India soon to have world's largest population
India will officially overtake China as the world's most populous country once numbers are confirmed by the census due in 2021, it has been projected. India's population at the end of 2016 stood at just over 1.3bn and China's at just under 1.4bn. India's population could reach 1.7 billion by 2050. Furthermore, by 2020 the average age of an Indian will be 29, compared with 37 for China, leading experts to suggest that India's demographic advantage could push the nation to economically overtake ageing China to become the world's leading economy. "This is India's huge advantage as its youth will be a large market and workforce for the world," said Sharmila Kantha of the Confederation of Indian Industry.
Overview of the demographics of India

This article is about the people from the republic of India. For other uses, see Indian

Historical population of India and China since 1100 with projection to 2100

India is the most populous country in the world with one-sixth of the world's population. According to official estimates in 2022, India's population stood at over 1.42 billion.[5]

Between 1975 and 2010, the population doubled to 1.2 billion, reaching the billion mark in 2000. India overtook China to become the most populous country at the end of April 2023.[6] It is expected to become the first country to be home to more than 1.5 billion people by 2030, and its population is set to reach 1.7 billion by 2050.[7][8] In 2017 its population growth rate was 0.98%, ranking 112th in the world; in contrast, from 1972 to 1983, India's population grew by an annual rate of 2.3%.[9]

In 2022, the median age of an Indian was 28.7 years,[10] compared to 38.4 for China and 48.6 for Japan; and, by 2030; India's dependency ratio will be just over 0.4.[11] However, the number of children in India peaked more than a decade ago and is now falling. The number of children under the age of five peaked in 2007, and since then the number has been falling. The number of Indians under 15 years old peaked slightly later (in 2011) and is now also declining.[12]

India has more than two thousand ethnic groups,[13] and every major religion is represented, as are four major families of languages (Indo-European, Dravidian, Austroasiatic and Sino-Tibetan languages) as well as two language isolates: the Nihali language,[14] spoken in parts of Maharashtra, and the Burushaski language, spoken in parts of Jammu and Kashmir. 1,000,000 people in India are Anglo-Indians and 700,000 United States citizens are living in India.[15] They represent over 0.1% of the total population of India. Overall, only the continent of Africa exceeds the linguistic, genetic and cultural diversity of the nation of India.[16]

The sex ratio was 944 females for 1000 males in 2016, and 940 per 1000 in 2011.[17] This ratio has been showing an upwards trend for the last two decades after a continuous decline in the last century.[18]

History [ edit ]

Prehistory to early 19th century [ edit ]

The following table lists estimates for the population of India (including what are now Pakistan and Bangladesh) from prehistory up until 1820. It includes estimates and growth rates according to five economic historians, along with interpolated estimates and overall aggregate averages derived from their estimates.[19] [20]

Estimates of historical world population

The population grew from the South Asian Stone Age in 10,000 BC to the Maurya Empire in 200 BC at a steadily increasing growth rate,[21] before population growth slowed down in the Early Medieval Era up to 700 AD, and then started decreasing the up to 1500 AD.[22][23]

Under Mughal Empire, India experienced a high economic and demographic upsurge,[21] due to Mughal agrarian reforms that intensified agricultural production.[24] 15% of the population lived in urban centres, higher than the percentage of the population in 19th-century British India[25] and contemporary Europe[25] up until the 19th century.[26] Those estimates were criticised by Tim Dyson, who considers them exaggerations. According to Dyson, urbanisation of the Mughal empire was less than 9%[27]

Under the reign of Akbar (reigned 1556–1605) in 1600, the Mughal Empire's urban population was up to 17 million people, larger than the urban population in Europe.[28] By 1700, Mughal India had an urban population of 23 million people, larger than British India's urban population of 22.3 million in 1871.[29] Nizamuddin Ahmad (1551–1621) reported that, under Akbar's reign, Mughal India had 120 large cities and 3,200 townships.[25] A number of cities in India had a population between a quarter-million and half-million people,[25] with larger cities including Agra (in Agra Subah) with up to 800,000 people[30] and Dhaka (in Bengal Subah) with over 1 million people.[31] Mughal India also had a large number of villages, with 455,698 villages by the time of Aurangzeb (reigned 1658–1707).[28]

Late 19th century to early 20th century [ edit ]

The total fertility rate is the number of children born per woman. It is based on fairly good data for the entire years. Sources: Our World in Data and Gapminder Foundation.[32]

Years 1880 1881 1882 1883 1884 1885 1886 1887 1888 1889 1890 1902[32] Total Fertility Rate in India 5.95 5.92 5.89 5.86 5.82 5.79 4.38 5.76 5.76 5.75 5.75 5.75

Years 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930[32] Total Fertility Rate in India 5.761 5.77 5.78 5.79 5.8 5.81 5.82 5.83 5.85 5.86

Life expectancy from 1881 to 1950

Years 1881 1891 1901 1905 1911 1915 1921 1925 1931 1935 1941 1950[33] Life expectancy in India 25.4 24.3 23.5 24.0 23.2 24.0 24.9 27.6 29.3 31.0 32.6 35.4

The population of India under the British Raj (including what are now Pakistan and Bangladesh) according to censuses:

Studies of India's population since 1881 have focused on such topics as total population, birth and death rates, geographic distribution, literacy, the rural and urban divide, cities of a million, and the three cities with populations over eight million: Delhi, Greater Mumbai (Bombay), and Kolkata (Calcutta).[37]

Mortality rates fell in the period 1920–45, primarily due to biological immunisation. Suggestions that it was the benefits of colonialism are refuted by academic thinking: "There can be no serious, informed belief… that… late colonial era mortality diminished and population grew rapidly because of improvements in income, living standards, nutrition, environmental standards, sanitation or health policies, nor was there a cultural transformation…".[38]





Salient features [ edit ]



(per 1000 births, under age 1, national average) Infant mortality rate trends in India(per 1000 births, under age 1, national average)

India occupies 2.41% of the world's land area but supports over 18% of the world's population. At the 2001 census 72.2% of the population[42] lived in about 638,000 villages[43] and the remaining 27.8%[42] lived in more than 5,100 towns and over 380 urban agglomerations.[44]

India's population exceeded that of the entire continent of Africa by 200 million people in 2010.[45] However, because Africa's population growth is nearly double that of India, it is expected to surpass both China and India by 2025.[citation needed]

Comparative demographics [ edit ]

Comparative demographics Category Global ranking References Area 7th [46] Population 1st [46] Population growth rate 102nd of 212 in 2010[47] Population density 24th of 212 in 2010[47] Male to Female ratio, at birth 12th of 214 in 2009[48]

List of states and union territories by demographics [ edit ]

Population growth of India per decade[49] Census year Population Change (%) 1951 361,088,003 – 1961 439,235,000 21.6 1971 548,160,000 24.8 1981 683,329,000 24.7 1991 846,387,888 23.9 2001 1,028,737,436 21.5 2011 1,210,193,422 17.7

Religious demographics [ edit ]

The table below summarises India's demographics (excluding the Mao-Maram, Paomata and Purul subdivisions of Senapati district of Manipur state due to cancellation of census results) according to religion at the 2011 census in per cent. The data are "unadjusted" (without excluding Assam and Jammu and Kashmir); the 1981 census was not conducted in Assam and the 1991 census was not conducted in Jammu and Kashmir. Missing citing/reference for "Changes in religious demagraphics over time" table below.

