I now have comprehensive coverage of the demography chapter from Park's PSM. Let me compile the complete structured notes:
Demography - Notes from Park's Textbook of Preventive and Social Medicine (PSM)
Chapter motto: "Delay the first, postpone the second and prevent the third"
1. DEFINITION
Demography is the scientific study of human population. It focuses on three observable phenomena:
- (a) Changes in population size (growth or decline)
- (b) Composition of the population
- (c) Distribution of population in space
It deals with five demographic processes:
- Fertility
- Mortality
- Marriage
- Migration
- Social mobility
These five processes continuously determine size, composition, and distribution of a population.
Main sources of demographic statistics in India:
- Population censuses
- National Sample Surveys
- Registration of vital events
- Adhoc demographic studies
2. DEMOGRAPHIC CYCLE (Demographic Transition)
The history of world population since 1650 shows a 5-stage demographic cycle:
| Stage | Name | Birth Rate | Death Rate | Population trend | India's status |
|---|
| 1st | High Stationary | High | High | Stationary (cancel each other) | India till 1920 |
| 2nd | Early Expanding | High/rising | Declining | Growing | S. Asia, Africa currently |
| 3rd | Late Expanding | Falling | Low | Growing (births > deaths) | India currently |
| 4th | Low Stationary | Low | Low | Stationary | UK, Austria, Scandinavian countries |
| 5th | Declining | Very low | Low | Declining | Some European countries |
- India was in Stage 1 until 1920, and has now entered Stage 3.
- Zero population growth recorded in Austria during 1980-85.
- Most industrialized countries have undergone demographic transition: High BR + High DR → Low BR + Low DR.
3. POPULATION GROWTH RATES
Formula - Doubling time (Rule of 70): Approximately 70 / growth rate (%) = years to double
| Rating | Annual growth rate (%) | Years to double |
|---|
| Stationary population | No growth | - |
| Slow growth | < 0.5 | > 139 years |
| Moderate growth | 0.5 - 1.0 | 139-70 years |
| Rapid growth | 1.0 - 1.5 | 70-47 years |
| Very rapid growth | 1.5 - 2.0 | 47-35 years |
| "Explosive" growth | 2.0 - 2.5 | 35-28 years |
Key facts:
- World population growth rate was at peak ~1970 (~1.92%) and has since declined to 1.1% in 2019
- Africa: ~2.6% | Latin America: ~1.0% | Europe/industrialized: ~0.3% | Asia: ~0.9%
- World population: 7.7 billion (2019) → 8.5 billion (2030) → 9.7 billion (2050) → 10.9 billion (2100)
- India is projected to surpass China as world's most populous country around 2027
- In 2018, for the first time in history, persons ≥65 years outnumbered children <5 years worldwide
- Life expectancy at birth reached 72.6 years globally in 2019
4. DEMOGRAPHIC TRENDS IN INDIA
Demographic indicators are divided into:
A. Population Statistics
- Population size
- Sex ratio
- Density
- Dependency ratio
B. Vital Statistics
- Birth rate
- Death rate
- Natural growth rate
- Life expectancy at birth
- Mortality and fertility rates
Key facts about India:
- Population (mid-2020): 1,400.2 million - 2nd most populous after China
- India has only 2.4% of world's land area but supports 17.5% of world's population
- India is 7th in land area but 2nd in population
5. SEX RATIO
- Defined as: Number of females per 1000 males
- Sex ratio in India (2011 census): 940 females per 1000 males
- In 2011, the sex ratio improved by 4 points (from 906 to 940 over the decade... wait - this specific line read: "has been 4 points from 906 to 902 over the decade" which appears to be from the child sex ratio)
- Child Sex Ratio (0-6 years): declined from 906 to 902 per 1000 males (2011 census)
6. DENSITY OF POPULATION
- Density = Total population / Land area (persons per sq. km)
- India's density (2020): 464 persons per sq. km
Historical trend in India:
| Year | Density (per sq. km) |
|---|
| 1901 | 77 |
| 1921 | 81 |
| 1951 | 117 |
| 1971 | 177 |
| 1981 | 216 |
| 1991 | 267 |
| 2001 | 325 |
| 2011 | 382 |
| 2020 | 464 |
7. URBANIZATION
-
Urban area (India): Towns with municipal corporation/board OR places with:
- ≥5,000 inhabitants
- Density ≥390 persons per sq. km (or ≥1,000 per sq. mile)
- Pronounced urban characteristics
