Size and Density of population
The total population of Chhattisgarh is 2,55,45,198 as per census 2011. It constitutes 2.04 percent of the total population of India. Chhattisgarh is the 17th largest State of India on population basis.
The annual growth rate of population is 1.67 percent during the period 1991 to 2001; whereas it is 1.93 percent annually for all India. The density of population is 189 person per sq. km. whereas it is 324 per sq. km. for all India. It witnesses that the density of population is low as compared to all India in the census 2011.
In Chhattisgarh State, there is wide variations in the population of different districts. Raipur is the largest district in population and Durg is the second populated district of Chhattisgarh State. On the contrary, Kawardha or Kabirdham district is the lowest population district.
Through the density of population of C.G. is low 189 as compared to all India 324 persons per sq. km. however Janjgir-Champa and Durg Districts have higher density of population as compared to all India 324 respectively. Dantewada is the district in which density of population is 41 persons the lowest in the State.
Rural –Urban Distribution
Out of total population of Chhattisgarh, 23.24% people live in urban regions. The total figure of population living in urban areas is 5,936,538 of which 3,035,401 are males and while remaining 2,901,137 are females. The urban population in the last 10 years has increased by 41.83 percent. Sex Ratio in urban regions of Chhattisgarh was 956 females per 1000 males. For child (0-6) sex ratio the figure for urban region stood at 932 girls per 1000 boys. Total children (0-6 age) living in urban areas of Chhattisgarh were 717,554. Of total population in urban region,12.09%werechildren(0-6). Average Literacy rate in Chhattisgarh for Urban regions was 84.79 percent in which males were 91.63% literate while female literacy stood at 77.65%. Total literates in urban region of Chhattisgarh were 4,425,077.
Of the total population of Chhattisgarh state, around 76.76 percent live in the villages of rural areas. In actual numbers, males and females were 9,792,514 and 9,811,144 respectively. Total population of rural areas of Chhattisgarh state was 19,603,658. The population growth rate recorded for this decade(2001-2011)was17.75%. In rural regions of Chhattisgarh state, female sex ratio per 1000 males was 1002 while same for the child (0-6 age) was 972 girls per 1000 boys. In Chhattisgarh, 2,866,474 children (0-6) live in rural areas. Child population forms 14.62 percent of total rural population. In rural areas of Chhattisgarh, literacy rate for males and female stood at 78.20 % and 55.40 %. .
Sex Ratio
There are more than 13 million males and 12.9 million females in Chhattisgarh, which constitutes 2.11% of the country’s population. The sex ratio in the state is one of the most balanced in India with 991 females per 1,000 males, as is the child sex-ratio with 964 females per 1,000 males (Census 2011). Notably the sex ratio is found maximum in tribal districts of Chhattisgarh. Rural Sex Ratio is recored 1002, and urban is 956. Highest sex ratio is in Rajnanadgaon and Bastar(1024) while lowest is in Koria district.
0-6 Age Group Population is found 35,84,028 (35 Lakh). 18,24,987 are male children and 17,59,041 are female children.Child sex ratio declined from 975 to 969 in a decade. Rural CSR is 977 while Urban CSR is 937.
Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe Population
With the exception of the hilly states of the north-east, Chhattisgarh has one of highest shares of Scheduled Tribe (ST) populations within a state, accounting for about 10 per cent of the STs in India. Scheduled Castes and STs together constitute more than 50 per cent of the state’s population. The tribals are an important part of the state population and mainly inhabit the dense forests of Bastar and other districts of south Chhattisgarh.
The Scheduled Caste (SC) population of Chhattisgarh is 2,418,722 as per 2001 census constituting 11.6 per cent of the total population (20,833,803). The proportion of Scheduled Castes has increased from 11.6 per cent in 2001 to 12.8% in 2011. The percentage increase in the population of the scheduled list of tribalsduring the 2001-2011 decade had been at the rate of 18.23 per cent. The share of the tribal population in the entire state had been 30.62 per cent which was 31.76 per cent during 2001.
Literacy Rate
With respect to literacy, the state fared just below the national average. The recent estimates from Census (2011) are also similar, with the literacy rate of 71% (81.4% Males & 60.5% Females), which is close to the all India literacy rate of 74%.
According to NSS (2007–08), the literacy rate for Scheduled Tribes (STs) and Scheduled Castes (SCs) was better than the corresponding national average.
Among the marginalized groups, STs are at the bottom of the rankings, further emphasizing the lack of social development in the state. Bastar and Dantewada in south Chhattisgarh are the most illiterate districts and the drop out ratio is the highest among all the districts. The reason for this is the extreme poverty in rural areas.
Working Population
The total working population of the Chhattisgarh State is shown in table 3. As per 2001 census, 46.57 percent people come under working population. Among them, male people constitute 52.97 persons & female 40.03 percent among their criterion. Among total working population 72.89 percent come under main workless 27.11 percent marginal workers and 53.43 percent come under non-working classes. It indicates that more than half population do not contribute in production and any productive activities. They belong to depend population.
Among working population 44.57 percent belong to cultivators, 33.88 percent Agricultural labourers, 2.08 percent in family industries and other is 21.4 7 percent as per census 200 I in the State. The 0-6 year’s children constitute 16.68 percent of the total population of the State. In Chhattisgarh State Dantewada&Sarguja are the two districts which have higher percentage of0-6 year children. On the basis of above characteristics, we can say that the quality of the people is not good in the State.