Religious populations' numbers (2011)[53] Religion Population Percentage (%) Hindus 966,378,868 79.80 Muslims 172,245,158 14.23 Christians 27,819,588 2.30 Sikhs 20,833,116 1.72 Buddhists 8,442,972 0.70 Jains 4,451,753 0.37 Others 7,937,734 0.66 Not Stated 2,867,303 0.24 Changes in religious demographics over time Religious

group Population

% 1951 Population

% 1961 Population

% 1971 Population

% 1981 Population

% 1991 Population

% 2001 Population

% 2011[54] Hinduism 84.1% 83.45% 82.73% 82.30% 81.53% 80.46% 79.80% Islam 9.8% 10.69% 11.21% 11.75% 12.61% 13.43% 14.23% Christianity 2.3% 2.44% 2.60% 2.44% 2.32% 2.34% 2.30% Sikhism 1.79% 1.79% 1.89% 1.92% 1.94% 1.87% 1.72% Buddhism 0.74% 0.74% 0.70% 0.70% 0.77% 0.77% 0.70% Jainism 0.46% 0.46% 0.48% 0.47% 0.40% 0.41% 0.37% Zoroastrianism 0.13% 0.09% 0.09% 0.09% 0.08% 0.06% n/a Others/Religion not specified 0.43% 0.43% 0.41% 0.42% 0.44% 0.72% 0.9%

Characteristics of religious groups[54]

Religious

group Population (2011)

% Growth

(2001–2011)[55][56] Sex ratio (2011)

(total)[57] Sex ratio (2011)

(rural) Sex ratio (2011)

(urban) Sex ratio (2011)

(child)[58] Literacy (2011)

(%)[59] Work participation (2011)

(%)[57][60] Hinduism 79.80% 16.8% 939 946 921 913 73.3% 41.0% Islam 14.23% 24.6% 951 957 941 943 68.5% 32.6% Christianity 2.30% 15.5% 1023 1008 1046 958 84.5% 41.9% Sikhism 1.72% 8.4% 903 905 898 828 75.4% 36.3% Buddhism 0.70% 6.1% 965 960 973 933 81.3% 43.1% Jainism 0.37% 5.4% 954 935 959 889 94.9% 35.5% Others/Religion Not Specified 0.90% n/a 959 947 975 974 n/a n/a

[61] Percentage of total population of India's administrative divisions made up by Muslims (2011)

Neonatal and infant demographics [ edit ]

[62] The data suggest the existence of high sex ratios before and after the arrival of ultrasound-based prenatal care and sex screening technologies in India. Male to female sex ratio for India, based on its official census data, from 1941 through 2011.The data suggest the existence of high sex ratios before and after the arrival of ultrasound-based prenatal care and sex screening technologies in India.

The table below represents the infant mortality rate trends in India, based on sex, over the last 15 years. In the urban areas of India, average male infant mortality rates are slightly higher than average female infant mortality rates.[63]

Infant mortality rate trend (deaths per 1000) As per NFHS & UNICEF Data. Year Male Female Total 1998[64] 69.8 73.5 71.6 2005[63] 56.3 58 57[65] 2009[66] 49 52 – 2014[67] 43.7 37.90 40.7[65] 2018[68] 29.95 29.88 29.94[68]

Some activists believe India's 2011 census shows a serious decline in the number of girls under the age of seven – activists posit that eight million female fetuses may have been aborted between 2001 and 2011.[69] These claims are controversial. Scientists who study human sex ratios and demographic trends suggest that a birth sex ratio between 1.08 and 1.12 can be due to natural factors, such as the age of mother at the baby's birth, the age of father at conception, number of babies per couple, economic stress, endocrinological factors, and others.[70] The 2011 census birth sex ratio in India, of 917 girls to 1000 boys, is similar to birth sex ratios (870–930 girls to 1000 boys) observed in Japanese, Chinese, Cuban, Filipino and Hawaiian ethnic groups in the United States between 1940 and 2005. They are also similar to birth sex ratios (below 900 girls to 1000 boys) observed in mothers of different age groups and gestation periods in the United States.[71][72]

Population within the age group of 0–6 [ edit ]

Population between age 0–6 by state/union territory[73] State or UT code State or UT Total Male Female Difference 1 Jammu and Kashmir 2,008,670 1,080,662 927,982 152,680 2 Himachal Pradesh 763,864 400,681 363,183 37,498 3 Punjab 2,941,570 1,593,262 1,348,308 244,954 4 Chandigarh 117,953 63,187 54,766 8,421 5 Uttarakhand 1,328,844 704,769 624,075 80,694 6 Haryana 3,297,724 1,802,047 1,495,677 306,370 7 Delhi 1,970,510 1,055,735 914,775 140,960 8 Rajasthan 10,504,916 5,580,212 4,924,004 656,208 9 Uttar Pradesh 29,728,235 15,653,175 14,075,060 1,578,115 10 Bihar 18,582,229 9,615,280 8,966,949 648,331 11 Sikkim 61,077 31,418 29,659 1,759 12 Arunachal Pradesh 202,759 103,430 99,330 4,100 13 Nagaland 285,981 147,111 138,870 8,241 14 Manipur 353,237 182,684 170,553 12,131 15 Mizoram 165,536 83,965 81,571 2,394 16 Tripura 444,055 227,354 216,701 10,653 17 Meghalaya 555,822 282,189 273,633 8,556 18 Assam 4,511,307 2,305,088 2,206,219 98,869 19 West Bengal 10,112,599 5,187,264 4,925,335 261,929 20 Jharkhand 5,237,582 2,695,921 2,541,661 154,260 21 Odisha 5,035,650 2,603,208 2,432,442 170,766 22 Chhattisgarh 3,584,028 1,824,987 1,759,041 65,946 23 Madhya Pradesh 10,548,295 5,516,957 5,031,338 485,619 24 Gujarat 7,564,464 3,974,286 3,519,890 454,396 25 Daman and Diu 25,880 13,556 12,314 1,242 26 Dadra and Nagar Haveli 49,196 25,575 23,621 1,954 27 Maharashtra 12,848,375 6,822,262 6,026,113 796,149 28 Andhra Pradesh 8,642,686 4,448,330 4,194,356 253,974 29 Karnataka 6,855,801 3,527,844 3,327,957 199,887 30 Goa 139,495 72,669 66,826 5,843 31 Lakshadweep 7,088 3,715 3,373 342 32 Kerala 3,322,247 1,695,889 1,626,358 69,531 33 Tamil Nadu 6,894,821 3,542,351 3,352,470 189,881 34 Puducherry 127,610 64,932 62,678 2,254 35 Andaman and Nicobar Islands 39,497 20,094 19,403 691 – Total (India) 158,789,287 82,952,135 75,837,152 7,114,983

Population above the age of seven [ edit ]

[74] Life expectancy map of India, 2011–2016.

