The population of India stood at 1027,015,247 comprising 531,277,078 males and 495,738,169 females, as on March 1, 2001. Thus, India became the second country in the world after China to cross the one billion mark. This was revealed in the provisional population census document issued by the Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India.

India added about 181 million persons between 1991-2001, which is more than the estimated population of Brazil, the fifth most populous country in the world. India’s share of the world population is 16.7 per cent. The percentage decadal growth of the country as a whole has declined from 23.86 during 1981-1991 to 21.34 during 1991-2001. Thus, India has registered a fall in its decadal growth rate by 2.52 per cent points, which is the sharpest decline since independence.

Among the major states, Bihar has recorded the highest increase in the percentage decadal growth During 1991-2001, the lowest growth rate was recorded in Kerala (9.42 per cent) followed by Tamil Nadu (11.19 per cent) and Andhra Pradesh (13.86 per cent). Andhra Pradesh has shown the sharpest decline among all the major states (10.34 per cent). The average annual exponential growth rate has declined from 2.14 per cent in 1981-91 to 1.93 per cent during 1991-2001.

Uttar Pradesh continues to be the most populous state in the country with 16.17 per cent of India’s population followed by Maharashtra (9.42 per cent) and Bihar (8.07 per cent). In fact the population of Uttar Pradesh (166 million) is more than the estimated population of Pakistan. It would be interesting to note that almost two third of India’s population lives in states and union territories which showed decline in growth rate during the decade 1991-2001 as compared to the previous decade.

India now has 57 more persons per sq km as compared to 1991. West Bengal is the most densely populated state in the country with 904 persons living per sq km followed by Bihar with 880.

The sex ratio (the number of females per 1000 males) is 933 females per 1000 males, which is an improvement of 6 points over 927 recorded in 1991 census. Like the 1991 census, the highest sex ratio (1058) has been reported in Kerala. Haryana has reported the lowest sex ratio of 861. One of the interesting fact that has emerged is that the sex ratio of child population in age group 0-6 is 927. The child sex ratio in 1991 was 945. The sharpest decline in sex ratio of the child population has been observed in Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Gujarat, Uttranchal, Maharashtra and Chandigarh.

The literacy rates among the population seven year and above for the country stands at 65.38 per cent. The corresponding figures for males and females are 75.85 and 54.16 per cent respectively. In other words three-fourths of the male population and more than half of the female population in the country are literate today.

Thus, the literacy recorded an impressive jump of 13.17 percentage points from 52.21 in 1991 to 65.38 in 2001. The increase of literacy rates among males and females are 11.72 and 14.87 percentage point respectively. It is heartening to observe that the gap in male and female literacy rates has decreased from 28.84 in 1991 census to 21.70 percentage point in 2001.

One of the most significant aspects of literacy data brought out by the Provisional Population Totals of Census of India-2001, is that for the first time since independence, the absolute number of illiterates have shown a decline. The decline is as large as 31.96 million during 1991-2001. This decline among males is 21.45 million and 10.51 million among females.

Kerala continues its lead in the literacy race with 90.92 per cent followed by Mizoram 88.49 and Lakshadweep 87.52 percent. Bihar has recorded the lowest literacy rate of 47.53 per cent in the country.