగా తగ్గాయి కానీ పుట్టుకలు అలాగే ఉన్నాయి, అదే 'జనాభా విస్ఫోటనం'; 1961-71లో అత్యధికంగా 24.8 శాతం. నాలుగో దశ 1981 నుంచి: పెరుగుదల ఉంది కానీ తగ్గుతూ వస్తోంది. (→ English: year of the great divide; population explosion · हिन्दी: महान विभाजक वर्ष; जनसंख्या विस्फोट)

In exam EnglishSince 1901 India's growth has passed through four phases. From 1901 to 1921 numbers barely moved: famines, epidemics and the influenza pandemic of 1918 kept death rates about as high as birth rates, and the population actually fell in 1911–21. For this reason 1921 is called the year of the great divide. From 1921 to 1951 growth was steady, as better sanitation, control of some diseases and improved food distribution lowered the death rate. From 1951 to 1981 the population grew fast, a phase often called the population explosion: death rates dropped quickly with medicine and development while birth rates stayed high, and 1961–71 recorded the highest decadal growth, about 24.8 per cent. Since 1981 growth has stayed high but has slowed steadily as birth rates have fallen.
Four phases of India's population growth since 1901
PhaseYearsBirth and death ratesResult
Stagnant1901–1921Both high; famines and epidemicsVery slow growth; a fall in 1911–21; 1921 the great divide
Steady growth1921–1951Death rate falling, birth rate highModerate, steady growth
Rapid growth1951–1981Death rate falling fast, birth rate still highPopulation explosion; peak decade 1961–71 (about 24.8%)
High but slowing1981–2011Birth rate falling steadilyGrowth slows; 2001–11 about 17.7%

జనాభా పరివర్తన అంటే ఒక సమాజం 'ఎక్కువ పుట్టుక, ఎక్కువ మరణం' నుంచి 'తక్కువ పుట్టుక, తక్కువ మరణం' వైపు మారడం. మన అమ్మమ్మ కాలంలో ఇంటికి ఆరేడుగురు పిల్లలు, కానీ చాలామంది చిన్నప్పుడే పోయేవారు; ఇప్పుడు ఇద్దరు పిల్లలు, ఇద్దరూ బతుకుతారు; ఈ మార్పే అది. మనం ఇప్పుడు మూడో దశలో ఉన్నాం. మొత్తం సంతానోత్పత్తి రేటు అంటే ఒక స్త్రీకి సగటున ఎంతమంది పిల్లలు; 2.1 అంటే జనాభా అదే స్థాయిలో ఉంటుంది. NFHS-5లో దేశం 2.0; బిహార్ దాదాపు 3, సిక్కిం దాదాపు 1.1. యువత ఎక్కువ కాబట్టి ఇంకా కొన్నేళ్లు జనాభా పెరుగుతుంది. (→ English: demographic transition; total fertility rate · हिन्दी: जनांकिकीय संक्रमण; कुल प्रजनन दर)

In exam EnglishThese phases fit the demographic transition model, which describes how a society moves from high birth and death rates to low ones. In the first stage both rates are high and growth is slow; in the second, death rates fall while birth rates stay high, so growth speeds up; in the third, birth rates fall as well and growth slows; in the fourth both are low and numbers are close to stable. India went through the second stage after 1951 and is now well into the third. Between censuses, the Registrar General's Sample Registration System tracks birth and death rates every year. The main measure of fertility is the total fertility rate, the average number of children a woman would have in her lifetime at current rates; about 2.1 is the replacement level. NFHS-5 (2019–21) put India's rate at 2.0, with Bihar the highest at about 3.0 and Sikkim the lowest at about 1.1. Even below replacement, numbers keep rising for some decades because so many Indians are young.

1952లో జాతీయ కుటుంబ నియంత్రణ కార్యక్రమం మొదలుపెట్టిన మొదటి దేశం మనదే. 1976 నాటి 42వ సవరణ 'జనాభా నియంత్రణ, కుటుంబ నియంత్రణ'ను ఉమ్మడి జాబితాలో 20A అంశంగా చేర్చింది, అంటే కేంద్రం, రాష్ట్రాలు రెండూ చట్టం చేయవచ్చు. ఇలా ఆలోచించండి: జనాభాను అదుపు చేసిన రాష్ట్రానికి లోక్‌సభ సీట్లు తగ్గితే అన్యాయం కదా; అందుకే సీట్లను 1971 లెక్కల మీదే నిలిపారు, 84వ సవరణ దాన్ని 2026 తర్వాతి లెక్కల వరకు పొడిగించింది. 2000 విధానం లక్ష్యాలు: 2010కి రేటు 2.1కి, 2045కి స్థిర జనాభా. (→ English: Concurrent List; National Population Policy · हिन्दी: समवर्ती सूची; राष्ट्रीय जनसंख्या नीति)

In exam EnglishIndia was the first country to start a national family planning programme, in 1952. The 42nd Amendment of 1976 added 'population control and family planning' to the Concurrent List as entry 20A, so both the Union and the states can make laws on it. The same amendment froze the share of Lok Sabha seats among states, and the number of seats in each state assembly, on the basis of the 1971 census until the first census after 2000, so that states which slowed their growth would not lose seats; the 84th Amendment of 2001 extended the freeze until the first census taken after 2026. The National Population Policy, 2000 set an immediate goal of meeting the unmet need for contraception and health care, a medium-term goal of bringing the total fertility rate to replacement level by 2010, and a long-term goal of a stable population by 2045, and a National Commission on Population was formed to oversee it.

