GeographyCBSE Class 12 · Population: Distribution, Density, Growth and Composition

Four Phases of Population Growth in India (Class 12 Geography, India: People and Economy, Chapter 1)

Updated 16 October 2026 · Fact-checked

India's population growth from 1901 to 2011 falls into four phases: stagnant (1901-1921, negative growth in 1911-1921), steady growth (1921-1951), population explosion (1951-1981, about 2.2 per cent a year) and high but slowing growth (after 1981). The decadal growth rate fell from 24.80 per cent (1961-71) to 17.64 per cent (2001-11).

Understand Phases of Population Growth in India

Why this topic matters. Phase identification MCQs, 3-mark answers on Phase II or Phase III, and 3-mark answers on adolescents and the youth and skill policies have been set in nearly every recent paper.

1. Key terms.

Growth of population: change in the number of people in an area between two points of time, expressed in per cent.
Two components: natural (from crude birth and death rates) and induced (inward and outward movement). The chapter discusses natural growth.
Decadal growth rate $g = \frac{p _{2} - p _{1}}{p _{1}} \times 100$ , where $p_{1}$ is the base-year population and $p_{2}$ the present-year population.
India's annual growth rate was 1.64 per cent (2011).
Population doubling time: the time a population takes to double at its current annual growth rate.

2. The four phases (Table 1.1, Census of India).

Phase I, 1901-1921: stagnant or stationary. Growth very low; negative in 1911-1921 (-0.31 per cent). Both birth and death rates were high. Causes: poor health and medical services, illiteracy, inefficient distribution of food and basic necessities.
Phase II, 1921-1951: steady growth. Better health and sanitation lowered mortality; better transport and communication improved distribution; birth rate stayed high, so growth was higher than in Phase I. Impressive given the Great Economic Depression of the 1920s and World War II.
Phase III, 1951-1981: population explosion. Rapid fall in mortality with high fertility; average annual growth as high as 2.2 per cent. Planned development after Independence improved living conditions, so natural increase was high. International migration (Tibetans, Bangladeshis, Nepalis, people from Pakistan) added to growth. Decadal rate peaked at 24.80 per cent (1961-71).
Phase IV, after 1981: high but slowing. Growth still high but gradually falling, because of a falling crude birth rate, linked to a higher mean age at marriage and improved quality of life, especially female education. The World Development Report projected 1,350 million by 2025.

3. Regional variation.

1991-2001: Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Puducherry and Goa grew slowly (not over 20 per cent); Kerala lowest (9.4). A belt from Gujarat and Maharashtra through Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, U.P., M.P., Bihar, West Bengal, Assam and others grew 20-25 per cent.
2001-2011: almost all states and UTs grew more slowly. Among the six most populous states, the fall was smallest in Andhra Pradesh (3.5 points) and largest in Maharashtra (6.7 points); Tamil Nadu (3.9) and Puducherry (7.1) rose.

4. Adolescents and youth.

Adolescents (10-19 years) were about 20.9 per cent of the population (2011): 52.7 per cent male, 47.3 per cent female.
High potential but vulnerable: low age at marriage, female illiteracy, school dropouts, low nutrition, high maternal mortality of adolescent mothers, HIV/AIDS, disability, drug abuse and alcoholism, juvenile delinquency.
National Youth Policy (NYP-2014), February 2014: vision to empower youth to reach their full potential and through them help India find its rightful place among nations; defines youth as 15-29 years.
National Policy for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (2015): umbrella framework for skilling, common standards, links skilling with demand centres.

Diagram checklist. Draw a line graph of decadal growth 1901-2011 from Table 1.1 and mark the four phases on it.

Key quotations

Short lines worth knowing by heart: who says them, when, and why they matter.

Population doubling time is the time taken by any population to double itself at its current annual growth rate.
NCERT, India: People and Economy, Chapter 1: Definition box in the growth section.
A 1-mark definition; faster growth means a shorter doubling time.

