Population & Demography

📖 The Census of India

Conducted every 10 years since 1872 (uninterrupted since 1881), the Census is India's primary source of comprehensive demographic data — covering population size, literacy, sex ratio, urbanisation, religion, and more, and is used extensively for policy planning, constituency delimitation, and resource allocation.

📈 The demographic dividend

India currently benefits from a "demographic dividend" — a large working-age population (15-64 years) relative to dependents, which can potentially boost economic growth if matched with sufficient education, skill development, and employment opportunities. However, this dividend is time-limited and depends heavily on whether the labour force can be productively absorbed into the economy.

📊 Key demographic indicators

• Sex ratio — number of females per 1,000 males; India's sex ratio has historically been skewed, partly due to sex-selective practices, though it has shown gradual improvement.
• Total Fertility Rate (TFR) — average number of children a woman is expected to have; India's TFR has fallen below the replacement level of 2.1 in recent years, signalling a demographic transition.
• Life expectancy — has risen substantially since independence due to improvements in healthcare and living standards.