Journal of Global Resources
Volume 4 (02)
July 2018
ISSN: 2395-3160 (Print), 2455-2445 (Online)

Page 138-145

18
GROWTH AND COMPOSITION OF POPULATION IN KARNATAKA STATE SPATIOTEMPORAL ANALYSIS FROM 1991-2011
D. Rajasekaran
Associate Professor, Department of Geography, Govt. Arts College, Bangalore, India
Email: drdrajsekaran@gamail.com
Abstract: In this article a detailed analysis of population distribution in Karnataka State wasanalyzed. For this, important issues are considered to be, the Population Growth Rate, Density,
Male Female Population, Male Female Ratio, Literacy, Sex Ratio, Child Sex Ratio etc.,
Therefore in the recent trend in social sciences it is to be understood and analyzed social
problems faced in all the areas in the state. So for this I have tried to put the information througha series of information has been considered and highlighted for the population distribution andgrowth in Karnataka State during 1991 to 2011.
Key words: Growth composition, Population, Spatio-temporal analysis
Introduction
Generally speaking the history of demography may be traced since about three centuries back.
However it may in quantitative as well as qualitative. Its development may be observed only inthe 20th century. Today demography is being considered as an independent branch ofknowledge. According to Peter R. Cox ‘it is sometimes argued that certain branches of
population analysis should be distinguished from others by a separate title’. In this connection
the word ‘demology’ has occasionally been suggested as an indicator of the more learned
branches of the subject. But this has not come into general use. Rather more commonly theexpression population studies are used to indicate the simpler and more descriptive
demographic work. There is however no sharp dividing line between the various parts ofdemography and these expressions are used if at all without much consistency. In the beginningdemography was concerned only with the enumeration of population gradually it began to study
population from empirical, statistical and mathematical viewpoints. Today it studies the size,
composition and distribution of population. The size includes the population at a place indifferent periods. The composition of population includes measurable characteristics of
population such as age, sex, marital status, education, religion, caste, health etc. These
characteristics of population organization are always changing. Distribution of population may
be studied according to communities and religious groups or according to fields of population.
Demography studies the patterns and causes of the changes in the size, composition anddistribution of population. In this regard the study of the population growth and composition in
Karnataka during the period of 1991 to 2011 was taken to analyses the decadal growth andcomposition of population within the past two decades. (1991 to 2011).
Study Area
Karnataka is located in the western part of the Deccan plateau. Larger part of the state belongs
to the Mysore plateau which is one of the three segments of larger Deccan plateau. The state
has both lands as well as water frontiers. It is surrounded by Maharashtra in the North, Andra
Pradesh in the East, Tamil Nadu in the South and South East, Kerala in the South West and
Goa in the North West, in the western part is flanked by the Arabian Sea.
138

The state extends from 110-311 to 180-451 North latitudes. The state has maximum
latitudinal extent of 70-141. Longi
Longitudinally the state extends from 740-121 to 780-401 east, thus
the state has a longitudinal extent of 40-281. From North to South 750 km. long and west to east
the state is about 400 km. The total Geographical area of the state is about 191791 Sq. km,
which contributes 5.83 percent of total area of the country, and a population of 61130704, as
per 2011 census. It contributes 5.05 percent,, of the total population of the country. It is the 8thlargest state in terms of area and 9th in terms of population in the
he country. The density of
population per square km. is about 300. It is below the national average. The state has a growthrate of about 15 percent which is the 22nd highest growth rate in the country. The population of
the state is rising considerably dudue
e to rapid efforts towards development and progress. The
literacy rate in the state is about 75 percent which is a cause for concern and a statistic. The
authorities must take notice and look to correct in the years to come. The sex ratio in the state isstandstands about 20 points higher than the national average. The statistics in the Karnataka census
2011 reveal facts that can be taken into consideration by the government in a bid to further
development. The state is moving towards development at a rapid rate and has emerged as oneof the prime economical contributors to the revenue of India as a whole.
Images shows the Location of Bangalore in Karnataka State,State India

