Population composition refers to the detailed description of a population, focusing on various characteristics that define its demographics. These characteristics include age, gender, place of residence, ethnic background, tribal affiliations, spoken language, religious beliefs, marital status, educational attainment, literacy rates, and occupational profiles.
Age Composition
- The age structure of a population refers to the distribution of people across various age groups in relation to the total population.
- Changes in the age structure occur due to factors such as the level of development and life expectancy. In areas with inadequate medical facilities and prevalent diseases, life spans tend to be shorter.
- High rates of infant and maternal mortality also influence the age distribution within a population.
- With development, quality of life improves and with it the life expectancy also improves. This changes the age structure.
- Consequently, smaller proportions of the population are found in the younger age groups and larger proportions in the older age groups. This is also referred to as the ageing of the population.
The population of a nation is generally grouped into three broad categories:
| Children (below 15 years): | They are economically unproductive and need to be provided with food, clothing, education, and medical care. |
| Working Age (15-59 years): | They are economically productive and biologically reproductive. They comprise the working population. |
| Aged (Above 59 years): | They can be economically productive though they may have retired. They may be working voluntarily but they are not available for employment through recruitment. |
Dependency Ratio
The dependency ratio is a measure comparing the portion of a population which is composed of dependents (i.e., elderly people who are too old to work, and children who are too young to work) with the portion that is in the working age group, generally defined as 15 to 59 years. The dependency ratio is equal to the population below 15 or above 60, divided by population in the 15-59 age group; the ratio is usually expressed as a percentage.
- When there are more elderly and young people to support compared to those who are working, it’s called a high dependency ratio.
- This can be challenging for countries with an aging population because there’s a smaller group of working-age individuals providing for a larger number of dependents. But when there are more people working and fewer dependents, it can lead to economic growth, known as the ‘demographic dividend’.
- However, this benefit is temporary because eventually, the larger working-age population will become non-working old people.
Sex composition
Sex composition is a very significant indicator of the quality of population of a country as a human resource. In fact, primarily it is understood on the basis of sex ratio.
The Sex Ratio refers to the number of females per 1000 males in a given area at a specified time period.
The Child Sex Ratio is the sex ratio in the age group 0-6 years (child) in a given area at a specified time period.
Natural Advantage v/s Social Disadvantage
Females often have a natural resilience compared to males, but the social challenges and discrimination they encounter tend to negate this advantage.
Transgender composition
- During the Census in 2011, for the first time, enumerators were provided with three codes: ‘1’ for Male, ‘2’ for Female, and ‘3’ for Others. If the respondent didn’t identify as either ‘1’ or ‘2’, the enumerator was instructed to record their sex as ‘other’ and assign code ‘3’. However, it’s crucial to note that the Indian Census does not collect specific data regarding ‘transgender’ individuals.
- Certainly, the ‘other’ category includes individuals who identify as ‘transgender’ as well as anyone choosing to record their sex under this category. It’s also likely that some transgender individuals may have identified themselves as either male or female based on their preference. As per the Census 2011 data, the population identified under the ‘other’ category accounts for 487,803 individuals, approximately 0.04% of the total population.
Divyang composition
- In the 2011 census, it was found that there were 207.8 lakh households across the country that included disabled persons, accounting for 8.3% of the total households. This number represented an increase of 20.5 lakhs compared to the previous census count of households with disabled individuals.
- In the Census of 2011, out of the total disabled population of 2.68 crores, 1.46 crores (54.5%) were literate, while the remaining 1.22 crores (45.5%) were illiterate. Comparatively, a decade ago, the percentage of literates among the disabled population was 49.3%, and the remaining 50.7% were illiterate.
Literacy composition
- literacy serves as a crucial tool for empowerment. When more people are literate, it enhances their awareness of career opportunities and increases their engagement in the knowledge-based economy.
- Additionally, literacy fosters health consciousness and enables greater participation in the cultural and economic aspects of the community, contributing to its overall well-being.
- Since India gained independence, there has been a substantial improvement in literacy rates, with nearly two-thirds of the population now being literate.
- However, the literacy rate has faced challenges in keeping up with the rapid growth of the Indian population. Moreover, there are significant variations in literacy rates across genders, regions, and social groups within the country.
- As can be seen, female literacy has been rising faster than male literacy, partly because it started from relatively low levels.
- literacy rates differ among various social groups. Communities like the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, who have faced historical disadvantages, tend to have lower literacy rates. Additionally, within these groups, the literacy rates among females are even lower.
- There are significant differences among regions in terms of literacy rates. For instance, states such as Kerala have nearly achieved universal literacy, while others like Bihar are considerably behind in this aspect.
- In urban areas across the country, the literacy rate stands at 79.9%. Certain states and union territories have surpassed this average rate, such as Kerala, Lakshadweep, Mizoram, Goa, and Delhi, boasting literacy rates ranging from 88% to 96%. Conversely, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Jammu & Kashmir, and Uttar Pradesh rank among the states with the lowest literacy rates in urban regions.
