Population growth halves in Kerala, may get negative in next decade

Growth in the Kerala's population has almost halved decade-on-decade even as it showed a growingly negative bias going forward, trends to which are already discernible in two of the 14 districts.

Revealing the population statistics as suggested by provisional results of 2011 census, Dr V.M. Gopala Menon, Director, Census Directorate, told newspersons here on Friday that Idukki and Pathanamthitta districts have recorded negative decadal growth in population.

STEEP FALL

A comparative study of decadal growth of population of the State revealed that ever since the peak in 1971, the growth rate has tapered off steeply to around 4.86 per cent during 2001-11 (9.43 per cent 1991-2001).

The total population of the State as at 00.00 hours on March 1, 2011 is 3.33 crore, of which 1.60 crore are males and 1.73 crore are females. The State has a sex ratio (females/1,000 males) of 1,084.

The sex ratio is the highest in Kannur district (1,133) and the least in Idukki (1,006).

Malappuram district is the most populous with 41 lakh (12.31 per cent of the total) and Wayanad the least populous at 8.1 lakh (2.45 per cent).

The growth rate in population in Malappuram district is 13.39 per cent, which itself is at a discount to the 17 per cent of the previous decade, reflective of the larger trend across the State.

EXPAT POPULATION

Pathanamthitta district in the south, which along with Malappuram is known for the varyingly large number of expatriate population, saw the least growth in population at minus 3.12 per cent.

The State, however, is among those with the highest density of population at 859 persons per sq km (819 in the previous decade).

Among the 14 districts, Thiruvananthapuram, which houses the State Capital, holds the most number of persons in a sq km – 1,509. This number is the least in Idukki district, at 254.

The population in the age group of 0 to 6 is 33.22 lakh, which makes for 9.95 per cent of the total. This represents shrinkage of 12.41 per cent in the number relative to that of the previous decade.

CHILD-SEX RATIO

The child-sex ratio is 959 in the 0 to 6 age group, as against 960 of the previous decade, Dr Menon said.

The literacy rate has been assessed at 93.91 per cent excluding those in the 0 t0 6 age group.

This represents an improvement 3.05 per cent in the numbers of the literate, of which males constituted 96.02 per cent and females 91.98 per cent.

Pathanamthitta, with 96.93 per cent, is the most literate district while Palakkad (88.49 per cent) made up the rear.

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