Demography in Indian Society

Notes

CHAPTER 2: THE DEMOGRAPHIC STRUCTURE OF INDIAN SOCIETY 2.1 THEORIES AND CONCEPTS IN DEMOGRAPHY What is Demography? Demography is the scientific study of human population, including their size, composition, growth, density, and distribution. Key Demographic Concepts 1. Population Distribution How population is spread across geographic areas Measured in absolute numbers or density Uneven in India 2. Population Density Number of people per square kilometer Formula: Total Population ÷ Total Area India's density: ~430 per sq km (2023) Varies: Bihar (1102/sq km) vs Arunachal Pradesh (17/sq km) 3. Population Growth Rate of increase in population over time Calculated as: (Birth Rate - Death Rate) + Migration India's growth rate: ~0.8% annually (declining) 4. Birth Rate (BR) Number of live births per 1000 population per year India's BR: ~18 per 1000 (2023) 5. Death Rate (DR) Number of deaths per 1000 population per year India's DR: ~7 per 1000 (2023) 6. Natural Increase Birth Rate - Death Rate India: 18 - 7 = 11 per 1000 Classical Demographic Theories A. Malthusian Theory (Thomas Malthus, 1798) Main Argument: Population grows geometrically (2, 4, 8, 16) while food supply grows arithmeticall...