GUWAHATI, March 31: Assam's population has gone up to 3,11,69,272with an increase of 45,14,399 at the growth rate of 16.93 per cent over thelast ten years. The population density in Assam has increased from 340 per square km in 2001 to 397 per square km. The State literacy rate has risen to73.18 per cent, an increase of about 9 per cent. Assam, with Kamrup as the most populous district, is ranked 14th State in respect of population growth, according to Census 2011.
Interestingly, religious minority-dominated districts like Dhubri, Goalpara, Barpeta, Morigaon, Nagaon,Hailakandi etc recorded growth rates ranging from 20 per cent to 24 per cent during the last decade. On the other hand, districts like Sivasagar, Jorhat etc in upper Assam registered around 9 per cent population growth.
Announcing the provisional population of Assam for 2011, the Directorate of Census Operations, Assam today said the latest figure of 3,11,69,272 people in Assam accounted for 2.58 per cent of India's population of 121,01,93,422.
As per Census 2001, Assam had a total population of 2,66,55,528.
Census 2011 shows that the percentage decadel variation in population during 2001-11 was 16.93 per cent compared to 18.92 per cent during 1991-01.
During 2001-11, Dhubri district registered 24.40 percentage decadel variation in population followed by 23.39 percentage in Marigaon, 22.09 percentage in Nagaon and 21.44 percentage in Hailakandi.
Assam's population density of 397 per square km is higher than India's 382 per square km.
The density of population is highest inthe district of Kamrup, followed by Dhubri and Baksa.
Kamrup (Metro) recorded the highest literacy rate at the district level with 88.66 per cent.
Addressing a press conference here, Director of Census Operations, Assam RK Das said, "It is interesting to note that the female literacy rate appears to have increased at a faster rate than that of male literacy during the last decade – from 54.61 per cent in 2001 to 67.27 per cent in 2011 – showing a spectacular increase of about 13 per cent."
Joint Director of Census Operations, Assam Dr Dilip Kumar Dey said Census 2011 in Assam was conducted in two phases – houselisting and housing census for the National Population Register (NPR) from April 1 to May 15, 2010, and population enumeration from February 9 to 28, 2011 with the revisional round from March 1 to 5, 2011. (SENTINELASSAM)
Assam houses 3,11,69,272 people