Population above the age of seven by state/union territory[73] State or UT code State or UT Total Male Female 1 Jammu and Kashmir – – – 2 Himachal Pradesh – – – 3 Punjab – – – 4 Chandigarh – – – 5 Uttarakhand – – – 6 Haryana 22,055,357 11,703,083 10,352,274 7 Delhi 14,782,725 7,920,675 6,862,050 8 Rajasthan 58,116,096 30,039,874 28,076,222 9 Uttar Pradesh 169,853,242 88,943,240 80,910,002 10 Bihar 85,222,408 44,570,067 40,652,341 11 Sikkim 546,611 290,243 256,368 12 Arunachal Pradesh 1,179,852 616,802 563,050 13 Nagaland 1,694,621 878,596 816,025 14 Manipur 2,368,519 1,187,080 1,181,439 15 Mizoram 925,478 468,374 457,104 16 Tripura 3,226,977 1,644,513 1,582,464 17 Meghalaya 2,408,185 1,210,479 1,197,706 18 Assam 26,657,965 13,649,839 13,008,126 19 West Bengal 81,235,137 41,740,125 39,495,012 20 Jharkhand 27,728,656 14,235,767 13,492,889 21 Odisha 36,911,708 18,598,470 18,313,238 22 Chhattisgarh 21,956,168 11,002,928 10,953,240 23 Madhya Pradesh 62,049,270 32,095,963 29,953,307 24 Gujarat 52,889,452 27,507,996 25,381,456 25 Daman and Diu 217,031 136,544 80,487 26 Dadra and Nagar Haveli 293,657 167,603 126,054 27 Maharashtra 99,524,597 51,539,135 47,985,462 28 Andhra Pradesh 76,022,847 38,061,551 37,961,296 29 Karnataka 54,274,903 27,529,898 26,745,005 30 Goa 1,318,228 668,042 650,186 31 Lakshadweep 57,341 29,391 27,950 32 Kerala – – – 33 Tamil Nadu 65,244,137 32,616,520 32,627,617 34 Puducherry 1,116,854 545,553 571,301 35 Andaman and Nicobar Islands 340,447 182,236 158,211 – Total (India) 1,051,404,135 540,772,113 510,632,022

Literacy rate [ edit ]

[75] Literacy rate map of India, 2011.

Literacy rate by state/union territory[73] State or UT code State or UT Overall (%) Male (%) Female (%) 1 Jammu and Kashmir 68.74 76.75 58.01 2 Himachal Pradesh 83.78 90.83 76.60 3 Punjab 86.60 81.48 71.34 4 Chandigarh 86.43 90.54 81.38 5 Uttarakhand 79.63 88.33 70.70 6 Haryana 76.64 85.38 66.77 7 Delhi 86.34 91.03 80.93 8 Rajasthan 67.06 80.51 52.66 9 Uttar Pradesh 69.72 79.24 59.26 10 Bihar 63.82 73.39 53.33 11 Sikkim 82.20 87.29 76.43 12 Arunachal Pradesh 66.95 73.69 59.57 13 Nagaland 80.11 83.29 76.69 14 Manipur 79.85 86.49 73.17 15 Mizoram 91.58 93.72 89.40 16 Tripura 87.75 92.18 83.15 17 Meghalaya 75.48 77.17 73.78 18 Assam 73.18 78.81 67.27 19 West Bengal 77.08 82.67 71.16 20 Jharkhand 67.63 78.45 56.21 21 Odisha 72.90 82.40 64.36 22 Chhattisgarh 71.04 81.45 60.59 23 Madhya Pradesh 70.63 80.53 60.02 24 Gujarat 79.31 87.23 70.73 25 Daman and Diu 87.07 91.48 79.59 26 Dadra and Nagar Haveli 77.65 86.46 65.93 27 Maharashtra 83.20 89.82 75.48 28 Andhra Pradesh[76] 67.35 74.77 59.96 29 Karnataka 75.60 82.85 68.13 30 Goa 87.40 92.81 81.84 31 Lakshadweep 92.28 96.11 88.25 32 Kerala 93.91 96.02 91.98 33 Tamil Nadu 80.33 86.81 73.86 34 Puducherry 86.55 92.12 81.22 35 Andaman and Nicobar Islands 86.27 90.11 81.84 – Overall (India) 74.03 82.14 65.46

Linguistic demographics [ edit ]

According to the 2001 census, 41.03% of the Indians spoke Hindi natively, while the rest spoke Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Maithili, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Odia, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu, Urdu and a variety of other languages. There are a total of 122 languages and 234 mother tongues spoken in India. Of these, 22 languages are specified in the Eighth Schedule of Indian Constitution, while 100 are non-specified.

The table below excludes Mao-Maram, Paomata and Purul subdivisions of Senapati District of Manipur state due to cancellation of census results.

Largest cities of India [ edit ]

Vital statistics [ edit ]

UN estimates [ edit ]

United Nations, World Population Prospects: The 2022 revision – India[79] Year Mid-year population Births per year Deaths per year Natural change per year Crude birth rate