Phases of Population Growth in India: key facts

Decadal growth rate: $g = (p 2 - p 1) / p 1 x 100∣ p 1 = ba se - y e a r p o p u l a t i o n ∣ p 2 = p r ese n t - y e a r p o p u l a t i o n$; Divide by the earlier (base) year; answer in per cent.
Four phases: I: 1901-1921 stagnant
II 1921-1951 steady
III 1951-1981 explosion (2.2% a year)
IV after 1981 high but slowing; Negative growth only in 1911-1921.
Decadal growth (Table 1.1): $1911 - 21 : - 0.31$; Quote NCERT's figures as printed.
Adolescents and youth: $A d o l esce n t s 10 - 19 y e a r s : 20.9$; Annual growth 1.64% (2011).

	I: 1901-1921 stagnant
II	1921-1951 steady
III	1951-1981 explosion (2.2% a year)
IV	after 1981 high but slowing

How to answer Phases of Population Growth in India questions

Expect phase-identification MCQs from a description or table, 3- or 5-mark answers on a phase, decadal-growth sums, and 3-mark answers on adolescents or the youth and skill policies.

1Identify a phase by its signature: negative growth (I), Depression and World War II (II), 2.2 per cent and migration (III), falling birth rate and female education (IV).
2For a phase answer, give period, trend of birth and death rates, and two or three causes.
3For a sum, use $g = \frac{p _{2} - p _{1}}{p _{1}} \times 100$ with the earlier year as $p_{1}$ .
4For adolescents, write potential and vulnerability, list three challenges and name a policy response.
5For regional variation, contrast the slow-growing south (Kerala lowest) with the faster northern belt.

Phases of Population Growth in India in real life

The idea, met in an everyday situation. Answer the question in your own words, then compare with the model answer. The one-line hook is what to remember.

Decadal growth rate

Suppose your town counted 2,00,000 people at one census and 2,35,000 at the next census ten years later.

Find the decadal growth rate.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

$p_{1}$ = 2,00,000; $p_{2}$ = 2,35,000.
$g = \frac{2 , 35 , 000 - 2 , 00 , 000}{2 , 00 , 000} \times 100$ .
= 35,000 / 2,00,000 x 100 = 17.5 per cent.

Answer: 17.5 per cent, close to India's 17.64 per cent for 2001-2011.

Memory hook: Change over old, times a hundred.

Negative growth

Suppose a town counted 1,50,000 people at one census and, after a decade of epidemics and food shortages, only 1,48,500 at the next.

Find its decadal growth rate. Which phase of India's growth had a decade like this?

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

g = (1,48,500 - 1,50,000) / 1,50,000 x 100 = -1,500 / 1,50,000 x 100 = -1 per cent.
India recorded negative growth (-0.31 per cent) in 1911-1921, in Phase I, when poor health services and food distribution kept death rates high.

Answer: -1 per cent; like India in 1911-1921 (Phase I, the stagnant phase).

Memory hook: More deaths than births: growth turns negative.

Tricks to remember Phases of Population Growth in India

Short memory aids. Say each one aloud once, then use it on a question the same day.

'Stop, Steady, Explode, Ease'
Stagnant (1901-21), Steady (1921-51), Explosion (1951-81), Easing but high (after 1981).
Use it when: Four phases in order.
21-51-81
Phase boundaries fall on years ending in 1: 1921, 1951, 1981.
Use it when: Phase dates.
2.2 and 24.80
Phase III: 2.2 per cent a year; peak decade 1961-71 at 24.80.
Use it when: Phase III figures.
Youth 15-29, adolescents 10-19
Adolescent is a teen (10-19); youth stretches to 29.
Use it when: Not mixing the age groups.

Phases of Population Growth in India: solved examples

Ordered from board level to HOTS. Try each one before you open the solution.

Example 1: Reading Table 1.1 · 1 mark · MCQBoard level

According to NCERT Table 1.1, in which decade was India's decadal growth rate the highest?
(A) 1951-61
(B) 1961-71
(C) 1971-81
(D) 1991-2001

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Table 1.1 gives 21.51 (1951-61), 24.80 (1961-71), 24.66 (1971-81) and 21.54 (1991-2001) per cent; the peak is 1961-71, inside Phase III (1 mark).