Objectives• To analyse the changes in district level population in Karnataka state for the decades of1991 to 2011.
• To trace the major changes in growth rates, literacy, male female ratio, density of population
during 1991 to 2011.
Data and Methods
To study the decadal variation in population growth and composition in Karnataka
Karnata State during
thehe period of 1991 to 2011 secondary data have been obtained from census publications for thethree different periods of census years for 1991, 2001 and 2011. District wise population andalso decadal growth rates have also been computed for the study. A cocomparative
mparative analysis has
been done for the study to trace the major changes in growth rate and decadal variations in
population composition in two decades. In understanding the demographic shift and its impact139

on the changes in proportion and growth of population in Karnataka a district wise analysis has
been done for the study in the context of increasing population growth, literacy, urban
population, density in modern society in India. A special emphasis has been laid to understandthe growth rate, density, male-female ratio, literacy, rural urban ratio in Karnataka between two
decades of 1991 to 2001 and 2001 to 2011.
Table 01: Trend of Population Growth in Karnataka State 1901-2011
Population
Decadal
Decadal(in Lakhs)
Variation(in Lakhs)
Variation(in percentage)
1901
130.5
--1911
135.2
+4.70
+3.60
1921
133.8
-1.47
-1.40
1931
146.3
+12.55
+9.34
1941
162.5
+16.22+11.071951
194.0+31.46+19.381961
235.8+41.84+21.561971
292.6+47.12+24.22
1981
370.4+77.44+26.751991
448.2+71.33+21.12
2001
527.3+77.56+17.25
2011
611.3+79.10+15.93Years

Source: Census Karnataka 1991-2011

The trend of population growth in Karnataka clearly reveals large variations over the past
Eleven decades. The growth of population in first three decades was either small or negative. It
was due to many epidemics like plague and influenza. In the first 30 years between 1901 to1931 the net addition was only 16.3, lakh. The second stage between 1931 to 1961 between
three decades the growth of population was steady with a decadal growth of 9.35 percent in
1931, 19.36 percent in 1951, and 21.57 percent in 1961. The total population in the state during
these three decades has increased to 16.25 million, 19.40 million and 23.58 million respectively.
In these decades the state has witnessed a rapid growth of population from 1961. In the historyof population growth in the state the period 1961 to 1981 is most important. It has recorded
highest growth rate. The decadal growth of population in 1971 was 24.22 percent, and it wasincreased to 26.75 percent in 1981. The growth rate of 1981 was a record in the state becauseof medical facilities availability throughout the state and other health care measures, thegovernment initiated were so effective and have caused rapid decline in the death rate. The
phenomenal growth in this period is described as population explosion. The decades 1991,
2001 and 2011 is quite interesting in the census history both in the state as well as India. It isbecause that a ray of hope has appeared in the horizon in controlling growth of population. The
decadal population growth rate has started declining from 21.12 percent in 1991, to 17.25
percent in 2001, and to 15.93 percent in 2011. Actual increase of population was 77.8 Lakhs,
between 1981 to 1991, 79.1 lakhs in 1991 to 2001 and 84.0 lakhs in 2001 to 2011. The
difference in the actual increase was only marginal. Thus there are very strong positive
evidences to believe declining trend of population in the coming census.

140

Growth of Population (in Lakhs)
800
600
400
200
0

1901

1911

1921

1931

1941

1951

1961

1971

1981

1991

2001

2011

Graph 01: Decadal Growth of Population in Karnataka 1901-2011.

Decadal variation of Population (in Lakhs)
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
-10

1901

1911

1921

1931

1941

1951

1961

1971

1981

1991

2001

2011

Graph 02: Decadal variation of Population in Karnataka 1901-2011

Decadal variation (in percentage)