(per 1000) Crude death rate

(per 1000) Natural change

(per 1000) Total Fertility rate Infant mortality (per 1000) Life expectancy 1950 357,021,000 15,651,000 7,942,000 7,709,000 43.8 22.2 21.6 5.73 181.2 41.7 1951 364,922,000 16,042,000 8,171,000 7,871,000 44.0 22.4 21.6 5.77 180.1 41.7 1952 372,997,000 16,458,000 8,293,000 8,165,000 44.1 22.2 21.9 5.82 177.5 42.0 1953 381,228,000 16,857,000 8,442,000 8,415,000 44.2 22.1 22.1 5.87 175.3 42.2 1954 389,731,000 17,247,000 8,414,000 8,833,000 44.2 21.6 22.7 5.91 172.2 43.0 1955 398,578,000 17,549,000 8,468,000 9,081,000 44.0 21.2 22.8 5.91 169.7 43.4 1956 407,657,000 17,844,000 8,533,000 9,310,000 43.8 20.9 22.8 5.91 167.3 43.8 1957 416,935,000 18,128,000 8,618,000 9,510,000 43.5 20.7 22.8 5.91 165.0 44.1 1958 426,296,000 18,370,000 8,673,000 9,696,000 43.1 20.3 22.7 5.90 162.7 44.4 1959 435,900,000 18,593,000 8,688,000 9,905,000 42.6 19.9 22.7 5.89 160.3 44.9 1960 445,955,000 18,958,000 8,756,000 10,201,000 42.5 19.6 22.9 5.92 158.2 45.2 1961 456,352,000 19,301,000 8,874,000 10,427,000 42.3 19.4 22.8 5.94 156.4 45.4 1962 467,024,000 19,663,000 8,969,000 10,693,000 42.1 19.2 22.9 5.95 154.5 45.7 1963 477,934,000 20,031,000 9,064,000 10,966,000 41.9 19.0 22.9 5.97 152.7 45.9 1964 489,059,000 20,407,000 9,177,000 11,230,000 41.7 18.8 23.0 5.98 151.1 46.2 1965 500,114,000 20,679,000 9,824,000 10,855,000 41.3 19.6 21.7 5.94 156.4 45.0 1966 510,993,000 20,913,000 9,886,000 11,027,000 40.9 19.3 21.6 5.88 154.7 45.3 1967 521,987,000 21,193,000 9,963,000 11,231,000 40.6 19.1 21.5 5.83 153.1 45.7 1968 533,432,000 21,454,000 9,486,000 11,968,000 40.2 17.8 22.4 5.76 145.0 47.5 1969 545,315,000 21,704,000 9,551,000 12,154,000 39.8 17.5 22.3 5.68 143.3 47.9 1970 557,501,000 22,043,000 9,606,000 12,437,000 39.5 17.2 22.3 5.62 141.7 48.2 1971 569,999,000 22,483,000 9,658,000 12,825,000 39.4 16.9 22.5 5.57 139.9 48.6 1972 582,838,000 22,835,000 9,702,000 13,133,000 39.2 16.6 22.5 5.48 138.5 49.0 1973 596,107,000 23,230,000 9,701,000 13,529,000 39.0 16.3 22.7 5.40 136.3 49.5 1974 609,722,000 23,559,000 9,628,000 13,931,000 38.6 15.8 22.8 5.33 133.3 50.2 1975 623,524,000 23,660,000 9,592,000 14,068,000 37.9 15.4 22.6 5.20 130.7 50.8 1976 637,451,000 24,021,000 9,572,000 14,449,000 37.7 15.0 22.7 5.13 127.9 51.4 1977 651,686,000 24,042,000 9,555,000 14,487,000 36.9 14.7 22.2 5.01 124.9 51.9 1978 666,268,000 24,243,000 9,520,000 14,723,000 36.4 14.3 22.1 4.89 121.7 52.5 1979 681,248,000 24,699,000 9,515,000 15,184,000 36.3 14.0 22.3 4.81 118.4 53.1 1980 696,828,000 25,235,000 9,530,000 15,705,000 36.2 13.7 22.5 4.78 115.2 53.6 1981 712,869,000 25,683,000 9,532,000 16,151,000 36.0 13.4 22.7 4.70 112.1 54.2 1982 729,169,000 25,964,000 9,512,000 16,452,000 35.6 13.0 22.6 4.62 109.3 54.7 1983 745,827,000 26,329,000 9,487,000 16,842,000 35.3 12.7 22.6 4.57 106.7 55.3 1984 762,890,005 26,777,000 9,471,000 17,307,000 35.1 12.4 22.7 4.52 104.2 55.8 1985 780,242,000 27,001,000 9,444,000 17,558,000 34.6 12.1 22.5 4.43 101.8 56.3 1986 797,879,000 27,522,000 9,434,000 18,088,000 34.5 11.8 22.7 4.40 99.4 56.8 1987 815,716,000 27,478,000 9,400,000 18,077,000 33.7 11.5 22.2 4.31 97.0 57.3 1988 833,730,000 27,654,000 9,369,000 18,286,000 33.2 11.2 21.9 4.22 94.6 57.8 1989 852,013,000 27,733,000 9,335,000 18,398,000 32.5 11.0 21.6 4.13 92.2 58.2 1990 870,452,000 27,692,000 9,306,000 18,386,000 31.8 10.7 21.1 4.05 89.8 58.7 1991 888,942,000 27,937,000 9,295,000 18,642,000 31.4 10.5 21.0 3.96 87.6 59.1 1992 907,574,000 28,057,000 9,285,000 18,772,000 30.9 10.2 20.7 3.88 85.5 59.5 1993 926,351,000 28,055,000 9,283,000 18,772,000 30.3 10.0 20.3 3.80 83.5 59.8 1994 945,262,000 28,207,000 9,270,000 18,937,000 29.8 9.8 20.0 3.72 81.4 60.2 1995 964,279,000 28,314,000 9,269,000 19,044,000 29.4 9.6 19.7 3.65 79.3 60.6 1996 983,281,000 28,305,000 9,262,000 19,043,000 28.8 9.4 19.4 3.58 77.1 61.0 1997 1,002,335,000 28,341,000 9,251,000 19,090,000 28.3 9.2 19.0 3.51 74.8 61.4 1998 1,021,435,000 28,381,000 9,245,000 19,136,000 27.8 9.1 18.7 3.45 72.5 61.8 1999 1,040,500,000 28,365,000 9,235,000 19,130,000 27.3 8.9 18.4 3.38 70.2 62.2 2000 1,059,634,000 28,615,000 9,221,000 19,394,000 27.0 8.7 18.3 3.35 67.8 62.7 2001 1,078,971,000 28,843,000 9,235,000 19,608,000 26.7 8.6 18.2 3.30 65.4 63.1 2002 1,098,313,000 28,648,000 9,186,000 19,462,000 26.1 8.4 17.7 3.22 63.1 63.6 2003 1,117,415,000 28,356,000 9,150,000 19,206,000 25.4 8.2 17.2 3.12 60.8 64.1 2004 1,136,265,000 28,099,000 9,136,000 18,963,000 24.7 8.0 16.7 3.05 58.6 64.5 2005 1,154,639,000 27,646,000 9,096,000 18,550,000 23.9 7.9 16.1 2.96 56.3 65.0 2006 1,172,374,000 27,229,000 9,080,000 18,149,000 23.2 7.7 15.5 2.86 54.1 65.4 2007 1,189,692,000 27,030,000 9,095,000 17,935,000 22.7 7.6 15.1 2.78 51.9 65.8 2008 1,206,735,000 26,890,000 9,123,000 17,767,000 22.3 7.6 14.7 2.72 49.6 66.1 2009 1,223,640,000 26,848,000 9,154,000 17,694,000 21.9 7.5 14.5 2.67 47.4 66.5 2010 1,240,614,000 26,599,000 9,162,000 17,437,000 21.4 7.4 14.1 2.60 45.2 66.9 2011 1,257,621,191 26,342,000 9,139,000 17,203,000 20.9 7.3 13.7 2.54 43.0 67.4 2012 1,274,487,215 26,027,000 9,072,000 16,954,000 20.4 7.1 13.3 2.47 40.8 67.9 2013 1,291,132,063 25,740,000 8,987,000 16,753,000 19.9 7.0 13.0 2.41 38.7 68.5 2014 1,307,246,509 24,899,000 8,876,000 16,023,000 19.0 6.8 12.3 2.31 36.7 69.1 2015 1,322,866,505 24,828,000 8,826,000 16,003,000 18.8 6.7 12.1 2.29 34.7 69.6 2016 1,338,636,340 24,783,000 8,839,000 15,944,000 18.5 6.6 11.9 2.27 32.8 70.1 2017 1,354,195,680 24,254,000 8,928,000 15,326,000 17.9 6.6 11.3 2.20 31.1 70.5 2018 1,369,003,306 24,168,000 9,098,000 15,070,000 17.7 6.6 11.0 2.18 29.4 70.7 2019 1,383,112,050 23,583,000 9,281,000 14,302,000 17.0 6.7 10.3 2.11 27.9 70.9 2020 1,396,387,127 23,139,000 10,262,000 12,876,000 16.6 7.4 9.2 2.05 26.6 70.1 2021 1,407,563,842 23,114,000 13,300,000 9,814,000 16.4 9.4 7.0 2.03 25.5 67.2 2022 1,417,173,173 23,053,156 12,859,429 10,193,727 16.3 9.1 7.2