Answer: (B) 1961-71 (24.80 per cent)

Example 2: Assertion and reason on Phase IV · 1 mark · Assertion-reasonHarder board level

Assertion (A): India's population growth rate has slowed gradually since 1981.
Reason (R): The mean age at marriage has risen and female education has improved.
(A) Both (A) and (R) are true and (R) is the correct explanation of (A).
(B) Both (A) and (R) are true but (R) is not the correct explanation of (A).
(C) (A) is true but (R) is false.
(D) (A) is false but (R) is true.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

NCERT links the slowdown to a falling birth rate caused by higher age at marriage and female education, so R explains A (1 mark).

Answer: (A) Both (A) and (R) are true and (R) is the correct explanation of (A).

Example 3: Decadal growth from Table 1.1 · 3 marks · Source-basedBoard level

India's population was 43,92,34,771 in 1961 and 54,81,59,652 in 1971.
(i) Find the absolute increase. (1)
(ii) Find the decadal growth rate. (1)
(iii) Which phase does this decade belong to? (1)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

(i) 54,81,59,652 - 43,92,34,771 = 10,89,24,881 (1 mark).
(ii) 10,89,24,881 / 43,92,34,771 x 100 = 24.80 per cent (1 mark).
(iii) Phase III, population explosion, 1951-1981 (1 mark).

Answer: (i) 10,89,24,881. (ii) 24.80 per cent. (iii) Phase III (1951-1981), the period of population explosion.

Example 4: Growth rate and doubling time · 3 marks · Short answerHarder board level

Define population doubling time. Using it, explain why an annual growth rate of 2.2 per cent (1951-1981) was more alarming than 1.64 per cent (2011). (3 marks)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Definition: the time taken by any population to double itself at its current annual growth rate (1 mark).
The higher the annual growth rate, the shorter the doubling time (1 mark).
So at 2.2 per cent a year India's population was on course to double much sooner than at 1.64 per cent; Phase III was rightly called the population explosion, while the lower 2011 rate reflects the slowing of Phase IV (1 mark).

Answer: Population doubling time is the time taken by any population to double itself at its current annual growth rate. The faster a population grows each year, the sooner it doubles. At about 2.2 per cent a year in 1951-1981, India's population was set to double much faster than at the 1.64 per cent annual rate of 2011, which is why Phase III is called the period of population explosion, while the lower 2011 rate shows the gradual slowing of Phase IV, though growth is still high.

Example 5: Adolescents in numbers · 3 marks · Source-basedHarder board level

In 2011 adolescents formed about 20.9 per cent of India's population; 52.7 per cent of them were male and 47.3 per cent female.
(i) What age group do adolescents cover? (1)
(ii) Out of every 1,000 adolescents, about how many were female? (1)
(iii) Name one challenge listed by NCERT that bears especially on adolescent girls. (1)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

(i) 10-19 years (1 mark).
(ii) 47.3 per cent of 1,000 = 473 (1 mark).
(iii) Any one: lower age at marriage, female illiteracy, high maternal mortality of adolescent mothers (1 mark).

Answer: (i) 10-19 years. (ii) About 473 (47.3 per cent of 1,000). (iii) Any one of lower age at marriage, female illiteracy, or the high rate of maternal mortality among adolescent mothers.

Example 6: HOTS: reading a century of growth · 5 marks · Long answerHOTS / competency

"India's population story from 1901 to 2011 is a story of falling death rates first and falling birth rates later." Examine the statement with reference to the four phases. (5 marks)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Phase I: both rates high; growth stagnant, negative 1911-21; causes (1 mark).
Phase II: mortality falls with health, sanitation, transport; birth rate high; steady growth (1 mark).
Phase III: rapid fall in mortality, high fertility; 2.2% a year; planning; migration (1 mark).
Phase IV: birth rate falls; age at marriage, female education; growth slows to 17.64% in 2001-11 (1 mark).
Judgement: statement holds; link to demographic transition idea (1 mark).