30
25
20
15
10
5
0
-5

1901

1911

1921

1931

1941

1951

1961

1971

1981

1991

2001

2011

Graph 03: Decadal variation of Population in Karnataka in percent 1901-2011
The table 1 shows, the decadal growth of population has wide variation in the districts of
Karnataka. The average growth rate was 17.25 in 2001 and 15.7 percent in 2011 comparatively
the decadal growth was declined. Even there are large variations in the growth rate of urban
and rural areas. Among the districts, Bangalore urban district has register a highest growth rateof 35.09 in 2001 and 46.10 percent in 2011, followed by Koppal (24.84 percent) in 2001 andBellary 24.9 percent in 2011. In contrast some of the districts have recorded lowest decadal
growth such as Udupi 7.15, Mandya 7.26, Mysore 5.75 percent in 2001 census andChikkamagalure -0.3 percent, Kodagu 1.1, Mandya 2.2, Tumkur 3.7, Hassan 3.2, Ramanagar
5.1, Chamarajanagar 5.1, Udupi 5.9, Uttarakannada 6.2, Shimoga 6.9 percent in 2011 census.
141Density
Density is the most important criteria in analyzing distribution of population. Usually number ofpeople per Sq. K.M or a mile is called density. The mean population density of the state was
235 in 1991, 275 in 2001 and 319 in 2011. Which is lower than the mean density of India,
relief pattern of rain fall, urbanization, and irrigation, climatic conditions are the influencing
factors for the density of population? The table 3 shows an analysis of density of population ofthat the costal districts, urbanized districts and the districts which have irrigation facilities havemore density. In contrast, the Malnad districts, Hyderabad-Karnataka, North Karnataka and also
drought prone central districts of the state have lower density of population. The lowest densityof population is in Kodagu, UttaraKannda, Chithradurga, Chamarajnagar, Bijapur, Shimoga,
Yadagiri, Gadag, Raichur, Hassan. These are Malnad and Semi-Malnad and drought prone
areas Kodagu is the lowest density district in the state. The highest population density in thestate is found in Bangalore Urban, Bangalore rural, Mysore, Mandya, Kolar, Dharwad,
Davanagere and Belgaum districts. These are urban areas well irrigated, and good agriculturally
developed districts. The Bangalore urban district recorded highest density in the state with
2210, 2979, 4378 per sq. km. in 1991, 2001 and 2011 census respectively.
Literacy
Literacy is one of the important features of demographic composition and it is an indicator of thelevels of human development. It reflects socio-economic development to a large extent.
Improvement of literacy helps to improve people’s productivity by strengthening their income. It
is an established fact that there is a positive relationship between the levels of literacy andincome. At the same time, literacy rate also influences much on sex ratio and the status of
women. This is apparent from the situation prevailing in Dakshinkannada, Udupi, and Kodagu
districts which have highest sex ratio in the state as well as very high female literacy. The
literacy rate in the state has continuously increased and has always remained much above theliteracy rates of the country. Not only the total literacy has even the male and female literacy
remained higher than the national average. It is increasing rapidly in the recent decades. Since
1971, the decadal growth of literacy is always remaining higher than 10 percent. In the decadesof 1991 to 2001 (66.6), and 2001 to 2011 (75.6), it has increased by 10 percent and 9 percent
respectively.
The table 03 shows that the literacy rates of men and women in Karnataka 67.2 percent,44.3 percent in 1991, 76.1 percent, 56.9 percent in 2001, 88.8 percent, and 68.1 percent in2011. And also the average literacy is also increased. Thus the women literacy has increased
from 44.3 percent in 1991 to 56.9 percent in 2001 and 68.1 percent in 2011 census. The maleand the average literacy also increase in the recent decades. A district-wise comparison ofliteracy is more interesting to analyze its growth in the last two census decades. The literacy
rate between different districts varies. The highest male literacy recorded in Bangalore urban,
Bangalore rural, Dakshin Kannada, Udupi, Uttarkannada, Dharwad districts. In Dakshinkannada
there is highest male literacy rates, and Yadagir district records lowest male literacy rate in 2011
census. The highest female literacy recorded in the districts of Bangalore urban, Dakshin
Kannada, Udupi, Uttar Kannada, Dharwad according to 2011 census, and Raichur district
records lowest female literacy in the state. The male literacy rate is much higher than the state
average and also in female and rural urban literacy also. The state needs to take immediate
steps to increase female rural literacy in the state. Koppal, Raichur, Gulberga, Bagalkot andGadag districts are highly depressed in terms of rural female literacy. The overall view of themale, female, rural, urban literacy among the districts of Karnataka is increased by nearly 10
percent in every census decades, because of the several literacy programmes, initiated by thestate government.

142

Table 02: District Wise Trend of Population Growth in Karnataka State 1901-201
Population
2001

1991
#

Districts
Male

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30

FemaleTotal

Bangalore Urban 2543000
2296000
4839000
Bangalore Rural
8600006130001673000
Bagalkot---Belgaum
1834000
1734000
3584000
Bellary
9620009280001890000
Bidar
6430006130001256000
Bijapur
1491000
1473000
2928000
Chamarajnagar---Chikmagalur
5150005020001017000
Chitradurga
1122000
1058000
2180000
Davanagere---Dharwad
1802000
1701000
3503000
D.Kannada
1306000
1388000
2694000
Gadag---Gulbarga
1316000
1266000
2582000
Havery---Hassan
7850007850001570000
Kolar
1128000
1089000
2217000
Koppal---Kodagu
247000242000489000
Mandya8380008060001644000
Mysore1621000
1544000
3165000
Raichur
1167000
1143000
2310000
Shimoga
9740009360001910000
Tumkur1177000
1129000
2306000
Udupi---U. Kannada
6210005980001220000
Ramanagar---Chikballapur---Yadagiri--KAR
2295200
22025000
44977000NATAKA0
Source: Karnataka census 1991, 2001, 2011

