Around 86 per cent of Assam's population live in the countryside, whereas just 14 per cent live in urban areas, revealed the recently released 2011 census report.
The 'Primary Census Abstract of Assam 2011' report, which was released by director of census operation, RK Das, in Guwahati yesterday, found the total population of Assam as on March 1, 2013 as little above 3 crore (3,12,05,576). Among the positive trends that the census report found are the notable increase in the literacy rate by 8.9 per cent than over the previous decade and growth of sex ratio within age group of 0-6 years. With a growth of 8.9 percent, Assam stands slightly ahead of the national literacy growth rate of 8.2 percent.
Among startling revelations that the census report threw was the abnormal population growth rate in districts sharing boundary with Bangladesh and those which are suspected of having significant illegal Bangladeshi settlers. Dhubri, Morigaon, Goalpara, Darrang, Nagaon, Karimganj, Hailakandi, Barpeta, Bongaigaon, Cachar are the districts which have registered a growth rate above the state's average growth rate of 17.7 per cent in the last ten years. Dhubri district in lower Assam recorded a decadal growth of 24.44 per cent, which is the highest among all the districts of the state.
Das said that this was the first set of final data from the population enumeration exercise held in February 2011.
"The data release contains list of indicators of population, density, population within the age group of 0-6, scheduled castes population, scheduled tribes population, number of literates, number of workers categorised as total, main, marginal, category of economic activity like cultivators, agricultural labourers, household industry workers, other workers and non workers" he added.The data reveals an increase of 4,550,048 persons in absolute number of population in Assam during 2001-2011 with increase of 2,162,406 males and increase of 2,387,642 females. Around 2.68 crore persons live in rural areas of Assam as per census report.
Assam is ranked 15th position in terms of density in the country. As per the report, in Assam, Kamrup (Metropolitan) district is the most densely inhabited district with 1313 persons per square km, whereas the lowest density of population has been reported from Dima Hasao district with only 44 persons per square km.
The highest sex ratio has been observed in Baksa district (974), followed by Udalguri (973) and Chirang (969) and lowest sex ratio has been found in Dima Hasao district (932).
There has been an increase by 3.1 per cent child population between the age group of O to 6 years in which male-female ratio maintains more or less the same.
Census reveals that 16 numbers of ethnic groups are notified as scheduled castes (SC) and 25 numbers of ethnic groups as scheduled tribes (ST) in Assam with a variation of 22.2 per cent increase of SC and 17.4 per cent of ST than the last census.