ఈ భాగం మొత్తం ఒకటే కథ: జనాభా లెక్కలు సంఖ్యలు ఇస్తాయి; పంపిణీ, సాంద్రత జనం ఎక్కడ, ఎందుకు ఉన్నారో చెబుతాయి; నాలుగు దశలు ఇంత పెద్ద సంఖ్య ఎలా వచ్చిందో చెబుతాయి; పరివర్తన ఇప్పుడు పెరుగుదల ఎందుకు తగ్గుతోందో చెబుతుంది. దక్షిణ రాష్ట్రాల్లో ముందుగా తగ్గింది, ఉత్తరాన కొన్ని రాష్ట్రాలు వెనక ఉన్నాయి. ఇది ఉద్యోగాలు, బడులు, ఆసుపత్రుల అవసరం మీద, పార్లమెంటు సీట్ల మీద కూడా ప్రభావం చూపుతుంది. (→ English: population growth · हिन्दी: जनसंख्या वृद्धि)

In exam EnglishThe pieces of this part fit together. The Census supplies the numbers; distribution and density show where people live and why; growth and its four phases show how the total reached its present size; and the demographic transition explains why growth is now slowing, though unevenly, with several northern states behind the south. These differences reach well beyond geography: they shape the demand for jobs, schools and health care, and, through the freeze on seats, even the balance of representation in Parliament. Part 2 looks inside the totals at how the population is made up: by sex, age, literacy, work, language and religion.

Exam traps

Recap

Practice questions

Q1. The first synchronous census of India was held in

  1. 1872
  2. 1881
  3. 1901
  4. 1951
Show answer

Answer: B. 1881

The first synchronous census, held at one moment across the country, was in 1881. The count completed in 1872 was not synchronous; 1901 and 1951 were later rounds (1951 was the first after independence).

Q2. Consider the following statements:
1. 'Census' is an entry in the Union List of the Seventh Schedule.
2. 'Population control and family planning' is an entry in the State List.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. 1 only
  2. 2 only
  3. Both 1 and 2
  4. Neither 1 nor 2
Show answer

Answer: A. 1 only

Statement 1 is correct (Union List entry 69). Statement 2 is wrong: the 42nd Amendment placed it in the Concurrent List as entry 20A. So '2 only', 'both' and 'neither' are wrong.

Q3. In which decade did India's population record negative growth?

  1. 1901–1911
  2. 1911–1921
  3. 1921–1931
  4. 1941–1951
Show answer

Answer: B. 1911–1921

Population fell in 1911–21 because of famines, epidemics and the 1918 influenza pandemic, which is why 1921 is the year of the great divide. Growth was slow but positive in 1901–11, and positive and steady in 1921–31 and 1941–51.

Q4. According to Census 2011, which one of the following States had the highest population density?

  1. Uttar Pradesh
  2. Kerala
  3. Bihar
  4. West Bengal
Show answer

Answer: C. Bihar

Bihar was the densest state at 1,106 persons per sq km. West Bengal was second, also above 1,000; Uttar Pradesh is the most populous state but not the densest; Kerala is dense but below both Bihar and West Bengal.

Q5. Which pair of figures is compared to obtain the physiological density of population?

  1. total population to total area
  2. total population to net cultivated area
  3. agricultural population to net cultivated area
  4. urban population to total population
Show answer

Answer: B. total population to net cultivated area

Physiological density divides the total population by the net cultivated area. Total population by total area is arithmetic density; farming population by cultivated area is agricultural density; urban population by total population is the level of urbanisation, not a density.

Q6. Match the phase of population growth with its period:
A. Stagnant population — 1. 1951–1981
B. Steady growth — 2. 1901–1921
C. Population explosion — 3. 1921–1951
Select the correct code:

  1. A-2, B-3, C-1
  2. A-3, B-2, C-1
  3. A-2, B-1, C-3
  4. A-1, B-3, C-2
Show answer

Answer: A. A-2, B-3, C-1

Stagnation was 1901–21, steady growth 1921–51 and the explosion 1951–81. The second option swaps the first two phases, the third swaps steady growth and the explosion, and the fourth reverses stagnation and the explosion.

Q7. With reference to fertility in India, consider the following statements:
1. A total fertility rate of about 2.1 is regarded as the replacement level.
2. NFHS-5 (2019–21) recorded India's total fertility rate below the replacement level.
3. A total fertility rate below replacement means that the population starts falling immediately.
Which of the statements given above are correct?

  1. 1 and 2 only
  2. 2 and 3 only
  3. 1 and 3 only
  4. 1, 2 and 3
Show answer

Answer: A. 1 and 2 only

Statements 1 and 2 are correct (NFHS-5 gave 2.0). Statement 3 is wrong: with so many young people, numbers keep rising for some decades even below replacement. Every option that includes 3 is therefore wrong.

Q8. The National Population Policy, 2000 set which of the following as its long-term objective?

  1. Meeting the unmet need for contraception
  2. Bringing the total fertility rate to replacement level by 2010
  3. Achieving a stable population by 2045
  4. Freezing Lok Sabha seats on the 1971 census
Show answer

Answer: C. Achieving a stable population by 2045

The long-term objective was a stable population by 2045. Meeting the unmet need for contraception was the immediate objective, and replacement-level fertility by 2010 the medium-term one; the seat freeze came from constitutional amendments, not from the policy.

All partsNext: Part 2 →

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