Census of India 2011

State of Literacy AmongAdolescents and Youth Population

Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, IndiaVigyan Bhawan, New Delhi

17-07-2014

Introduction

• The rising and young generation, mainly comprising of

adolescents and youth, occupies a special place in the social

environment.

• Population in the age group 10-19 & 15-24 years are treated as

Adolescents & Youth respectively & constitute about 30% of the

total population in India

• Knowledge and well-being of this important section play major role

in deciding the nation’s future.

Definition

• Literates are defined as persons of 7 years and above who can

both read and write with understanding in any language

• Not necessary to have any formal education to be literate

• Also not necessary to pass any minimum educational standard

• Blind people who can read in Braille are treated as literate

• Literacy rates for adolescent and youth population are the

percentage of literates to total population in the age group 10-19

and 15-24 respectively.

Data Highlights, India, 2001-2011

Census Year Population(in million)

Literates(in million)

Literacy Rate( %)

2001 225.1 181.5 80.62011 253.2 228.0 90.0Change 28.1 (12.5%) 46.5 (25.7%) 9.4

Census Year Population(in million)

Literates(in million)

Literacy Rate( %)

2001 190.0 145.2 76.42011 232.0 199.8 86.1Change 42.0 (22.1%) 54.6 (37.6%) 9.7

Adolescents (10-19 Years)

Youth (15-24 Years)

In 2011, every 10th adolescent and 7th youth in India are illiterates as against every 5th adolescent and 9th youth in the world.

Literacy Rates in EAG & Non-EAG States/UTs

Census Year EAG States Non-EAG States/UTs

2001 74% 87%2011 87% 93%Decadal Change 13% 6%

Census Year EAG States Non-EAG States/UTs

2001 68% 82%2011 81% 91%Decadal Change 13% 9%

Literacy Rate among Adolescents (10-19 Years)

Literacy Rate among Youth (15-24 Years)

• EAG States are Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh & Odisha.• Higher literacy in Non-EAG States/UTs in both the categories and in both 2001 & 2011• EAG States have recorded higher decadal increase among both adolescents & youth

1961 1971 1981 1991 2001 20110.0

10.0

20.0

30.0

40.0

50.0

60.0

70.0

80.0

90.0

100.0

27.0 23.3 22.3 18.6 10.43.5

40.650.3

56.0

67.4

80.6

90.0

53.4

61.366.5

76.285.5 91.7

26.4

38.044.2 57.6

75.1

88.2

Gender Gap PersonsMales Females

Literacy Rate by Sex, India, 1961-2011Adolescents(10-19 years age group)

1961 1971 1981 1991 2001 20110.0

10.0

20.0

30.0

40.0

50.0

60.0

70.0

80.0

90.0

100.0

30.028.8 26.0

24.2 16.58.2

36.0

48.253.8

61.9

76.4

86.1

50.9

62.166.3

73.5

84.2 90.0

20.9

33.340.3

49.3

67.7

81.8

Gender Gap PersonsMales Females

Literacy Rate by Sex, India, 1961-2011Youth (15-24 years age group)

Adolescents Youth

Literacy Rate by Sex, India, 1961-2011 Rural +

Urban

Source: Table C8, Census 2001 and Table C-13A, Census 2011 and publications from earlier censuses.

Gender gap for adolescents has reduced at greater pace than that of youthWith more scope for improvement, female literacy for both groups went up sharply than that of males during 1981-2011

Adolescents Youth

1961 1971 1981 1991 2001 20110.0

10.0

20.0

30.0

40.0

50.0

60.0

70.0

80.0

90.0

100.0

28.7 26.3 26.2 22.8 13.2 4.6

33.9

43.349.1

61.6

77.3

88.9

47.5

55.761.5

72.3

83.591.1

18.8

29.4

35.3

49.5

70.3

86.5

Gender Gap Persons Males Females

Literacy Rate by Sex, India, 1961-2011Adolescents(10-19 years age group)

1961 1971 1981 1991 2001 20110.0

10.0

20.0

30.0

40.0

50.0

60.0

70.0

80.0

90.0

100.0

29.831.1 29.5

28.7 20.9 10.8

28.6

40.245.6

54.7

71.5

83.7

43.7

55.560.0

68.6

81.5 88.8

13.9

24.4

30.5

39.9

60.6

78.0

Gender Gap Persons Males Females

Literacy Rate by Sex, India, 1961-2011Youth (15-24 years age group)

Literacy Rate by Sex, India, 1961-2011 Rural

Source: Table C8, Census 2001 and Table C-13A, Census 2011 and publications from earlier censuses.

Female literacy was substantially lower than males in 1961 & moved sharply after 1981

Adolescents Youth

Literacy Rate by Sex, India, 1961-2011 Urban

1961 1971 1981 1991 2001 20110.0

10.0

20.0

30.0

40.0

50.0

60.0

70.0

80.0

90.0

100.0

17.8 11.3 10.0 7.1 3.1 1.1

69.7

76.4 77.583.7

89.292.8

77.981.7 82.2

87.1 90.6 93.3

60.1

70.4 72.280.0

87.592.2

Gender Gap PersonsMales Females

Literacy Rate by Sex, India, 1961-2011Adolescents(10-19 years age group)

1961 1971 1981 1991 2001 20110.0

10.0

20.0

30.0

40.0

50.0

60.0

70.0

80.0

90.0

100.0

24.9 17.6 14.4 11.66.0

2.6

65.074.0 75.8

80.2 87.491.4

76.382.0 82.5

85.690.2 92.6

51.4 64.468.1

74.0

84.2

90.0

Gender Gap PersonsMales Females

Literacy Rate by Sex, India, 1961-2011Youth (15-24 years age group)

Source: Table C8, Census 2001 and Table C-13A, Census 2011 and publications from earlier censuses.