Census of India: sample registration system [ edit ]

[80] Total fertility rate map: average births per woman by states and union territories, 2012

Total fertility rate map: average births per woman by districts, 2011

Census of India: sample registration system[81][82][83][84] Year Average population

Live births1 Deaths1 Natural change Crude birth rate

(per 1000) Crude death rate

(per 1000) Natural change

(per 1000) Total fertility rate 1981 716,493,000 24,289,000 8,956,000 15,333,000 33.9 12.5 21.4 4.52 1982 733,152,000 24,781,000 8,725,000 16,056,000 33.8 11.9 21.9 4.5 1983 750,034,000 25,276,000 8,925,000 16,351,000 33.7 11.9 21.8 4.5 1984 767,147,000 26,006,000 9,666,000 16,340,000 33.9 12.6 21.3 4.5 1985 784,491,000 25,810,000 9,257,000 16,553,000 32.9 11.8 21.1 4.3 1986 802,052,000 26,147,000 8,903,000 17,244,000 32.6 11.1 21.5 4.15 1987 819,800,000 26,316,000 8,936,000 17,380,000 32.1 10.9 21.2 4.1 1988 837,700,000 26,388,000 9,215,000 17,173,000 31.5 11.0 20.5 4.0 1989 855,707,000 26,185,000 8,814,000 17,371,000 30.6 10.3 20.3 3.9 1990 873,785,000 26,388,000 8,476,000 17,912,000 30.2 9.7 20.5 3.8 1991 891,910,000 26,133,000 8,741,000 17,392,000 29.3 9.8 19.5 3.64 1992 910,065,000 26,392,000 9,192,000 17,200,000 29.0 10.1 18.9 3.6 1993 928,226,000 26,640,000 8,633,000 18,007,000 0 9.3 19.4 3.5 1994 946,373,000 27,161,000 8,801,000 18,360,000 28.7 9.3 19.4 3.5 1995 964,486,000 27,295,000 8,680,000 18,615,000 28.3 9.0 19.3 3.5 1996 982,553,000 26,824,000 8,745,000 18,079,000 27.3 8.9 18.4 3.40 1997 1,000,558,000 27,215,000 8,905,000 18,310,000 27.2 8.9 18.3 3.3 1998 1,018,471,000 26,989,000 9,166,000 17,823,000 26.5 9.0 17.5 3.2 1999 1,036,259,000 26,943,000 9,015,000 17,928,000 26.0 8.7 17.3 3.2 2000 1,053,898,000 27,191,000 8,958,000 18,233,000 25.8 8.5 17.3 3.2 2001 1,071,374,000 27,213,000 9,000,000 18,213,000 25.4 8.4 17.0 3.10 2002 1,088,694,000 27,217,000 8,818,000 18,399,000 25.0 8.1 16.9 3.0 2003 1,105,886,000 27,426,000 8,847,000 18,579,000 24.8 8.0 16.8 3.0 2004 1,122,991,000 27,064,000 8,422,000 18,642,000 24.1 7.5 16.6 2.9 2005 1,140,043,000 27,133,000 8,664,000 18,469,000 23.8 7.6 16.2 2.9 2006 1,157,039,000 27,190,000 8,678,000 18,512,000 23.5 7.5 16.0 2.79 2007 1,134,024,000 26,195,954 8,391,778 17,804,176 23.1 7.4 15.7 2.7 2008 1,150,196,000 26,224,469 8,511,450 17,713,019 22.8 7.4 15.4 2.6 2009 1,166,228,000 26,240,130 8,513,464 17,726,666 22.5 7.3 15.2 2.6 2010 1,182,108,000 26,124,587 8,511,178 17,613,409 22.1 7.2 14.9 2.5 2011 1,197,658,000 26,108,944 8,503,372 17,605,572 21.8 7.1 14.7 2.44 2012 1,212,827,000 26,197,063 8,489,789 17,707,274 21.6 7.0 14.6 2.38 2013 1,227,012,000 26,258,057 8,589,084 17,668,973 21.4 7.0 14.4 2.34 2014 1,243,542,000 25,904,377 8,264,730 17,639,647 21.0 6.7 14.3 2.32 2015 1,259,108,000 26,189,446 8,184,202 18,005,244 20.8 6.5 14.3 2.27 2016 1,273,986,000 25,989,314 8,153,510 17,835,804 20.4 6.4 14.0 2.26 2017[85] 1,288,522,000 26,028,144 8,117,689 17,910,455 20.2 6.3 13.9 2.18 2018 1,324,609,000 26,492,180 8,212,576 18,279,604 20.0 6.2 13.8 2.15 2019 1,338,995,000 24,820,886 7,641,076 17,179,810 18.5 5.7 12.8 2.08[86] 2020 1,353,378,000 24,222,444 8,115,882 16,106,562 17.9 6.0 11.9 2.00 1 The numbers of births and deaths were calculated from the birth and death rates and the average population.

Life expectancy [ edit ]

Life expectancy in India since 1881

Life expectancy in India since 1960 by gender

Period Life expectancy in

Years 1950–1955 36.6 1955–1960 39.7 1960–1965 42.7 1965–1970 46.0 1970–1975 49.4 1975–1980 52.5 1980–1985 54.9 1985–1990 56.7 1990–1995 59.1 1995–2000 61.5 2000–2005 63.5 2005–2010 65.6 2010–2015 67.6

Source: UN World Population Prospects[87]

Structure of the population [ edit ]

Structure of the population (Census 9.II.2011) (Includes data for the Indian-held part of Jammu and Kashmir, the final status of which has not yet been determined.):[88]

Population by age group Age group Male Female Total Percentage (%) Cumulative Percentage 0–4 58,632,074 54,174,704 112,806,778 9.32 9.32 5–9 66,300,466 60,627,660 126,928,126 10.48 19.8 10–14 69,418,835 63,290,377 132,709,212 10.96 30.76 15–19 63,982,396 56,544,053 120,526,449 9.95 40.71 20–24 57,584,693 53,839,529 111,424,222 9.20 49.91 25–29 51,344,208 50,069,757 101,413,965 8.38 58.29 30–34 44,660,674 43,934,277 88,594,951 7.32 65.61 35–39 42,919,381 42,221,303 85,140,684 7.03 72.64 40–44 37,545,386 34,892,726 72,438,112 5.98 78.62 45–49 32,138,114 30,180,213 62,318,327 5.15 83.77 50–54 25,843,266 23,225,988 49,069,254 4.05 87.82 55–59 19,456,012 19,690,043 39,146,055 3.23 91.05 60–64 18,701,749 18,961,958 37,663,707 3.11 94.16 65–69 12,944,326 13,510,657 26,454,983 2.18 96.34 70–74 9,651,499 9,557,343 19,208,842 1.59 97.93 75–79 4,490,603 4,741,900 9,232,503 0.76 98.69 80–84 2,927,040 3,293,189 6,220,229 0.51 99.2 85–89 1,120,106 1,263,061 2,383,167 0.20 99.4 90–94 652,465 794,069 1,446,534 0.12 99.52 95–99 294,759 338,538 633,297 0.05 99.57 100+ 289,325 316,453 605,778 0.05 99.62 Unknown 2,372,881 2,116,921 4,489,802 0.37 99.99 Total 623,270,258 587,584,719 1,210,854,977 100.00 Age group Male Female Total Percent 0–14 194,351,375 178,092,741 372,444,116 30.76 15–64 394,175,879 373,559,847 767,735,726 63.40 65+ 32,370,123 33,815,210 66,185,333 5.47

