Population – The population of India is over 1.4 billion people, making it the second most populous country. This large population is rich in cultural, linguistic, and religious diversity, with over 2,000 distinct ethnic groups and more than 1,600 languages. Rapid urbanization and economic development have led to major demographic shifts, with an increasing percentage of the population living in cities. Although India has made progress in education and healthcare, challenges such as poverty, resource allocation, and environmental sustainability remain, making population management a critical issue for the country’s future. Between 1951 and 1961, the Muslim population in India grew by 32.7%, outpacing the overall growth rate of 21.6%. However, the growth gap has decreased since then. From 2001 to 2011, Muslims grew by 24.7%, while Hindus grew by 17.7%, a difference of 7 percentage points. Meanwhile, the Christian population grew the slowest at 15.7% during the same period, significantly lower than the 29.0% growth seen in the decade after Partition.
Demographic – “Of or relating to the study of changes that occur in large groups of people over some time: of or relating to demography” (Britannica dictionary).
As of September 29, 2024, India’s population consists of approximately 1.45 billion people. (Worldometer, 2024). The country’s demographic as it relates to religion is not far from a monocultural society with over 80% of the population identifying as Hindu and more than 14% as Muslim. India is home to the world’s third-largest Muslim population (Statista, 2024). Projections indicate that India is on track to surpass China as the world’s most populous country by 2030, this highlights the ever-growing and ongoing demographic shifts that may influence various sectors (Statista, 2024).
