Demographic diversity in India: Evidence from the provisional results of 2011 population census

Abstract

The present paper uses provisional figures available through the 2011 population census to analyse the
demographic diversity across the districts of India. The demographic diversity is measured in terms of a
diversity index that has been developed for the purpose. The analysis suggests that most of the
demographic diversity across the districts of the country is confined to a few districts only, despite the
wide spread social, cultural, economic and ecological diversity that is so pervasive in India. The
analysis also suggests that between States, demographic diversity accounts for a larger proportion of
the total inter-district diversity in the country as compared to within States inter-district diversity and
there are substantive inter-State variations. Demographic diversity across the States/Union Territories
of India is well known. The provisional results of the 2011 population census suggest that this diversity
continues to persist.

India, population, census, demographic, ecological diversity.