2011

Male

FemaleTotal

342659996218383424721500901029714771022926424489940574911776221917705823204938434493533
1592789740469859086
128619360331227483188803413446708418408305591313801
522231686876----31105259193318176452064415997426711351880494475522565994741675873247781049959296478302
1538133
698647862583124987659277727373087567112963578279228119861270910590012666768----6537124
1881514165189242145052027140
1502373
18069189654621140905
1517896
1790952
1604253
189773097183531309221439116
1721669
2536069
11960895485611763705
2641027
1669762
1642545258471111122431353644----

Decadalgrowthpercent
35.09
12.45
18.82
17.61
22.41
19.63
17.51
9.29
12.15
15.63
15.86
16.68
14.59
13.13
21.25
13.39
9.68
14.40
24.84
12.31
7.26
5.75
23.52
13.10
12.10
7.15
80.93
----

26898918

25951644

52850562

17.51

143

Male

FemaleTotal

5025498
5075149529022427104
1280402
8708501112953
513359567483843411989602939127103259753847713070618192958858077794017014792747259094411511206
966493879817135477056289672742454806063750459110445634124797439379242351335
12519818291681062149
5076035702708169679573039078661051048526758125783177921189041476083068981328003789923914835389582808756951326679
615012709423534679616873581881

9588910987257
189082648784392532383
170001821751621020762
1137753
1660378
1946905184699320836251065235
2564892
1598506
17762211540231139129255476218086802994744
1924773
175551226814491177908
143684710827391254377
1172985

Decadalgrowthpercent
46.10
16.0
14.5
13.4
24.9
13.2
20.4
5.8
-0.3
3.4
8.7
15.1
9.8
9.6
17.9
11.1
3.1
11.4
16.3
1.1
2.6
13.4
15.3
6.9
3.7
5.9
6.2
5.1
9.2
22.7

31057742

30072662

61130704

15.7

Table 03: District wise Male and Female Literacy 1991 to 2011
Literacy
1991
2001
Male
FemaleTotal
Male
FemaleTotal
1Bangalore Urban
72.1
59.22
65.94
87.92
77.48
82.70
2
Bangalore Rural
52.5
32.87
47.71
73.99
54.99
64.49
3
Bagalkot---70.88
43.56
57.22
4
Belgaum
55.26
32.45
44.10
75.70
52.32
64.01
5
Bellary
47.84
26.21
37.21
69.20
45.28
57.24
6
Bidar
47.60
24.74
36.44
72.46
48.81
60.63
7
Bijapur
57.37
33.60
45.70
69.94
43.47
56.70
8
Chamarajnagar---59.03
42.48
50.75
9
Chikmagalur
60.48
43.99
52.32
80.29
64.01
72.15
10 Chitradurga
56.03
36.24
46.41
74.66
53.78
64.22
11 Davanagere---76.37
58.04
67.20
12 Dharwad
59.46
37.58
48.83
80.82
61.92
71.37
13 D.Kannada
72.29
59.14
65.51
89.70
77.21
83.45
14 Gadag---89.32
52.52
65.92
15 Gulbarga
41.75
19.87
31.02
61.77
37.90
49.83
16 Havery---77.61
57.37
67.49
17 Hassan
58.45
38.44
48.44
78.37
59.00
68.68
18 Kolar
53.09
32.02
42.74
73.17
52.23
62.70
19 Koppal---68.43
39.61
54.02
20 Kodagu
64.26
52.66
58.49
83.70
72.26
77.98
21 Mandya
50.46
31.56
41.18
70.50
51.53
61.01
22 Mysore
47.67
32.09
40.06
70.88
55.81
63.39
23 Raichur
39.54
17.81
28.78
61.52
35.93
48.72
24 Shimoga
60.22
43.48
52.01
82.01
66.88
74.44
25 Tumkur
56.76
33.77
46.47
76.78
56.94
66.86
26 Udupi---88.23
75.19
81.71
27 U.Kannada
64.49
48.12
56.44
84.53
68.47
76.50
28 Ramanagar------29 Chikballapur------30 Yadagiri------KARNATAKA
67.26
44.34
56.04
76.10
56.90
66.64
Source: Karnataka census 1991, 2001, 2011. (Total percent calculated by author)#

Districts

Male
91.82
85.44
80.16
82.90
77.24
79.94
77.41
67.88
85.66
81.37
83.02
86.88
93.31
84.89
75.11
84.22
83.55
81.93
78.21
87.24
78.14
78.44
71.35
86.11
82.05
91.69
89.72
76.92
78.36
63.33
82.85

2011
Female
84.80
70.73
58.55
64.74
58.28
61.66
56.54
54.32
72.88
66.05
69.39
73.57
84.04
65.29
65.87
70.65
68.30
66.56
56.21
77.91
62.01
66.59
49.56
74.89
66.45
81.41
78.21
61.30
61.55
41.31
68.13

