Growth and Distribution of Tribal Population in Jharkhand 1961-2001: A Census Analysis

Shubhangi Thatte, International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS)

The trend of tribal concentration in the state of Jharkhand (India) shows that over time, their share in the state’s population is declining, indicating that the tribal population is growing at a slower rate than that of non-tribals. Growth of the tribes, an economically backward social group, indicates their well-being. A distribution of persons having tribal languages as mother tongue gives an indication of tribal migration between Jharkhand and outside areas. Using data on age distribution, we can make rough estimates of vital rates using indirect methods of estimation. In view of the distortions in the age distribution due to errors of age reporting, three estimates of vital rates are obtained using three methods: Differencing, Stable Population Analysis C(35), and Rele’s Revised Method. We conclude that the birth rate, did not change much, but that the death rate has increased, resulting in a reduction in population growth.