Population Composition: Sex Ratio, Literacy, Religion, Language and Work
India's population composition in Census 2011: sex ratio 943, child sex ratio 918, literacy 72.98%, religion, language, SC/ST shares and occupational structure.
Prerequisites
- Census 2011 Highlights: the size, growth and distribution figures this page builds on
- Literacy and Sex Ratio in Chhattisgarh: the state figures (991, 969, 70.28%) to compare against
- Education and Human Resource Development: the policy side of literacy
The Hook: Why Does Bastar Beat Haryana?
In Census 2011, Chhattisgarh had 991 women for every 1,000 men, close to Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh and far above India’s 943. Haryana, one of India’s richer states, had only 879, the lowest of any state. Wealth alone clearly does not decide whether girls are born and survive.
What does India’s population look like by sex, literacy, faith, language and work, and what do these numbers reveal about society?
Why it matters: composition figures (943, 918, 72.98%) are among the most asked numbers in Prelims. In Mains, sex ratio and literacy gaps are the backbone of answers on gender, human development and social justice (Paper V, and Papers VI and VII).
Sex Ratio (लिंगानुपात)
In India, sex ratio = number of females per 1,000 males. (Many other countries and the UN use males per 100 females, so the Indian figure reads the other way round.)
| Indicator | Census 2011 (final) | Earlier |
|---|---|---|
| Overall sex ratio | 943 (provisional 940) | 933 in 2001; 927 in 1991 |
| Child sex ratio (0–6 years) | 918 (provisional 914), the lowest since Independence | 927 in 2001 |
| Rural vs urban | Rural higher than urban (about 949 vs 929) | Men migrate to towns for work |
Extremes (Census 2011)
| Measure | Highest | Lowest |
|---|---|---|
| Sex ratio, states | Kerala (1,084), then Tamil Nadu (996), Andhra Pradesh (993), Chhattisgarh (991) | Haryana (879) |
| Sex ratio, UTs | Puducherry (1,037) | Daman and Diu (618) |
| Sex ratio, districts | Mahe, Puducherry (1,176) | Daman (in the 530s) |
| Child sex ratio, states | North-eastern and tribal states lead (Arunachal, Mizoram, Meghalaya around 970) | Haryana (834), then Punjab |
Why tribal regions do better: among many Scheduled Tribe communities, women’s labour is valued, bride price rather than dowry is common and son preference is weaker. That is part of why Chhattisgarh (ST 30.62%), Odisha’s tribal districts and the north-east have favourable ratios, while the prosperous north-west (Haryana, Punjab, Delhi) has the worst.
Literacy (साक्षरता)
A literate in the census is a person aged 7 or above who can both read and write with understanding in any language. Formal schooling is not required. Literacy rate is calculated on the population aged 7 and above (the “effective literacy rate”).
| Indicator | Census 2011 (final) | 2001 |
|---|---|---|
| Total | 72.98% (provisional 74.04%) | 64.83% |
| Male | 80.88% | 75.26% |
| Female | 64.63% | 53.67% |
| Gender gap | about 16.3 percentage points | about 21.6 points |
| Rural / urban | about 68% / 84% | — |
| Measure | Highest | Lowest |
|---|---|---|
| States | Kerala (94.0%), then Mizoram, Goa, Tripura | Bihar (61.8%), then Arunachal Pradesh, Rajasthan |
| UTs | Lakshadweep (about 92%) | Dadra and Nagar Haveli |
| Districts | Serchhip, Mizoram (about 98%) | Alirajpur, Madhya Pradesh (under 40%) |
Reading it: female literacy grew faster than male literacy in 2001–11, narrowing the gap, but the gap is widest in the poorer northern states (Rajasthan had the lowest female literacy among states). Chhattisgarh’s literacy (70.28%) was a little below India’s, with a wide gender gap (80.27% male vs 60.24% female).
Religion and Language
Census 2011 religion data (released in 2015):
| Religion | Share of population |
|---|---|
| Hindus | 79.8% (96.63 crore) |
| Muslims | 14.2% (17.22 crore) |
| Christians | 2.3% |
| Sikhs | 1.7% |
| Buddhists | 0.7% |
| Jains | 0.4% |
| Others and not stated | under 1% |
Language data (released in 2018):
- Hindi is the mother tongue of 43.63% of Indians (52.83 crore), up from about 37% in 1971. It was followed by Bengali (second) and Marathi (third, overtaking Telugu).
