जनसंख्‍या

India's population, as on 1 March 2001 stood at 1,028 million (532.1 million males and 496.4 million females). India accounts for a meagre 2.4 per cent of the world surface area of 135.79 million sq km. Yet, it supports and sustains a whopping 16.7 per cent of the world population.

The population of India, which at the turn of the twentieth century was around 238.4 million, increased to reach 1,028 million at the dawn of the twenty-first century. The population of India, as recorded at each decennial census from 1901, has grown steadily except for a decrease during 1911-21.

The per cent decadal growth of population in the inter-censal period 1991-2001 varies from a low of 9.42 in Kerala to a very high 64.41 in Nagaland. Delhi with 46.31 per cent, Chandigarh with 40.33 per cent, and Sikkim with 32.98 per cent registered very high growth rates. In addition to Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh registered low growth rates during 1991-2001. The per cent decadal growth rate has declined during the census decade 1991-2001, as compared to the previous census decade, in all the States/Union Territories except Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Sikkim, Nagaland, Manipur, Gujarat, Daman and Diu, and Dadra and Nagar Haveli. The States and Union Territories that have shown increases in per cent decadal growth together constitute about 32 per cent of India's population.