Female literacy in urban remarkably better than that of rural area

Comparative Gender Gap in Literacy Rate by Residence

Source: Table C8, Census 2001 and Table C-13A, Census 2011 and publications from earlier censuses.

1961 1971 1981 1991 2001 20110.0

5.0

10.0

15.0

20.0

25.0

30.0

35.0

27.0

23.3 22.318.6

10.4

3.5

28.726.3 26.2

22.8

13.2

4.6

17.8

11.310.0

7.1

3.1

1.1

Gender Gap in Literacy Among AdolescentsIndia, 1961-2011

Total Rural Urban

1961 1971 1981 1991 2001 20110.0

5.0

10.0

15.0

20.0

25.0

30.0

35.0

30.028.8

26.024.2

16.5

8.2

29.831.1

29.5 28.7

20.9

10.8

24.917.6

14.411.6

6.0

2.6

Gender Gap in Literacy Among YouthIndia, 1961-2011

Total Rural Urban

Adolescents Youth

• The decline is sharper in case of Rural areas, particularly during 1991-2011• Rural-Urban differential in gender gap is less in case of Adolescents

Source: Table C8, Census 2001 and Table C-13A, Census 2011

Gender Gap in Literacy Rate, 2011 (States and UTs)

Adolescent Youth

Meghalaya has negative gender gap both among adolescents and youth. Daman & Diu has also negative gender gap among adolescents only.Higher gender gap among youth may be due to female drop out or/and early marriage etc.

Literacy Rate among Adolescents, Youth and Population 7+

India, 1961-2011

Improvement in Literacy Rate among Adolescents, Youth and Population 7+

India, 1961-2011

Comparative Literacy Rate, India, 1961-2011

1961 1971 1981 1991 2001 201120.0

30.0

40.0

50.0

60.0

70.0

80.0

90.0

100.0

40.6

50.3

56.0

67.4

80.6

90.0

36.0

48.253.8

61.9

76.4

86.1

30.737.3

43.1

51.6

64.8

73

Adolescents

Youth

Pop 7+

1961-71 1971-81 1981-91 1991-01 2001-110.0

2.0

4.0

6.0

8.0

10.0

12.0

14.0

16.0

9.7

5.7

11.4

13.2

9.4

12.2

5.6

8.1

14.5

9.7

6.6

5.8

8.5

13.2

8.2

Adolescents Youth Pop 7+

Source: Table C8, Census 2001 and Table C-13A, Census 2011 and publications from earlier censuses.

Rural +

Urban

• The decade 1991-2001 witnessed maximum improvement in literacy for all three categories• The pace of improvement during the decade 2001-11 has declined for all three categories

Literacy-2011 and Decadal Change 2001-11 (Adolescents)

Source: Table C8, Census 2001 and Table C-13A, Census 2011

Decadal Change 2001-11

Literacy Rate 2011

States/Uts with higher literacy in 2001 have recorded lower decadal changes and vice –versaGujarat, Karnataka & Andhra Pradesh have the combination of high literacy (90%+) & higher decadal increase (7.6% +)

Source: Table C8, Census 2001 and Table C-13A, Census 2011

Decadal Change 2001-11

Literacy Rate 2011

Literacy-2011 and Decadal Change 2001-11 (Youth)

Source: Table C8, Census 2001 and Table C-13A, Census 2011

Literacy Rate by Social Groups : 2001-11

Overall SC ST0

102030405060708090 80

.6

76.2

67.1

90.0

88.8

83.6

9.4 12

.6 16.5

20012011Improvement

Literacy rate by social groups (Adolescents)India, 2001-11

Overall SC ST0

102030405060708090

100

76.4

68.5

59.2

86.1

83.3

75.0

9.7 14

.8

15.8

20012011Improvement

Literacy rate by social groups (Youth)India, 2001-11

• Literacy Rates for SCs in both categories (adolescent & youth) are lower than overall but higher than that of STs • Having more scope, STs have recorded higher decadal improvement in both the categories

Literacy-2011 and Decadal Change 2001-11 (Adolescents)

Source: Table C8SC, Census 2001 and Table C-13A SC, Census 2011

Scheduled Castes

Literacy Rate 2011

Decadal Change 2001-11

States having higher literacy in 2001 have recorded lower decadal changesMizoram has recorded marginal negative decadal growth in literacy (96.4% in 2001 to 95.6% in 2011)

Literacy-2011 and Decadal Change 2001-11 (Youth)Scheduled Castes

Source: Table C8SC, Census 2001 and Table C-13A SC, Census 2011

Literacy Rate 2011

Decadal Change 2001-11

Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha & West Bengal have recorded higher literacy rate (85-95%) in 2011 and also higher decadal changes (15-20%).

Literacy-2011 and Decadal Change 2001-11 (Adolescents)

Source: Table C8ST, Census 2001 and Table C-13A ST, Census 2011

Scheduled Tribes

Literacy Rate 2011

Decadal Change 2001-11

Tamil Nadu recorded higher literacy and also higher decadal growth in literacy

Literacy-2011 and Decadal Change 2001-11 (Youth)

Scheduled Tribes

Source: Table C8ST, Census 2001 and Table C-13A ST, Census 2011

Literacy Rate 2011

Decadal Change 2001-11

Like SC adolescents, Mizoram is the only state which has recorded marginal negative decadal change in literacy

Thank You

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