- The Eighth Schedule of the Constitution lists 22 languages.
- Chhattisgarhi (छत्तीसगढ़ी) is not in the Eighth Schedule; the census groups it as a mother tongue under the Hindi language group.
Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes
| Group | Population (2011) | Share | Notable points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Castes | 20.14 crore | 16.6% | Largest number in Uttar Pradesh; highest share among states in Punjab (about 32%) |
| Scheduled Tribes | 10.43 crore | 8.6% | Largest number in Madhya Pradesh; highest shares in Lakshadweep, Mizoram, Nagaland and Meghalaya (above 85%); no notified STs in Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Chandigarh and Puducherry |
Chhattisgarh’s ST share (30.62%) is more than three times India’s 8.6%, which is why it is a Fifth Schedule state. See Scheduled Tribes and Castes of Chhattisgarh.
Workers and Occupational Structure
The census classifies people as main workers (worked 6 months or more in the reference year), marginal workers (worked less than 6 months) and non-workers. Workers are further grouped into four categories: cultivators, agricultural labourers, household industry workers and other workers.
| Indicator | Census 2011 |
|---|---|
| Work participation rate | about 39.8% (male about 53%, female about 26%) |
| Cultivators | about 24.6% of workers |
| Agricultural labourers | about 30.0% of workers: more than cultivators for the first time |
| Household industry | about 3.8% |
| Other workers (industry, services) | about 41.6% |
Reading it: more than half of India’s workers (about 55%) still depended on agriculture in 2011, but the rise of agricultural labourers over cultivators points to smaller, unviable holdings and the casualisation of rural work. The low female work participation rate is one of the most discussed weaknesses of India’s labour market. For later trends, the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) is the current source; see Poverty, Unemployment and Inclusive Growth.
Age Structure and the Demographic Dividend
- Children aged 0–6 were about 13.6% of the population in 2011 (about 16.4 crore), a share that is falling as fertility declines.
- The share of the working-age population (15–59 or 15–64) is rising. This bulge is the demographic dividend (जनसांख्यिकीय लाभांश): a period when the dependency ratio falls and savings and growth can rise.
- The dividend is not automatic. It needs education, skills, health and jobs, especially for women. Kerala and Tamil Nadu are already ageing, while Bihar and Uttar Pradesh will supply most new workers in coming decades.
Memory Tricks
Don’t Confuse
| This | vs | That |
|---|---|---|
| Overall sex ratio 943 | vs | Child sex ratio (0–6) 918 |
| Final 943 / 918 / 72.98% | vs | Provisional 940 / 914 / 74.04% |
| India’s sex ratio 943 | vs | Chhattisgarh’s 991 |
| Literate = age 7+, read and write with understanding | vs | Schooling not required; reading alone is not enough |
| Main worker = 6 months or more | vs | Marginal worker = less than 6 months |
| SC largest number: Uttar Pradesh | vs | SC highest share: Punjab |
| ST largest number: Madhya Pradesh | vs | ST highest share: Lakshadweep and Mizoram |
Common Mistakes
Practice
All questions below are original practice questions in CGPSC style. They are not previous-year questions.
Level 1: Foundation
- According to the final figures of Census 2011, India’s child sex ratio was ________.
- In the census, a person must be at least ________ years old to be counted as literate.
- The state with the lowest sex ratio in Census 2011 was ________.
Answers
- 918
- 7
- Haryana (879)
Level 2: Prelims MCQs
Q1. Consider the following statements about Census 2011:
- India’s overall sex ratio improved compared with Census 2001.
- India’s child sex ratio improved compared with Census 2001.
- The rural sex ratio was higher than the urban sex ratio.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- (a) 1 only
- (b) 2 only
- (c) 1 and 3 only
- (d) 1, 2 and 3
Answer and explanation
Q2. Match List I (Indicator, Census 2011) with List II (State with the lowest value):
| List I | List II |
|---|---|
| A. Literacy rate | 1. Arunachal Pradesh |
| B. Sex ratio | 2. Bihar |
| C. Population density | 3. Haryana |
| D. Decadal growth rate | 4. Nagaland |
- (a) A-2, B-3, C-4, D-1
- (b) A-2, B-3, C-1, D-4
- (c) A-3, B-2, C-1, D-4
- (d) A-1, B-3, C-2, D-4
Answer and explanation
Q3. According to the census definition, which of the following persons is “literate”?