Population Estimates by Sex and Age Group (03.III.2016) (Data are projections based on the 2011 Population Census.):[89]

Age Group Male Female Total % Total 664,184,000 626,890,000 1,291,074,000 100 0–4 62,872,000 56,038,000 118,910,000 9.21 5–9 61,499,000 56,969,000 118,468,000 9.18 10–14 65,142,000 59,682,000 124,824,000 9.67 15–19 67,223,000 60,871,000 128,094,000 9.92 20–24 63,521,000 57,356,000 120,877,000 9.36 25–29 57,272,000 53,357,000 110,629,000 8.57 30–34 50,782,000 49,250,000 100,032,000 7.75 35–39 45,318,000 44,787,000 90,105,000 6.98 40–44 41,280,000 40,497,000 81,777,000 6.33 45–49 36,602,000 35,107,000 71,709,000 5.55 50–54 30,738,000 29,016,000 59,754,000 4.63 55–59 24,403,000 23,307,000 47,710,000 3.70 60–64 19,133,000 19,288,000 38,421,000 2.98 65–69 15,198,000 16,114,000 31,312,000 2.43 70–74 11,002,000 11,723,000 22,725,000 1.76 75–79 7,703,000 8,367,000 16,070,000 1.24 80+ 4,496,000 5,161,000 9,657,000 0.75 Age group Male Female Total Percent 0–14 189,513,000 172,689,000 362,202,000 28.05 15–64 436,272,000 412,836,000 849,108,000 65.77 65+ 38,399,000 41,365,000 79,764,000 6.18

Population Estimates by Sex and Age Group (01.III.2021) (Includes data for the Indian-held part of Jammu and Kashmir, the final status of which has not yet been determined. Data are projections based on the 2011 Population Census.): [90]

Age Group Male Female Total % Total 700 623 000 662 383 000 1 363 006 000 100 0–4 60 153 000 54 120 000 114 273 000 8.38 5–9 62 276 000 55 390 000 117 666 000 8.63 10–14 61 266 000 56 785 000 118 051 000 8.66 15–19 64 862 000 59 420 000 124 282 000 9.12 20–24 66 770 000 60 474 000 127 244 000 9.34 25–29 62 944 000 56 956 000 119 900 000 8.80 30–34 56 614 000 52 961 000 109 575 000 8.04 35–39 50 027 000 48 836 000 98 863 000 7.25 40–44 44 450 000 44 315 000 88 765 000 6.51 45–49 40 204 000 39 903 000 80 107 000 5.88 50–54 35 235 000 34 331 000 69 566 000 5.10 55–59 29 082 000 28 062 000 57 144 000 4.19 60–64 22 465 000 22 079 000 44 544 000 3.27 65-69 16 823 000 17 583 000 34 406 000 2.52 70-74 12 546 000 13 904 000 26 450 000 1.94 75-79 8 269 000 9 294 000 17 563 000 1.29 80+ 6 637 000 7 970 000 14 607 000 1.07 Age group Male Female Total Percent 0–14 183 695 000 166 295 000 349 990 000 25.68 15–64 472 653 000 447 337 000 919 990 000 67.50 65+ 44 275 000 48 751 000 93 026 000 6.83

Fertility rate [ edit ]

From the Demographic Health Survey:[91]

TFR of India to 2016

Crude birth rate and total fertility rate (wanted fertility rate) Year CBR – Total TFR – Total1 CBR – Urban TFR – Urban1 CBR – Rural TFR – Rural1 1992–1993 28.7 3.39 (2.64) 24.1 2.70 (2.09) 30.4 3.67 (2.86) 1998–1999 24.8 2.85 (2.13) 20.9 2.27 (1.73) 26.2 3.07 (2.28) 2005–2006 23.1 2.68 (1.90) 18.8 2.06 (1.60) 25.0 2.98 (2.10) 2015–2016 19.0 2.18 (1.8) 15.8 1.75 (1.5) 20.7 2.41 (1.9) 2019–2021 17.1 1.99 (1.6) 14.0 1.63 (1.4) 18.6 2.14 (1.7) CBR = crude birth rate (per 1000); TFR = total fertility rate (number of children per woman). 1Number in parenthesis represents the wanted fertility rate.

Total fertility rate (wanted fertility rate) by religion Year Hindu Muslim Christian Sikh Buddhist/Neo-Buddhist Jain Other 2019–2021 1.94 (1.6) 2.36 (1.8) 1.88 (1.7) 1.61 (1.4) 1.39 (1.2) 1.60 (1.5) 2.15 (1.7) CBR = crude birth rate (per 1000); TFR = total fertility rate (number of children per woman). 1Number in parenthesis represents the wanted fertility rate.

Regional vital statistics [ edit ]

