Population : Distribution, Density, Growth and Composition — NCERT Solutions

States like Himachal Pradesh and Bihar have very high rural population. One reason is that these states have a large number of people living in villages, and many areas depend on agriculture and rural livelihoods. The chapter also notes that states like Goa and Mizoram have lower rural shares, showing that rural population varies across states.

Some states have higher work participation rates because they have more people engaged in manual and subsistence or near-subsistence activities. The chapter says work participation tends to be higher in areas of lower economic development, where more workers are needed. It is also higher where agriculture and other labour-intensive activities dominate. Thus states such as Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur and Meghalaya show higher participation.

The agricultural sector has the largest share of Indian workers because India still has a large rural and agrarian population. According to the chapter, about 54.6% of total workers are cultivators and agricultural labourers. Many people depend on farming and related activities for livelihood, especially in areas where farming is the main occupation. This is why the primary sector has the largest share of workers.

India shows a highly uneven spatial pattern of population density. The density ranges from as low as 17 persons per sq km in Arunachal Pradesh to as high as 11,297 persons per sq km in NCT of Delhi. Among states, Bihar, West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh have very high densities. Kerala and Tamil Nadu also have high densities among peninsular states. In contrast, the Himalayan hill states and most north-eastern states have low densities. The chapter explains that this pattern is due to climate, terrain, water availability, agriculture, transport, industrialisation and urbanisation. The North Indian Plains, deltas and Coastal Plains have higher population concentration than interior, hilly and dry regions.

India’s occupational structure is divided into main workers, marginal workers and non-workers. In terms of broad sectors, the working population is concentrated mainly in the primary sector. The chapter gives the following composition of workers: 54.6% in the primary sector, 3.8% in household industries, and 41.6% in other workers including manufacturing, trade, construction and services. It also notes that male workers outnumber female workers in all three sectors. The share of agricultural workers has declined somewhat over time, showing a shift from farm-based to non-farm occupations. Thus, India’s economy still has a large agricultural base, but secondary and tertiary sectors are growing.