Sex ratio improves in Delhi

Number of females per 1000 males in city now at 868

The capital’s sex ratio has improved with the female population having grown by 24.9 per cent, while the male population grew at a lesser rate of 18.1 per cent.

According to the Primary Census Abstract 2011 released here on Tuesday, of the overall 21.2 per cent population growth registered between 2001 and 2011, female population grew by 24.9 per cent while male population grew at 18.1 per cent.

The sex ratio has gone up from 821 in 2001 to 868 in 2011. Interestingly, sex ratio in 1901 was 862 and it has crossed this figure for the first time in 2011 to reach 868, said census operations (Delhi) director Varsha Joshi.

Delhi’s population has been estimated at 1.67 crore, registering an increase of over 21 per cent during 2001-2011, which is above the national average of 17 per cent.
“The total population of the National Capital Territory stands at 16,787,941, out of which 53.53 per cent (8,987,326) are male while 46.47 per cent (7,800,615) are female,” Joshi said.

Population density has been estimated at about 11,320 per sqkm, said Joshi while releasing the abstract in a press conference here.
Child population (till six years old) in NCT stood at 2,012,454, which is 12 per cent of the total population. Child sex ratio also registered a slight growth, standing at 871 in 2011 against 868 in 2001, the report said.

The population of the Scheduled Castes community in the NCT is 2,812,309, which is 16.5 per cent of the total population. There are no Scheduled Tribes in Delhi, the report said.

NCT’s literacy rate is 86.2 per cent. The literacy rate stood at 86.3 per cent in urban areas, and 81.9 per cent in rural areas. At least 90.9 per cent male and 80.8 per cent female are found to be literate in Delhi. The highest population district-wise is registered in north-west district, which is 21.78 per cent of the total population, while the lowest is recorded in New Delhi district at 0.85 per cent.

However, the highest density of population was registered at 36,155 people per sqkm in north district, while distribution of population was scant in New Delhi district with only 4,057 people per sqkm.

The percentage of highest child population was in Seelampur (14 per cent), while the lowest was in Connaught Place (8.4 per cent).

Only one out of 10 women is engaged in an “economically productive” activity as against five out of 10 men in Delhi, the report said. The number of working women in the NCT stands at a mere 10.58 per cent, while that of men is 52.99 per cent.

The highest number of female work participation was found in Connaught Place (25.3 per cent), while the lowest was registered in Seelampur (5.2 per cent).

The pattern was similar in male work participation. Most men worked in Connaught Place (62 per cent), while the lowest number was registered in Seelampur (49.4 per cent). The overall ‘work participation rate’ (WPR) stands at 33.3 per cent. Rural WPR stands at 31.91 per cent, while in urban areas it is 33.3 per cent.