- ≥3/4 of adult male population in non-agricultural work
-
Urban population of India (2019): 471.828 million (34.5%)
-
Most populous cities: Mumbai (12.69M) > Delhi (10.93M) > Bengaluru (5.10M) > Kolkata (4.63M) > Chennai (4.33M)
-
India's population remains predominantly rural with agriculture as main occupation
8. DEPENDENCY RATIO
Total Dependency Ratio Formula:
Total Dependency Ratio = (Population 0-14 yrs + Population ≥65 yrs) / Population 15-64 yrs × 100
Subtypes:
- Young age dependency ratio = Population 0-14 years
- Old age dependency ratio = Population ≥65 years
India (mid-2020):
- Age 0-14 years: 26.2%
- Age 15-64 years: 67.3%
- Age ≥65 years: 6.6%
- Total dependency ratio = (26.2 + 6.6) / 67.3 × 100 = ~48.7%
Key concepts:
- Dependency ratio tends to decrease in early development stages (declining fertility reduces child population)
- Eventually shifts from child dependency to old age dependency as fertility declines and life expectancy increases
- "Demographic bonus" = the period when dependency ratio declines due to declining fertility (before it rises again due to increasing longevity)
- Rapid decline in dependency ratio (especially child dependency) is a key factor underlying rapid economic development
9. VITAL STATISTICS / FERTILITY INDICATORS
Key fertility measures (covered in the chapter):
| Indicator | Definition |
|---|
| Crude Birth Rate (CBR) | Live births per 1000 mid-year population per year |
| General Fertility Rate (GFR) | Live births per 1000 women aged 15-49 years per year |
| Age-Specific Fertility Rate (ASFR) | Live births to women in a specific age group per 1000 women in that age group |
| Total Fertility Rate (TFR) | Sum of ASFRs for all age groups (15-49) - average number of children a woman would have if she lived through her reproductive years at current age-specific fertility rates |
| Gross Reproduction Rate (GRR) | Average number of daughters a woman would have; TFR × proportion of female births |
| Net Reproduction Rate (NRR) | Like GRR but adjusted for mortality; NRR = 1 means exact replacement |
Family size (demographic definition): Total number of children a woman has borne at a point in time (completed family size).
10. KEY MORTALITY INDICATORS
| Rate | Formula |
|---|
| Crude Death Rate (CDR) | Total deaths per 1000 mid-year population per year |
| Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) | Deaths in infants <1 year per 1000 live births |
| Neonatal Mortality Rate | Deaths in first 28 days per 1000 live births |
| Perinatal Mortality Rate | Stillbirths + neonatal deaths in first 7 days per 1000 total births |
| Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR) | Maternal deaths per 1000 (or 100,000) live births |
11. CENSUS
- A census is the official enumeration of the population
- India conducts census every 10 years
- Provides data on: population size, sex ratio, literacy, age distribution, occupation, etc.
- India 2011 Census - population: 1,210 million
12. VITAL STATISTICS REGISTRATION
- Registration of vital events: births, deaths, marriages, divorces
- Compulsory registration of births and deaths in India under the Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1969
- Completeness of registration is a major problem in developing countries
Quick Revision Summary (High-Yield for Exams)
| Fact | Value |
|---|
| Demographic processes | Fertility, Mortality, Marriage, Migration, Social mobility |
| Demographic cycle stages | 5 stages |
| India's current demographic stage | 3rd stage (Late Expanding) |
| India till 1920 | 1st stage (High Stationary) |
| World population peak growth year | ~1970 (1.92%) |
| India's population (mid-2020) | 1,400.2 million |
| India's % of world land area | 2.4% |
| India's % of world population | 17.5% |
| India projected to surpass China | ~2027 |
| India's density (2020) | 464/sq. km |
| India's urban population (2019) | 34.5% |
| India's dependency ratio (2020) | ~48.7% |
| Life expectancy at birth globally (2019) | 72.6 years |
| Sex ratio India (2011) | 940 females/1000 males |
| NRR for replacement | = 1 |
Source: Park's Textbook of Preventive and Social Medicine, Chapter on Demography (Block 7, pp. 566-596)