Bangalore population soon to be 1 crore; single-digit growth in 15 districts

Cmagalur sees negative growth; Mandya, Tumkur set a hundred-year record

One of the most attractive employment destinations in the country over the last decade or so, Bangalore's population has grown by 46.68 per cent

between 2001 and 2011, up by nearly 12 percentage points over the growth rate of 35 per cent in the previous decade. The City’s decadal growth rate is the highest among all the metros in the country. Indeed, at 36.35 per cent, over a third of Karnataka’s population increase in the last decade has happened in Bangalore.

However, the real story from the provisional data released by the Director of Census Operations in Karnataka, T K Anil Kumar, lies in half of the state’s 30 districts. At a time when most of parts of the country are nowhere near meeting the 11th Five Year Plan (2007-2015) population growth control target of 1.4 per cent per year or 14 per cent on a decadal basis, 15 districts of Karnataka have done exceptionally well. These districts have, in fact, already achieved the national average target set for the year 2026.

The 15 districts are: Chikmagalur, Kodagu, Mandya, Hassan, Tumkur, Ramanagara, Chamarajanagar, Udupi, Uttara Kannada, Shimoga, Davanagere, Chikkaballapur, Chitradurga, Gadag and Dakshina Kannada. They have achieved the distinction of bringing down the decadal population growth since 2001 down to single-digit.
The state and national average decadal growth rates are much higher -- 15.67 per cent for the state and 17.64 per cent nationally -- though both these are lower than the previous decadal growth rates.

Chikmagalur district's story is unique. The district recorded a negative decadal growth rate of -0.28 per cent, the lowest decadal growth rate in almost hundred years. The last time the district witnessed a negative growth rate was in the 1911-21 census.

However, if Chikmagalur district's negative growth rate a century ago (-1.45 per cent) was higher than the latest data, Mandya and Tumkur districts recorded decadal growth rates lower than what was recorded in the 1911-21 census. Together, the 15 districts account for nearly 38 per cent of the state's population.

Clearly defying this trend are the two predominantly rural districts of Bijapur and Bellary. Like Bangalore city, the decadal population growth rate has gone up in these two districts, while in 27 districts, including the 15 mentioned above, the growth rate has dipped significantly. 

Barring Bangalore city, the rest of Karnataka appeared to be making rapid strides in achieving the country's population stabilisation goal, i.e. to meet the zero population growth, in which the birth rate equals the death rate and, additionally, when net immigration equals net emigration so that the population does not increase or decrease over time.

Gender ratio

The state showed an improvement in the sex ratio and stands much above the national average. Karnataka has 968 females per 1,000 males, the highest since 1921 and a three-point increase from 965 recorded in 2011. In comparison, the national gender ratio is just 940 female per 1,000 males.

But the gender ratio has gone down in the districts of Udupi by 37 points and Dakshina Kannada by four points.

Bangalore most skewed

Bangalore with its high growth rate and population density has the most skewed sex ratio at 908 females for 1,000 males.

According to the data, literates constitute 76 per cent of the state’s total population aged six and above and illiterates form 24 per cent.

Overall, the male literacy rate in the state has gone up from 76.1 per cent in 2001 to 82.85 per cent in 2011, while female literacy rate has increased from 56.87 per cent in 2001 to 68.13 per cent in 2011.

Eight districts — Bagalkot, Bellary, Koppal, Bijapur, Gulbarga, Chamarajnagar, Raichur and Yadgir —  have female literacy rate below 60 per cent, an indicator for the planning authorities to take up special literacy campaigns in these zones.