Birth rate, death rate, natural growth rate, and infant mortality rate, by state or UT(2010)[93] State or UT Birth rate Death rate Natural growth rate Infant mortality rate Total Rural Urban Total Rural Urban Total Rural Urban Total Rural Urban Andaman and Nicobar Islands 15.6 15.5 15.8 4.3 4.8 3.3 11.3 10.7 12.6 25 29 18 Andhra Pradesh 17.9 18.3 16.7 7.6 8.6 5.4 10.2 9.7 11.3 46 51 33 Arunachal Pradesh 20.5 22.1 14.6 5.9 6.9 2.3 14.6 15.2 12.3 31 34 12 Assam 23.2 24.4 15.8 8.2 8.6 5.8 14.9 15.8 10.1 58 60 36 Bihar 28.1 28.8 22.0 6.8 7.0 5.6 21.3 21.8 16.4 48 49 38 Chandigarh 15.6 21.6 15.0 3.9 3.7 3.9 11.6 17.9 11.0 22 20 23 Chhattisgarh 25.3 26.8 18.6 8.0 8.4 6.2 17.3 18.4 12.4 51 52 44 Dadra and Nagar Haveli 26.6 26.0 28.6 4.7 5.1 3.3 21.9 20.9 25.3 38 43 22 Daman and Diu 18.8 19.1 18.3 4.9 4.9 4.8 13.9 14.2 13.6 23 19 29 Delhi 17.8 19.7 17.5 4.2 4.6 4.1 13.6 15.0 13.4 30 37 29 Goa 13.2 12.6 13.7 6.6 8.1 5.7 6.6 4.5 8.0 10 10 10 Gujarat 21.8 23.3 19.4 6.7 7.5 5.5 15.1 15.8 14.0 44 51 30 Haryana 22.3 23.3 19.8 6.6 7.0 5.6 15.7 16.3 14.3 48 51 38 Himachal Pradesh 16.9 17.5 11.5 6.9 7.2 4.2 10.0 10.3 7.3 40 41 29 Jammu and Kashmir 18.3 19.5 13.5 5.7 5.9 4.7 12.6 13.6 8.8 43 45 32 Jharkhand 25.3 26.7 19.3 7.0 7.4 5.4 18.3 19.3 13.9 42 44 30 Karnataka 19.2 20.2 17.5 7.1 8.1 5.4 12.1 12.1 12.1 38 43 28 Kerala 14.8 14.8 14.8 7.0 7.1 6.7 7.8 7.7 8.1 13 14 10 Lakshadweep 14.3 15.5 13.2 6.4 6.1 6.7 8.0 9.5 6.5 25 23 27 Madhya Pradesh 27.3 29.2 20.5 8.3 9.0 6.0 18.9 20.2 14.5 62 67 42 Maharashtra 17.1 17.6 16.4 6.5 7.5 5.3 10.6 10.2 11.1 28 34 20 Manipur 14.9 14.8 15.3 4.2 4.3 4.0 10.7 10.5 11.3 14 15 9 Meghalaya 24.5 26.6 14.8 7.9 8.4 5.6 16.6 18.2 9.2 55 58 37 Mizoram 17.1 21.1 13.0 4.5 5.4 3.7 12.5 15.7 9.3 37 47 21 Nagaland 16.8 17.0 16.0 3.6 3.7 3.3 13.2 13.3 12.7 23 24 20 Odisha 20.5 21.4 15.2 8.6 9.0 6.6 11.9 12.4 8.6 61 63 43 Puducherry 16.7 16.7 16.7 7.4 8.2 7.0 9.3 8.5 9.6 22 25 21 Punjab 16.6 17.2 15.6 7.0 7.7 5.8 9.6 9.5 9.8 34 37 28 Rajasthan 26.7 27.9 22.9 6.7 6.9 6.0 20.0 20.9 16.9 55 61 31 Sikkim 17.8 18.1 16.1 5.6 5.9 3.8 12.3 12.3 12.3 30 31 19 Tamil Nadu 15.9 16.0 15.8 7.6 8.2 6.9 8.3 7.8 8.9 24 25 22 Tripura 14.9 15.6 11.5 5.0 4.8 5.7 9.9 10.8 5.8 27 29 19 Uttar Pradesh 28.3 29.2 24.2 8.1 8.5 6.3 20.2 20.7 17.9 61 64 44 Uttarakhand 19.3 20.2 16.2 6.3 6.7 5.1 13.0 13.5 11.1 38 41 25 West Bengal 16.8 18.6 11.9 6.0 6.0 6.3 10.7 12.6 5.6 31 32 25

CIA World Factbook demographic statistics [ edit ]

[94] Map showing the population density in India, per 2011 Census.

The following demographic statistics are from the CIA World Factbook, unless otherwise indicated.

Total population

1,166,079,217 (July 2009 est. CIA),[95] 1,210 million (2011 census),[96] 1,389,637,446 (May 2022 est.)[97]

Rural population:

62.2%; male: 381,668,992, female: 360,948,755

Age structure:

0–14 years: 27.34% (male 186,087,665/female 164,398,204)

15–24 years: 17.9% (male 121,879,786/female 107,583,437)

25–54 years: 41.08% (male 271,744,709/female 254,834,569)

55–64 years: 7.45% (male 47,846,122/female 47,632,532)

65+ years: 6.24% (male 37,837,801/female 42,091,086) (2017 est.)

Median age:

Total: 28.7 years

Male: 28 years

female: 29.5 years (2020 est.)[98]

Population growth rate :

0.67% (2022 est)[99]

Literacy rate

74% (age 7 and above, in 2011)[100]

81.4% (total population, age 15–25, in 2006)[101]

Per cent of population below poverty line:

22% (2006 est.)

Unemployment rate:

7.8%

Net migration rate:

0.00 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2020 est.)[98]

Sex ratio:

At birth: 1.12 male(s)/female

Under 10 years: 1.13 male(s)/female

15–24 years: 1.13 male(s)/female

24–64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.9 male(s)/female

Total population: 1.08 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:

Total population: 69.7 years

Male: 68.4 years

Female: 71.2 years (2020 est.)[98]

Total fertility rate:

2.35 (2020 est.)[98][102][103]

The TFR (total number of children born per women) by religion in 2005–2006 was: Hindus, 2.7; Muslims, 3.1; Christians, 2.4; and Sikhs, 2.0.[104]

Religious Composition:

Hindus 79.5%, Muslims 15%, Christian 2.3%, Sikh 1.7%, other and unspecified 2% (2011 est.)[98][105][106][107][108]

Scheduled castes and tribes:

Scheduled castes: 16.6% (2011 census);[109][110] scheduled tribes: 8.6% (2011 census)

Languages

See Languages of India and List of languages by number of native speakers in India. There are 216 languages with more than 10,000 native speakers in India. The largest of these is Hindi with some 337 million, and the second largest is Bengali with 238 million. 22 languages are recognised as official languages. In India, there are 1,652 languages and dialects in total.[111][112]

Caste [ edit ]

Caste and community statistics as recorded from "Socially and Educationally Backward Classes Commission" (SEBC) or Mandal Commission of 1979. This was completed in 1983.

India has chosen not to officially count caste population since then.

The following data are from the Mandal report:[citation needed]

caste demographics (1983) caste population percentage notes Total population 731,000,000 100% *Margin of error 0.34% Scheduled castes and tribes 164,913,600 22.56% Scheduled castes 110,015,500 15.05% Scheduled tribes 54,898,100 7.51% Non OBC/SC/ST Hindu castes/communities 128,509,800 17.58% Brahmin (including Bhumihar) 40,351,200 5.52% Kshtriya (Rajput) 28,509,000 3.90% Maratha 16,155,100 2.21% Jats 7,310,000 1% Vaishya, Bania, etc. 13,742,800 1.88% Kayasthas 7,821,700 1.07% Others 14,620,000 2% Non-Hindu communities and groups 121,346,000 16.6% Non-Hindu scheduled and OBC Muslim (Non S.T) 81,798,900 11.19% 0.02% Christian (Non S.T) 15,789,600 2.16% 0.44% Sikh (Non scheduled) 12,207,700 1.67% 0.22% Buddhist (Non S.T) 4,897,700 0.67% 0.03% Jain (Non scheduled) 3,435,700 0.47% Other backward classes and communities (OBC) 380,120,000 52% *OBC is a derived figure Hindu OBC 318,716,000 43.60% Non-Hindu OBC 61,404,000 8.40% *52% of Non-Hindus

Population projections [ edit ]

These projections make assumptions about future fertility and death rates which may not turn out to be correct in the event. Fertility rates also vary from region to region, with some higher than the India's and China's national averages and some lower.

2020 estimate [ edit ]

Future projections[113] Year Under 15 (in millions) 15–64 (in millions) 65+ (in millions) Total (in millions) 2000 361 604 45 1010 2005 368 673 51 1093 2010 370 747 58 1175 2015 372 819 65 1256 2020 373 882 76 1332

Ethnic groups [ edit ]

The national Census of India does not recognise racial or ethnic groups within India,[114] but recognises many of the tribal groups as Scheduled Castes and Tribes (see list of Scheduled Tribes in India).

