India’s Population Composition: Definition, Components and Elements

Population composition is a field in geography that looks at different aspects of people, like age, residence (rural or urban areas), language, religion, and jobs. In this part, we’ll talk about how India’s population is made up in terms of where they live, what languages they speak, their religions, and the kinds of jobs they have.

India’s Population Composition: Residence, Language, Religion, and Occupation

Rural-Urban Composition

• Rural Population: About 68.8% of India’s population resided in villages as of 2011.
• Rural Residence: India has 640,867 villages according to the 2011 Census, with 93.2% being inhabited.
  • High Percentage:: Rural population distribution varies widely across states, with Bihar and Sikkim having high percentages
  • Low Percentage: Goa and Maharashtra have lower percentages.
  • Union Territories generally have lower rural populations, except Dadra and Nagar Haveli.
  • Village Sizes: Vary greatly from less than 200 persons in hilly regions to 17,000 persons in certain parts of Kerala and Maharashtra.
  • Impact of Urbanization and Migration: Rural population concentration is influenced by urbanization and rural-urban migration.
• Urban Composition: India’s urban population (31.16%) is relatively low but growing rapidly due to economic development and improved health conditions.
  • Increase in Population: Most states and Union Territories have seen significant increases in urban population, indicating socio-economic development and increased rural-urban migration.
  • Rural-urban Migration: It is noticeable in areas along major road and rail networks, as well as in industrial zones.

Linguistic Composition

• Hindi speakers make up the highest percentage among the scheduled languages.
• Bengali is the second most spoken language in India.

Religious Composition 

• Hindus: Constitute 79.8% of total population. 
  • They are predominant in many states, except some border districts, Jammu & Kashmir, North Eastern hill states, and parts of the Deccan Plateau and Ganga Plain.
• Muslims: Constitute 14.2% of the total population. 
  • They are concentrated in areas like Jammu & Kashmir, parts of West Bengal, Kerala, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, and Lakshadweep.
• Christians: Constitute 2.3% of the total population. 
  • Their population is found mainly on the Western coast around Goa and Kerala, and hill states like Meghalaya, Mizoram, and Nagaland.
• Sikhs:  constitute 1.7% of the total population. 
  • They reside primarily in Punjab, Haryana, and Delhi.
• Jains: Constitute 0.4% of the total population. 
  • They are largely in urban areas of Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Maharashtra.
• Buddhists: Constitute 0.7% of the total population. 
  • They are predominant in areas of Maharashtra, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Ladakh, Tripura, and Lahaul & Spiti.

Composition of Working Population (2011 Census)

• Classification of Workers: The working population in India is categorized into main workers, marginal workers, and non-workers.
  • Workers: 39.8% of India’s population are workers, and 
  • Non Workers: about 60% 
• Variations in Working Population: States and Union Territories show variations, ranging from 39.6% in Goa to 49.9% in Daman and Diu.
  • States: like Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, and Meghalaya have higher percentages of workers.
  • Union Territories: Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu show higher participation rates.
• Areas with lower economic development tend to have higher work participation rates due to the need for manual labour.
• Occupational Composition: 
  • Primary sector (54.6%), followed by secondary (3.8%) and tertiary sectors (41.6%).
  • Male workers outnumber female workers in all sectors.

Age Composition (2011 Census)

• 0-14 yrs – 30.8%; 
• 15-59 yrs – 60.3%.

Conclusion

• India’s population is diverse, with significant rural and urban divides, linguistic variations, religious plurality, and occupational distinctions. 
• These things show how diverse India is with its many different cultures and ways of making a living. 
• By understanding these dynamics, policymakers can better address the needs of different segments of the population and foster inclusive development.