India is a union of twenty-eight states and eight union territories. As of 2011, with an estimated population of 1.210 billion, India occupies 2.4 percent of the world's land surface area but is home to 17.5 percent of the world's population. The Indo-Gangetic Plain is among the most densely populated areas of the world. The eastern and western coastal regions of Deccan Traps are also densely populated regions of India. The Thar Desert in western Rajasthan is one of the most densely populated deserts in the world. The northern and north-eastern states along the Himalayas contain cold arid deserts with fertile valleys. These states have less population density due to indomitable physical barriers.
Census of India The first population census in India was conducted in 1873. Since then the a decennial census has been conducted in 1881, 1891, 1901, 1911, 1921, 1931, and 1941 by the Government. Since India's independence in 1947, a census has been carried out every 10 years by the Indian Government, starting from 1951. The census in India is carried out by the Office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner under the Ministry of Home Affairs, and is one of the largest administrative tasks conducted by a federal government.
Latest population figures are based on data from the 2011 census of India. During the decade of 2001–2011, India's annual population rising rate has slowed down from 2.15 to 1.76. Based on decennial census data, Dadra and Nagar Haveli shows the highest growth rate of 55.5 percent. It is followed by Daman and Diu (53.5 percent), Meghalaya (27.8 percent) and Arunachal Pradesh (25.9 percent). Nagaland recorded the lowest growth rate of -0.5 percent.
India has 641,000 inhabited villages and 72.2 percent of the total population reside in these rural areas. Of them, 145,000 villages have a population size of 500–999 persons; 130,000 villages have a population size of 1000–1999 and 128,000 villages have a population size of 200–499. There are 3,961 villages that have a population of 10,000 persons or more. India's 27.8 percent urban population lives in more than 5,100 towns and over 380 urban agglomerations. In the decade of 1991–2001, migration to major cities caused a rapid increase in urban population. On the basis of net migrants by last residence during the past decade, Maharashtra had the most immigration with 2.3 million, followed by the National Capital Territory of Delhi (1.7 million), Gujarat (0.68 million) and Haryana (0.67 million). Uttar Pradesh (−2.6 million) and Bihar (−1.7 million) topped the list for interstate emigration. The four states of Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Bihar, West Bengal and account for almost half (48.89 percent) of the total Indian population.
By past population The total geographical area of India is . As per census data 2011, the total population of India is: 1,210,193,422.
Administrative divisionsPopulation as per CensusEmblemName1951196119711981199120012011 StatesUttar Pradesh60,274,80070,144,16083,849,775105,113,300132,062,800166,053,600199,581,477 Maharashtra32,002,50039,554,90050,412,24062,782,82078,937,19096,752,500112,372,972 Bihar29,085,90034,841,49042,126,80052,303,00064,531,20082,879,910103,804,630 West Bengal26,300,67034,926,00044,312,01754,580,65068,077,97080,221,30091,347,736 Madhya Pradesh18,615,70023,218,95030,017,18038,169,50048,566,80060,385,09072,597,565 Tamil Nadu30,119,68033,687,10041,199,17048,408,08055,859,30062,111,39072,138,958 Rajasthan15,971,13020,156,54025,765,81034,361,86044,005,99056,473,30068,621,012 Karnataka19,402,50023,587,91029,299,01537,135,71044,977,20052,734,98661,130,704 Gujarat16,263,70020,633,30526,697,48834,085,80041,309,58050,597,20060,383,628 Andhra Pradesh31,115,00035,983,48043,502,71053,551,03066,508,17075,728,40084,580,777Odisha14,646,10017,549,50021,944,62526,370,27031,659,74036,707,90041,947,358 TelanganaN/AN/AN/AN/AN/AN/A35,193,978 Kerala13,549,00016,904,56021,347,30025,453,68029,098,52331,839,000 33,387,677 Jharkhand9,697,30011,606,50414,227,49317,612,00021,844,55026,946,07032,988,134Assam8,029,10010,837,70014,625,15718,041,25022,414,32026,638,600 31,169,272 Punjab9,160,99011,135,40413,551,06916,788,92020,281,97124,289,13027,704,236 Haryana5,674,4007,591,19010,036,43012,922,12216,464,60021,083,90025,753,081 Chhattisgarh7,457,700 9,154,33011,637,80014,010,11017,615,60020,834,53025,540,196 Uttarakhand2,946,9003,611,2004,493,8005,726,5507,051,6008,489,10010,116,752 Himachal Pradesh2,386,9402,812,3003,460,4344,280,8185,170,8776,077,4536,856,509 Tripura639,9841,142,2821,556,3422,053,0582,757,2053,191,8803,671,032 Meghalaya606,300769,9901,011,6991,335,8191,774,7782,306,5402,964,007 Manipur578,060780,3401,073,5091,421,2901,837,9002,294,4802,721,756 Nagaland213,700369,309 516,110 775,5701,210,4921,990,2751,980,602 Goa547,000 590,875795,9971,008,3731,170,1151,348,9001,457,723 Arunachal PradeshNA337,300 468,885632,502865,9001,098,3281,382,611 Mizoram196,970 266,200332,190494,440690,963889,6901,091,014 Sikkim138,093 162,863210,205316,840406,000541,902607,688 Union territories Jammu and Kashmir3,254,6503,561,1004,616,6325,987,3897,718,70010,070,30012,548,926 Delhi 1,744,500 2,659,9904,066,400 6,220,9739,421,31113,851,50316,753,235 Puducherry317,407 369,355472,836604,281808,117974,8201,244,464 Chandigarh24,948 120,480257,100452,960642,374901,0801,054,686 Andaman and Nicobar Islands31,480 64,160115,874189,496281,990356,650379,944 Dadra and Nagar Haveli 42,846 58,02074,880104,300138,290220,963342,853 Daman and Diu 49,482 37,58763,00079,842102,110158,080242,911 Lakshadweep 21,000 24,37032,90040,25052,82061,30064,429361,088,400439,235,720548,160,050683,329,900846,421,8301,028,737,6901,210,193,422
See also List of Indian states and union territories by GDP Demographics of India List of metropolitan areas in India Census in British India 2011 census of India
References
External links Official Website of Census of India
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