Adolescents form over 18% of Karnataka's population

BANGALORE: India is aging. The ranks of its senior citizens are swelling, and the number of its children shrinking.

The senior citizens' population (60-99 age group) in the country went up from 76.5 million in 2001 to 103.2 million in 2011, a rise of 26.7 million in 10 years.

However, there is a fall in the number of children in the 5-9 age group, indicating a trend where they could be dying early: 128.3 million in 2001 to 126.9 million in 2011, a 1.4% decline. Barring this, the population of all other age groups has gone up in the decadal analysis.

The data released by the Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India recently has thrown up interesting age trends for the country. This is the first time that data on both date of birth and age has been recorded since the census began in 1872.

Kerala has the highest number of seniors in the country. About 12.6% of its population is 60-plus, followed by Goa (11.2 %) and Tamil Nadu (10.4%). Dadra and Nagra Haveli recorded the lowest percentage of senior citizens at 4%.

Karnataka is third (among major states) with 68.3% of its population in the 18 years and above age group. Also, the state's adolescent population stood at 18.9% of its total population.

"With access to healthcare improving, longevity is on the rise. This explains the increasing senior citizens' population in the country," says a population researcher at ISEC.

The teenage population too went up from 124.8 million to 132.7 million during the decade. The Gen X (15-24) population went up by 41.9 million, while the number of adults (18+) shot up by 159 million.

Kerala has the highest with 71.7% in that age group, followed by Tamil Nadu (71.3). However, it's Goa which tops in the 18+ age group with 73.7% followed by Daman and Diu (72.3%).

Interestingly, even the number of 100+ persons in the country too went up by 0.5%, according to the latest age data. Simply put, it was 0.1 million (1 lakh) in 2001, and climbed to 0.6 million (6 lakh) in 2011. "In Census 2011, 8.6% of persons are in the age-group 60+ years compared to 7.4% in census 2001. Aged persons have increased in all states and Union territories except in Daman and Diu," officials told TOI.

YOUNG VS ADULT INDIA

* Young India grew by 70 million in the first 10 years of the millennium. Those in the adolescent age group (10-19) grew from 225.1 million in 2001 to 253.2 million in 2011, a jump of 28.1 million.

* Uttar Pradesh has the highest adolescent (10-19) population and Goa the lowest.

* The youth brigade (15-24 years) saw a 41.9 million jump from 2001 to 2011 -from 190 million in 2001 to 231.9 million in 2011. Daman and Diu has the highest population in this category (26.7%), while among major states Uttarakhand tops with 20.8%. Down south, Kerala has the lowest population in this age group - 15.8%.

The adult population categorized as 18+ years jumped by 159 million in the decadal years with Goa topping (73.7% of its total population), followed by Daman and Diu (72.3%) and Meghalaya the lowest.

CHILDREN

Meghalaya has the highest percentage (13.7%) of 0-4 children. Sikkim and Goa each have the lowest at 6.9%.

HOW POPULATION GREW

AGE 2001 ------------------2011

0-4 110.4------------------112.8

5-9 128.3 ------------------126.9

10-14 124.8 ---------------132.7

15-59 585.6---------------729.9

60-99 76.5 ---------------103.2

100+ 0.1 -------------------0.6

(Number in millions; source: Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India)

GETTING OLD A TAD EARLY

Age group% of population

0-4                  9.3

5-9                  10.5

10-14              11

15-59             60.3

60+                 8.6

(Source: Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India)

WHERE KARNATAKA STANDS

Age group % of population

15-59                  64.2

10-19                18.9

18+                    68.3