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National Health Profile 2018
Demographic Indicators
Highlights
Demographic indicators of a country reveals its population size, decadal growth rate of population,
territorial distribution, gender composition, changes therein and the components of changes such as nativity,
mortality and social morbidity. Demographic indicators can be divided in two parts – Population Statistics and
Vital Statistics. Population Statistics deals with size and growth of population, sex ratio, density of population etc.
while Vital Statistics deals with birth rate, death rate, and natural growth rate, life expectancy at birth, mortality
and fertility rates. State/UT wise performance of these indicators helps us to identify areas that need policy and
programme interventions, setting near and far-term goals, and deciding priorities, besides understanding them in
an integrated structure. Data in this section has been taken mainly from the “Census of India”.
India’s population, as per census 2011 stood at 12108.5 lakhs (6232.7 lakhs males and 5875.8 lakhs
females). Out of the entire census till date, the Average Annual Exponential Growth Rate has been
negative only for the decade 1911-21. During this interval, population declined marginally due to
great influenza epidemic and two successive bad harvests in West Bengal. [Table No. 1.1.1]
The sex ratio of India during 1901 was 972 females per 1000 males. Since then, it has continued
to decline decade over decade to 926 females against 1000 male in 1991 (except in 1981). The sex
ratio has further improved from 1991 it was 933 and 943 female against 1000 female in 2001 and
2011 respectively in the country as per the information available at Table No. 1.1.1 and graphic
presentation given at Figure No. 1.1.2. According to Figure No. 1.1.1, the sex ratios of 18 States/UTs
were above national average while 17 States/UTs have registered below national average.
The highest sex ratio of 1084 females per 1000 males was reported by State of Kerala followed
by Puducherry (1037/1000), Tamil Nadu (996/1000), Andhra Pradesh (993/1000), Chhattisgarh
(991/1000) and Meghalaya (989/1000). The lowest sex ratio of 618 females per 1000 males was
reported by the UT of Daman & Diu followed by Chandigarh (818/1000), NCT of Delhi (868/1000),
Andaman & Nicobar Islands (876/1000), Haryana (879/1000), Jammu & Kashmir (889/1000), Sikkim
(890/1000) and Punjab (895/1000). [Refer Table No. 1.1.2]
The graphic representation of the population density of the country is given at Figure No. 1.1.3. The
highest population density of 11320 populations per square kilometre was reported by NCT of Delhi
whereas Arunachal Pradesh has reported the lowest population density of 17. [Refer Table No. 1.1.2]
Age group-wise distribution of population of the country projected for 2015 and 2016 are given
at Table No. 1.1.4(a) and Table No. 1.1.4(b) respectively. Accordingly to Table No. 1.1.4 (b), 27%
of the total estimated population of 2016 were below the age of 14 years and majority (64.7%) of
the population were in the age group of 15-59 years i.e. economically active population and 8.5%
population were in the age group of 60 to 85+ years.
The estimated Birth Rate, Death Rate and Natural Growth Rate in India during 1991 to 2016 are given
in Table No. 1.2.1. There has been consistent decrease in the Birth Rate, Death Rate and Natural
Growth Rate in India since 1991 to 2016. As on 2016 India has registered Birth Rate of 20.4 per 1000
populations and Death Rate of 6.4 per 1000 populations while the Natural Growth Rate was 14.0 per
1000 population in India. The Birth Rate in Rural was higher than in the Urban. Similarly, the Death
Rate and Natural Growth Rate were also higher in rural as compared to the Urban.
The population, however, continues to grow, as the decline in the birth rate is not as rapid as the
decline in the death rate.