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Bengal beats India in Muslim growth rate

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Census 2011 data released: 10 key highlights

NEW DELHI: The Muslim population in India grew by 24.6% between 2001 and 2011 while the decadal population growth for Hindus stood at 16.8% during the same period. Though Muslims’ all-India decadal growth is less than the 29.3% recorded between 1991 and 2001, their state-wise decadal growth rate was higher than that of Hindus in all 35 states and Union Territories in 2001-11.The 2001-11 decadal growth rate for total population was 17.7%. Over this period, Christians grew by 15.5%, Sikhs by 8.4%, Jains by 5.4% and Buddhists by 6.1%. Those stating other religions and persuasions grew by 19.6% in the 10 years preceding 2011.Interestingly, the number of people who did not state their religion went up by 294% between 2001 and 2011.The state/UT-wise figures for decadal growth rate between 2001 and 2011 show a notable rise in Hindu population in Uttar Pradesh (24.6%), Jharkhand (21.1%), Rajasthan (20.9%), Madhya Pradesh (20%), Puducherry (28.9%) and NCT of Delhi (20.7%). However, states that have shown witnessed a Hindu decadal growth less than the national average are Kerala (2.2%), Arunachal Pradesh (5.8%), West Bengal (10.8%), Assam (10.9%), Andhra Pradesh (10.3%), Himachal Pradesh (12.6%), Odisha (13.2%), Chhattisgarh (13.2%), Tamil Nadu (14.9%), Maharasthra (15.2%), Karnataka (15.8%) and Haryana (16%), among others. Lakshadweep and Mizoram recorded a negative decadal growth rate at (-)19.5% and (-)4.5% respectively, though this could be due to a low population base.A few states/UTs where Hindus’ decadal growth was higher than their respective averages are Punjab, Karnataka, Goa, Puducherry, Chandigarh, Nagaland, Daman & Diu and Dadra & Nagar Haveli.The Muslim population, on the other hand, rose across states registering more than their its national average in Mizoram (46.9%), Haryana (45.7%), Chandigarh (44.7%), Punjab (40.2%), Nagaland (39.9%), Uttarakhand (39%) and NCT or Delhi (33%), Rajasthan (29.8%), Assam (29.6%), Bihar (28%) and Gujarat (27.3%).Kerala returned interesting results with a 12.8% rise in Muslim population between 2001 and 2011, far higher than the corresponding figures for Hindus (2.2%) and Christians (1.4%).The decadal growth rate for Christian population (2001-11) was higher than 100% in Bihar and Arunachal Pradesh, but the community recorded a negative growth in five states including Nagaland (-2.8%), Andhra Pradesh (-4.4%), Lakshadweep, Daman & Diu and Dadra & Nagar Haveli.Sikhs recorded a high decadal growth rate in Odisha (25.7%), Gujarat (27.8%), Andhra Pradesh (29.8%), Kerala (38.1%) and Tamil Nadu (53%), among others. The community, however, showed a negative growth rate in eight states/UTs.Jains have shown just 5.4% decadal growth rate across the country. While Himachal Pradesh shows a notable growth rate for the community between 2001 and 2011 (28.2%), as many as 8 states recorded a negative growth rate.