- (a) A 6-year-old who can read and write simple sentences in Hindi
- (b) A 40-year-old who can read a newspaper in Chhattisgarhi but cannot write
- (c) A 30-year-old who never attended school but can read and write a letter in Odia with understanding
- (d) A 20-year-old who attended school for two years but can only sign their name
Answer and explanation
Q4. Which one of the following is the correct descending order of religious communities in India by share of population in Census 2011?
- (a) Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Christians, Buddhists
- (b) Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists
- (c) Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Buddhists, Sikhs
- (d) Hindus, Christians, Muslims, Sikhs, Buddhists
Answer and explanation
Level 3: Mains Answer Writing
Q1. (60 words) Why did India’s child sex ratio decline even as its overall sex ratio improved between 2001 and 2011?
Model answer outline
- Data: overall 933 → 943; child (0–6) 927 → 918 (Census 2011).
- Overall rise: higher female life expectancy, lower maternal mortality.
- Child fall: sex-selective abortion despite the PCPNDT Act, son preference, dowry, neglect of girls; worst in Haryana (834) and Punjab.
- Conclusion: the child ratio is the true warning signal, hence Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (2015).
Q2. (150–200 words) “Chhattisgarh’s sex ratio is far better than that of richer states.” Analyse the regional pattern of sex ratio in India with reference to Census 2011.
Model answer outline
- Intro: India 943; Kerala 1,084 highest, Haryana 879 lowest; Chhattisgarh 991 (4th among states).
- Pattern: favourable in the south (Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh) and tribal or north-eastern regions; adverse in the prosperous north-west (Haryana, Punjab, Delhi) and in urban and industrial areas.
- Explanations: son preference and dowry; access to sex-determination technology; women’s economic role in tribal societies (Chhattisgarh’s ST share 30.62%); female literacy and health (Kerala); male in-migration to cities and industrial towns (Delhi, Daman, Korba).
- Chhattisgarh angle: overall 991, but child sex ratio fell from 975 to 969; the gap in female literacy (60.24%) must be closed.
- Policy: PCPNDT Act, Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, conditional cash transfers for girls.
- Conclusion: prosperity without gender equity does not improve sex ratios; social norms matter more than income.
Quick Revision Table
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Sex ratio | 943 (final; provisional 940); 933 in 2001 |
| Child sex ratio | 918 (final; provisional 914); 927 in 2001; lowest since Independence |
| Highest / lowest sex ratio state | Kerala 1,084 / Haryana 879 |
| Highest / lowest sex ratio UT | Puducherry 1,037 / Daman and Diu 618 |
| Lowest child sex ratio | Haryana 834 |
| Literacy | 72.98% (male 80.88, female 64.63); 64.83% in 2001 |
| Highest / lowest literacy state | Kerala 94.0% / Bihar 61.8% |
| Literate | Age 7+, reads and writes with understanding |
| Religion | Hindus 79.8, Muslims 14.2, Christians 2.3, Sikhs 1.7, Buddhists 0.7, Jains 0.4 (%) |
| Hindi mother tongue | 43.63%; Bengali 2nd, Marathi 3rd |
| SC / ST | 16.6% (20.14 crore) / 8.6% (10.43 crore) |
| Main / marginal worker | 6 months or more / less than 6 months |
| Agricultural labourers vs cultivators | Labourers (about 30%) exceeded cultivators (about 24.6%) for the first time |
Key Takeaways
- Sex ratio 943 improved, but child sex ratio 918 fell: the most important gender signal in Census 2011.
- Kerala leads and Haryana trails on sex ratio; Kerala leads and Bihar trails on literacy.
- Literacy is 72.98% with a gender gap of about 16 points; the census definition needs no schooling.
- Hindi is the largest mother tongue (43.63%) but not a majority; Hindus 79.8%, Muslims 14.2%.
- More agricultural labourers than cultivators in 2011 signals agrarian distress and casualisation.
What’s Next
- Migration: how movement changes sex ratios and labour markets
- Urbanisation and Settlements
- Literacy and Sex Ratio in Chhattisgarh
- Social Legislation and Human Rights: the PCPNDT Act and laws protecting women and children