State set for zero population growth

By Our Special Correspondent

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, MARCH 28. The provisional figures of the Census of India 2001 suggest that Kerala is on the verge of achieving a zero population growth situation.

As per these figures, the population growth in the State between 1991 and 2001 has been only 9.42 per cent, against an all-India growth of 21.34 per cent. The decadal population growth, in absolute terms, has been 27,40,101 for the State.

Releasing the provisional figures at a press conference here today, the Director of Census Operations, Ms. Sheela Thomas, said it could be safely inferred from the decadal population growth that the birth rate in the State was now approaching the replacement level.

Kerala's population, according to the provisional figures, is 3,18,38,619, with 1,54,68,664 males and 1,63,69,955 females. For every 1,000 males in the State, there are 1,058 females.The literacy rate for the State has gone up from 89.81 per cent in 1991 to 90.92 per cent in 2001.

The male literacy rate has gone up from 93.62 per cent to 94.20 per cent and the female literacy rate from 86.17 per cent to 87.86 per cent during the decade.

As expected, Kerala has the lowest population growth rate and the highest literacy rate among the States and Union Territories. In the matter of sex ratio also, Kerala has more females per 1,000 males than any other State or Union Territory.

In fact, Pondicherry is the only other place where the sex ratio is in favour of females (with 1,001 females per 1,000 males). The all-India sex ratio is 933, against Kerala's 1,058.

The highest decadal population growth in the State was 26.29 per cent witnessed during 1961-71.

The growth came down to 19.24 per cent during 1971-81 and to 14.32 per cent during 1981-91.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : Southern States
Previous : Congress concedes its seats to allies
Next     : IFFK: 100 films to be screened