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.