Total
88.48
78.29
69.39
73.94
67.85
71.01
67.20
61.12
79.24
73.82
76.30
80.30
88.62
75.18
65.65
77.60
75.89
74.33
67.28
82.52
70.14
72.53
60.44
80.50
74.32
86.29
84.03
69.20
70.08
52.36
75.60

Sex ratio
Sex ratio is one of the important attributes of population composition. The sex ratio is expressed
as ratio of women per thousand male populations. It is one of the indicator of socio-economic
development, it also indicate several other social conditions of the society. The status of
women, role of women in decision making, general equality, rate of literacy particularly female
literacy the impact of women empowerment programmes of literacy have all been reflected in
the sex ratio of the society. Udupi has highest sex ratio in the state with 1134, 1127, 1093 in
1991, 2001 and 2011 census accordingly, followed by Dakshinkannada, Kodagu, Hassan,
Chikmaglore, these five districts are have higher levels of sex ratio in the state. Among 176
taluks 25 taluks have 1000 or more female population per thousand males. These are two in
Uttarkannada, two in Shimoga, seven in Dakshin Kannada, one in Chikmaglore, two in Tumkur,
three in Mandya, six in Hassan, one each in Kodagu and Gulbarga districts. The trend of urban
and rural sex ratio is almost same. The lowest sex ratio in the state is in Bangalore urban, which
has 908 female populations per thousand males, it is followed by Bangalore rural 945, Haveri
951, Bidar 952, Bijapur 954 and Gulbarga 962 districts. Lower sex ratio is related to several
144

factors; it is largely caused by poor reproductive health care and gender bias. These havecaused women and girls not to get adequate nutrition and health care, there is preference ofmale child in the society. However in the recent years with increasing literacy and public healthcare the female sex ratio has registered a modest improvement. Sex determination is one of theworst situations in the society which has to be tackled with proper programmes which are
already implemented by the government.
Conclusion
In the past 20 years there has been a continuous decline in population growth in Karnataka. The
decades of 1991, 2001 and 2011 is quite interesting in the census history both in the state aswell as in the country. It is because that a ray of hope has appeared in the horizon in controlling
growth of population. The decadal population growth rate has started declining from 21.12
percent in 1991 to 17.25 percent in 2001 and to 15.93 percent in 2011. It indicates the positive
evidences to believe declining trend of population in the coming census. This study summarize
the decadal growth how is different among the districts, the Hyderabad Karnataka region
records highest growth rate comparatively to the Mysore region. The Mumbai region andremaining districts have registered moderate growth. The density is also varies among the
districts, the southern, coastal, and the Mumbai region has high density, and remaining
northern, Mysore region has moderate density, in the Malnad districts have registered low
density. The literacy is also varies among the districts, the costal districts Udupi, Uttarkannada,
Dakshinkannada, Kodagu, Bangalore urban, Dharwad have registered highest literacy morethan 81 percent, the northern part of Karnataka has below 70 percent, and remaining district of
Mumbai and Mysore region has 71 to 80 percent, especially the Raichur and Yadagir registeredvery low literacy rates in the state. The sex ratio also variably distributed among the districts of
Karnataka, the highest sex ratio registered in coastal and Malnad districts. The lowest sex ratio
is in Bangalore urban, Bidar, Dharwad, Haveri districts, the remaining districts are havemoderate sex ratio. The overall view of the study is to understand the growth, composition, of
population in Karnataka during the period of 20 years from 1991 to 2011.
References
1. R.C. Chandana (2004-2005) “A Geography of Population” Kalyani Publishers New Delhi.
2. G.T. Trewartha (1953-1969) “A Geography of Population- World pattern, New York.
3. H.R. Jones “A Population Geography New London”-Harper and Row.
4. Gosh .B.N. (1985) “Fundamental Population Geography-Sterling Publishers, New Delhi.
5. Census Karnataka-1991, 2001, 2011.
6. Chandana R.C “Principle of Population Geography”, Kalyani Publishers New Delhi.
7. Dr. Suryanath U. Kamath, Concise History of Karnataka, 2001, MCC, Bangalore.
8. Mohammad Izhar Hassan (2005): Population Geography, Rawat Publication, Jaipur.
9. Saldanha Ceil J. (1986) “Karnataka State Environment, Reprint 1984-85’ Centre for
Taxonomic Studies, Bangalore.
10. SASTRY G.S. (2006), ‘Patterns of Urbanization in Karnataka Issues and Policy’, ISEC,
Bangalore-560 072.
11. Karnataka State Gazetteer.
12. www.censusindia2011.gov.in

145