Date:11/09/2004 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2004/09/11/stories/2004091104790500.htm

Andhra Pradesh

Most religious groups retain population share

By Our Staff Reporter

HYDERABAD, SEPT. 10. Data on religions released for Andhra Pradesh by the Census Directorate suggests that the State may avoid the controversies that have emerged at the national level with most religious communities retaining their share of the population between 1991 and 2001.

The proportion of Hindus has remained at 89 per cent with a decadal growth of 14.43 per cent. The proportion of Muslims too remained around 9 per cent of the State's population, even though their population increased by 17.94 per cent over the decade.

Contrasting scenario

Even though the rate of growth of population of the Muslim community is higher than that of the Hindus, it is a remarkable 11.4 points lower than the national growth rate of Muslims, which stands at 29.3 per cent for the 1991-2001 decade. Even the growth rate of the Hindu community is 5.6 points lower than the national growth rate of Hindus at 20 per cent.

In absolute numbers, Hindus in the State increased by 85.55 lakhs from 592.82 lakhs to 678.37 lakhs, while Muslims increased by 10.62 lakhs from 59.24 lakhs to 69.87 lakhs in the decade. Christians were the only community which witnessed an absolute decline in numbers with 34,431 fewer people enumerating themselves under this religion in 2001, compared with 1991, when 12.16 lakh Christians were recorded. Their growth rate was a negative 2.84 per cent over the decade and their proportion to the total population fell from 1.83 per cent in 1991 to 1.55 per cent in 2001.

Smaller communities

Some of the numerically smaller communities have shown a large rise in absolute numbers even though their share of the total remains tiny. The population of Jains increased by 57.6 per cent in these 10 years from 26,564 to 41,846 and Buddhists increased by 44.6 per cent from 22,153 to 32,037. Similarly, the Sikh population rose by 41.48 per cent from 21,910 to about 30,998.

Interestingly, the highest increase has been among those who have not stated any religion. This group has increased its strength seven and half times from 12,565 to touch nearly 95,000.