According to a 2009 study published by Reich et al.., the modern Indian population is composed of two genetically divergent and heterogeneous populations which mixed in ancient times (about 1,200–3,500 BP), known as Ancestral North Indians (ANI) and Ancestral South Indians (ASI). ASI corresponds to the Dravidian-speaking population of southern India, whereas ANI corresponds to the Indo-Aryan-speaking population of northern India.[115][116] 700,000 people from the United States of any race live in India.[15] Between 300,000 and 1 million Anglo-Indians live in India.[117]

For a list of ethnic groups in the Republic of India (as well as neighbouring countries) see South Asian ethnic groups.

Genetics [ edit ]

Y-chromosome DNA [ edit ]

[120]

Y-Chromosome DNA Y-DNA represents the male lineage, The Indian Y-chromosome pool may be summarised as follows where haplogroups R-M420, H, R2, L and NOP comprise generally more than 80% of the total chromosomes.[121]

H ~ 30%

R1a ~ 34%

R2 ~ 15%

L ~ 10%

NOP ~ 10% (Excluding R)

Other Haplogroups 15%

Mitochondrial DNA [ edit ]

[122]

Mitochondrial DNA mtDNA represents the female lineage. The Indian mitochondrial DNA is primarily made up of Haplogroup M[123]

Autosomal DNA [ edit ]

Tripuri children preparing for a dance performance. The Tripuris are a Tibeto-Burman ethnic group.

Numerous genomic studies have been conducted in the last 15 years to seek insights into India's demographic and cultural diversity. These studies paint a complex and conflicting picture.

In a 2003 study, Basu, Majumder et al . have concluded on the basis of results obtained from mtDNA, Y-chromosome and autosomal markers that "(1) there is an underlying unity of female lineages in India, indicating that the initial number of female settlers may have been small; (2) the tribal and the caste populations are highly differentiated; (3) the Austroasiatic tribals are the earliest settlers in India, providing support to one anthropological hypothesis while refuting some others; (4) a major wave of humans entered India through the northeast; (5) the Tibeto-Burman tribals share considerable genetic commonalities with the Austroasiatic tribals, supporting the hypothesis that they may have shared a common habitat in southern China, but the two groups of tribals can be differentiated on the basis of Y-chromosomal haplotypes; (6) the Dravidian speaking populations were possibly widespread throughout India but are regulated to South India now; (7) formation of populations by fission that resulted in founder and drift effects have left their imprints on the genetic structures of contemporary populations; (8) the upper castes show closer genetic affinities with Central Asian populations, although those of southern India are more distant than those of northern India; (9) historical gene flow into India has contributed to a considerable obliteration of genetic histories of contemporary populations so that there is at present no clear congruence of genetic and geographical or sociocultural affinities." [124]

. have concluded on the basis of results obtained from mtDNA, Y-chromosome and autosomal markers that "(1) there is an underlying unity of female lineages in India, indicating that the initial number of female settlers may have been small; (2) the tribal and the caste populations are highly differentiated; (3) the Austroasiatic tribals are the earliest settlers in India, providing support to one anthropological hypothesis while refuting some others; (4) a major wave of humans entered India through the northeast; (5) the Tibeto-Burman tribals share considerable genetic commonalities with the Austroasiatic tribals, supporting the hypothesis that they may have shared a common habitat in southern China, but the two groups of tribals can be differentiated on the basis of Y-chromosomal haplotypes; (6) the Dravidian speaking populations were possibly widespread throughout India but are regulated to South India now; (7) formation of populations by fission that resulted in founder and drift effects have left their imprints on the genetic structures of contemporary populations; (8) the upper castes show closer genetic affinities with Central Asian populations, although those of southern India are more distant than those of northern India; (9) historical gene flow into India has contributed to a considerable obliteration of genetic histories of contemporary populations so that there is at present no clear congruence of genetic and geographical or sociocultural affinities." In a later 2010 review article, Majumder affirms some of these conclusions, introduces and revises some other. The ongoing studies, concludes Majumder, suggest India has served as the major early corridor for geographical dispersal of modern humans from out-of-Africa. The archaeological and genetic traces of the earliest settlers in India has not provided any conclusive evidence. The tribal populations of India are older than the non-tribal populations. The autosomal differentiation and genetic diversity within India's caste populations at 0.04 is significantly lower than 0.14 for continental populations and 0.09 for 31 world population sets studied by Watkins et al ., suggesting that while tribal populations were differentiated, the differentiation effects within India's caste population was less than previously thought. Majumder also concludes that recent studies suggest India has been a major contributor to the gene pool of southeast Asia. [125] [126]

., suggesting that while tribal populations were differentiated, the differentiation effects within India's caste population was less than previously thought. Majumder also concludes that recent studies suggest India has been a major contributor to the gene pool of southeast Asia. Another study covering a large sample of Indian populations allowed Watkins et al . to examine eight Indian caste groups and four endogamous south Indian tribal populations. The Indian castes data show low between-group differences, while the tribal Indian groups show relatively high between-group differentiation. This suggests that people between Indian castes were not reproductively isolated, while Indian tribal populations experienced reproductive isolation and drift. Furthermore, the genetic fixation index data show historical genetic differentiation and segregation between Indian castes population is much smaller than those found in east Asia, Africa and other continental populations; while being similar to the genetic differentiation and segregation observed in European populations. [126]

. to examine eight Indian caste groups and four endogamous south Indian tribal populations. The Indian castes data show low between-group differences, while the tribal Indian groups show relatively high between-group differentiation. This suggests that people between Indian castes were not reproductively isolated, while Indian tribal populations experienced reproductive isolation and drift. Furthermore, the genetic fixation index data show historical genetic differentiation and segregation between Indian castes population is much smaller than those found in east Asia, Africa and other continental populations; while being similar to the genetic differentiation and segregation observed in European populations. In 2006, Sahoo et al . reported their analysis of genomic data on 936 Y-chromosomes representing 32 tribal and 45 caste groups from different regions of India. These scientists find that the haplogroup frequency distribution across the country, between different caste groups, was found to be predominantly driven by geographical, rather than cultural determinants. They conclude there is clear evidence for both large-scale immigration into ancient India of Sino-Tibetan speakers and language change of former Austroasiatic speakers, in the northeast Indian region. [127] [128]

. reported their analysis of genomic data on 936 Y-chromosomes representing 32 tribal and 45 caste groups from different regions of India. These scientists find that the haplogroup frequency distribution across the country, between different caste groups, was found to be predominantly driven by geographical, rather than cultural determinants. They conclude there is clear evidence for both large-scale immigration into ancient India of Sino-Tibetan speakers and language change of former Austroasiatic speakers, in the northeast Indian region. The genome studies conducted up until 2010 have been on relatively small population sets. Many are from just one southeastern state of Andhra Pradesh (including Telangana, which was part of the state until June 2014). Thus, any conclusions on demographic history of India must be interpreted with caution. A larger national genome study with demographic growth and sex ratio balances may offer further insights on the extent of genetic differentiation and segregation in India over the millenniums.[125]

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