The differences in literacy rates play a crucial role in continuing inequality from one generation to the next. Parents who lack literacy skills face challenges in providing proper education to their children, contributing to the continuation of existing inequalities.
Working Population Composition
The population of India according to their economic status is divided into three groups, namely;
- Main workers
- Marginal workers
- Non-workers.
- Main Worker is a person who works for at least 183 days in a year.
- Marginal Worker is a person who works for less than 183 days in a year.
- Non Worker is a person who is not engaged in paid employment.
| Occupational Categories The 2001 census has divided the working population of India into Four main categories:-CultivatorsAgricultural, Labourers, Household Industrial workers, Other workers |
Work participation rate is defined as the percentage of total workers (main and marginal) to total population.
- The data in India shows that only 39 percent of the population are active workers (both main and marginal), while the remaining 61 percent are categorized as non-workers. This suggests that there might be a substantial number of individuals who are either unemployed or underemployed, leading to a larger proportion of the population dependent on others economically.
- The percentage of the working population across different states and Union Territories varies moderately. For instance, Goa has a lower rate at about 25 percent, while Mizoram has a higher rate at approximately 53 percent. States with higher percentages of workers include Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, and Meghalaya. Additionally, among the Union Territories, Dadra and Nagar Haveli along with Daman and Diu show higher rates of participation in the workforce.
- In the context of a country like India, areas with lower levels of economic development usually exhibit higher work participation rates.
- This is because a greater number of manual workers are required to engage in subsistence or near-subsistence economic activities prevalent in these regions. The need for labor-intensive work, especially in primary sectors like agriculture, contributes to the higher participation rate in these areas.
- India’s occupational composition highlights a significant presence of workers in the primary sector compared to the secondary and tertiary sectors.
- Approximately 58.2% of the total working population are engaged in farming and agricultural labor, while only 4.2% are involved in household industries, and 37.6% are categorized as other workers, which includes non-household industries, trade, commerce, construction, repair, and various services. In terms of gender distribution, males outnumber females in all three sectors of occupation.
- The number of female workers is relatively high in primary sector, though in recent years there has been some improvement in work participation of women in secondary and tertiary sectors.
- There has been a rise in the number of workers in industries beyond farming, showing a shift from farm-based jobs to non-farm jobs. This change varies greatly across different regions in the country.
- For example, in states like Himachal Pradesh and Nagaland, a significant number of people are involved in farming.
Adolescents
- An important aspect of population growth in India is the growth of its adolescents. At present the share of adolescents i.e. up to the age group of 10-19 years is about 21 per cent (2011).
- The adolescent population, though, regarded as the youthful population having high potentials, but at the same time they are quite vulnerable if not guided and channelized properly.
- There are many challenges for the society as far as these adolescents are concerned, some of which are lower age at marriage, illiteracy – particularly female illiteracy, school dropouts, low intake of nutrients, high rate of maternal mortality of adolescent mothers, high rates of HIV/AIDS nfections, physical and mental disability or retardation, drug abuse and alcoholism, juvenile delinquency and committing of crimes etc.
- In view of these, the Government of India has undertaken certain policies to impart proper education to the adolescent groups so that their talents are better channelized and properly utilized.
The National Population Policy 2000 identifies them as an “under-served population group”, because their needs have not been specifically addressed so far. The Policy describes various strategies to address different needs of adolescents. These are:
(i) provide accurate information about physical, physiological, psychological and social changes and developments that take place during adolescence;
(ii) develop the needed life skills to empower them to avoid risky situations and to attain sound physical, mental and social health;
(iii) provide food supplements and nutritional services; and
(iv) make available the needed health and counseling services available to them.
FAQs
1. What is Population Composition?
A: Population composition refers to the demographic makeup of a population, including characteristics such as age, gender, ethnicity, education level, occupation, and marital status.
2. How is Population Composition Measured?
A: Population composition is measured through census surveys, which collect data on various demographic factors such as age distribution, gender ratio, ethnic diversity, and socioeconomic status. Additionally, population composition can be analyzed through sampling methods in research studies and surveys.
3. Why is Population Composition Important?
A: Understanding population composition is crucial for policymakers, planners, and researchers to formulate effective policies and programs in areas such as healthcare, education, housing, and social welfare. It helps identify demographic trends, disparities, and needs within a population, guiding resource allocation and decision-making processes.
4. What Factors Influence Population Composition?
A: Several factors influence population composition, including birth rates, death rates, migration patterns, cultural norms, economic conditions, government policies, and advancements in healthcare and technology. These factors can shape the age structure, gender distribution, ethnic diversity, and other demographic characteristics of a population over time.
5. How Does Population Composition Impact Society?
A: Population composition affects various aspects of society, including labor markets, consumer behavior, voting patterns, social cohesion, and intergenerational dynamics. Changes in population composition can lead to shifts in workforce demographics, cultural attitudes, and political landscapes, influencing social and economic outcomes at the local, national, and global levels.
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