In Punjab 62.51% population is rural

by Punjabnewswire4u (Balbir)

CHANDIGARH, AUG 9

A State level Census Data Dissemination Workshop was held on 9.8.2012. During the workshop a special focus on trends in rural - urban composition of Punjab’s Population and also availability of various amenities to the households.  At this occasion, two census publications, Viz; were also released. Provisional Population Totals, Rural-Urban Population and Tables on Houses, Household Amenities and Assets for Tehsils and Towns.

 Speaking on this occasion, Smt Seema Jain, IAS, Joint Secretary, Government of India, Ministry of Home Affairs and Director Census, Punjab highlighted that Punjab accounts for 2.75 % of India’s urban population and 2.08% of its rural population and the transition from rural to urban is relatively fast. In Punjab, 62.51% population is rural and 37.49% is urban.

The number of Census Houses in the state has increased from 59.70 lacs in 2001 to 78.50 lacs in 2011 exhibiting an increase of Census Houses by 31.5 per cent during this decade.  In rural areas, the no. of Census Houses has increased from 36.9 lacs to 46.7 lacs (26.5% increase) and that of urban areas it has increased from 22.8 lacs to 31.8 lacs (39.6%).  It is one of the more urbanized areas of the country. 

  Four districts - Ludhiana, SAS Nagar, Amritsar and Jalandhar are predominantly urban with more than one - half of their population living in urban areas. Ludhiana, the most urbanized district of Punjab, alone accounts for one-fifth of the total urban population of Punjab. Every fifth urban dweller in Punjab is residing in Ludhiana district (19.86%). SAS Nagar is the second most urbanized district in the state leaving behind Amritsar and Jalandhar which occupied 2nd and 3rd ranks respectively in 2001.Tarn Taran (12.63%) is the least urbanized district in Punjab. Even the least urbanized district of Punjab is more urbanized than the overall urbanization level of Bihar (11.30%) and HP (10.04%).

Speaking on the trends in urbanization, Director Census said, during 2001-2011,  urban population in Punjab has increased by 25.72% and the urban growth rate in Punjab is twice that of overall growth rate of 13.73% and thrice that of the rural growth rate at 7.58%. The change in rank in urbanization level is most conspicuous in Bathinda, SAS Nagar and Gurdaspur districts. During 2001-2011, Bathinda district (35.99%) has improved its rank from 9th to 6th, SAS Nagar (55.17%) from 4th to 2nd and Gurdaspur (28.50%) from 14th to 12th.The number of towns in Punjab has increased from 157 (including 18 CTs) to 217 (including 74 CTs). Three-fourths (74.24%) of urban population of Punjab is residing in Class I and class II towns.