Population of India in 2014

Population of India in 2014 - Fuelled by an improving socio-economic scenario and positive demographic pattern, India is all set to be in the reckoning in the global front. Yet as a country beset with several development issues, India also straddles different worlds in terms of human and economic development. So, promising as its growth story may seem, the internal dynamics of its different states and their political agendas make growth in terms of human indicators and economic measures a challenging task.

One of the most important indicators to analyze is India’s burgeoning population which is at once its strength and weakness. Well-endowed as it is with a sizeable human capital, India currently faces a development challenge of building and maintaining sustainable cities and empowered villages, while addressing the imperatives of essential housing, infrastructure, education and medical facilities. This makes population a strong area for setting priorities to make the country's prospects brighter.

India's population in 2014 was 1,271,702,542 (1.27 billion), which is 17.31% of the world's population. India holds the distinction of being ranked as the second most populous country. The percentage change over last year is a mere 1.22%. With a population of 25 million people, Delhi is only second to Tokyo in terms of largest cities. Delhi is closely followed by Mumbai with 21 million people ensconced in the fifth place. With a population density of 386, Delhi is the most densely populated. Projections reveal India will add another 404 million people by 2050, outnumbering every country in the world.

India is also expected to be a part of the largest urban growth phenomenon by 2050, according to a 2014 UN report. India's urbanization trend is led by Delhi (97.5%), Goa (62.2%), Mizoram (52.1%), Tamil Nadu (48.4%) and kerala (47.7%) and Maharshtra (45.2%). Still, the reality of a 857 million-strong Indian rural population (as per census 2011), which accounts for two-thirds of India's total population warrants serious attention. As such, only 32% of India’s total population accounts for its urban population residing in towns and urban agglomerations with access to modern facilities.

The upside is apparent if we analyze the population data. India’s fertility rate is forecasted to be 2.50 in 2015 but will take a downward trend from 2020, according to statistics provided by United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. The literacy rate according to 2011 population census is 74.04%, which is an increase of 8% and show a positive growth trend in female literacy (11.76%) over male literacy (6.84%), wherein laggard states have slowly managed to fill the gap. The evergreen state of Kerala has the highest literacy rate at 93.9%, with Lakshadweep (92.3%) taking the second position. Male to female ratio also known as sex ratio stands at 940. Kerala with 1058 females per 1000 males is the state with the highest female sex ratio while Haryana with 861 is notoriously at the bottom. Ironically, a large under-15 age group of population remains illiterate, but this could be corrected with strong government intervention. The median age is 26.6 years. The current workforce in India which is in the age group of 15-60 years, shows a distinct tendency towards savings, thus creating a wide pool of investments. However, women still are a minority in employed workforce.

India has favourable demographics in terms of what is being seen as India’s ‘demographic dividend’. India is home to the world’s largest youth population. Almost 28% of its population is in the 10-24 age groups, which, if properly channelized and trained can drive economic, scientific and social change in the country in the future. However, to make the most of this potential human resource, the government needs to devise ingenious methods of equipping India’s young population with the right skills along with conducive environment to realize their potential. With a productive population will be accommodated in several new sectors of the economy, drive in more investment and fuel growth.

India thus needs to step up in equal measure to nurture this dividend to reap future rewards. First, to arrest India’s population explosion, as our country is virtually bursting at the seams, more awareness campaigns need to be initiated with a focus on increased outreach. To make this promising youth population more productive and viable, dissemination of formal education and vocational training has to be homogenized and integrated in the government policy on a priority basis. More skill-driven workforce has to be nurtured, and more scalable employment opportunities have to be provided, be it knowledge-based sectors services sector, manufacturing or other capital-intensive sectors.

What is the Population of India in 2014
According to estimated figures (Census of India) total population of India in 2014 was estimated to be 1,271,702,542 (1.27 billion). After China, India is the second most populous country in the world.