Answer: Phase I (1901-1921): both birth and death rates were high because of poor health services, illiteracy and inefficient food distribution, so growth was stagnant and even negative in 1911-1921.

Phase II (1921-1951): better health and sanitation brought down mortality, and better transport improved distribution, while the birth rate stayed high; growth became steady even through the Depression and World War II.

Phase III (1951-1981): mortality fell rapidly while fertility remained high; planned development improved living conditions, natural increase soared and annual growth reached about 2.2 per cent, helped by migration from Tibet, Bangladesh, Nepal and Pakistan. The decadal rate peaked at 24.80 per cent in 1961-71.

Phase IV (after 1981): the crude birth rate began to fall as mean age at marriage rose and female education and quality of life improved, so growth slowed to 17.64 per cent in 2001-2011, though it remains high.

So the statement is accurate: death rates fell first (Phases II and III), causing rapid growth, and birth rates fell later (Phase IV), slowing it.

Where students lose marks in Phases of Population Growth in India

The slips examiners see most often, and what to write instead.

Mistake: Wrong phase dates
Boundaries confused.
Wrong working
Phase III: 1941-1971.
Right working
Phase III: 1951-1981.
Do this: 21-51-81.
Usually costs: 1 mark.
Mistake: Wrong base in the growth formula
Dividing by the later year.
Wrong working
g = (p2 - p1) / p2 x 100.
Right working
g = (p2 - p1) / p1 x 100, with the earlier (base) year below.
Do this: Change over old.
Usually costs: 1-2 marks.
Mistake: Saying Phase IV growth is low
Misreading 'slowing'.
Wrong working
After 1981 India's growth became low.
Right working
Growth remains high but has started slowing gradually.
Do this: High but slowing.
Usually costs: 1 mark.
Mistake: Mixing adolescent and youth ages
Two policies, two age groups.
Wrong working
Adolescents are 15-29 years.
Right working
Adolescents: 10-19 years; youth (NYP-2014): 15-29 years.
Do this: Teen vs up to 29.
Usually costs: 1 mark.

Exam tips

Asked in: 2023 board paper 64/1/1 Q21 (3 marks, Phase III); 2024 board paper 64/1/1 Q21 (3 marks, Phase II) and 64/3/1 Q26(b) (5 marks, Phase III); 2023 board paper 64/1/3 Q21 (3 marks, Phase I); 2025 board paper 64/6/1 Q28(a) (5 marks, regional variation in growth); 2026 board paper 64/2/3 Q27 (5 marks, challenges of adolescents), 64/1/1 Q10 (1 mark, phase with negative growth), 64/4/1 Q15 (1 mark, duration of Phase III) and 64/5/1 Q26(b) (5 marks, Phase III); 2025 board paper 64/4/1 Q10 (1 mark, challenges of adolescents); 2026 board paper 64/3/1 Q22 (3 marks, adolescents or the skill policy); 2023-24 sample paper Q2 (1 mark, matching phases) and Q21 (3 marks, National Youth Policy); 2024-25 sample paper Q7 (1 mark, identify the phase). The answers on this page are our own.
When a table is given, identify the phase from the years before writing causes.
In sums, show the formula, substitution and answer with 'per cent'.
Quote NCERT's Table 1.1 figures as printed; do not recompute them for a theory answer.

Practice questions on Phases of Population Growth in India

Write each answer on paper first. Open the hint only if you are stuck, and the answer only when you have finished.

Q1 · 1 mark · MCQBoard level
What was the average annual growth rate of India's population during 1951-1981?
(A) 1.2 per cent
(B) 1.64 per cent
(C) 2.2 per cent
(D) 3.2 per cent
Hint
2.2 and 24.80.
Answer
(C) 2.2 per cent.
Q2 · 1 mark · Very short answerBoard level
In which year did the Government of India formulate the National Policy for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship? (1 mark)
Hint
A year after NYP-2014.
Answer
2015.
Q3 · 1 mark · Very short answerHarder board level
Among the six most populous states, which recorded the smallest and which the largest fall in growth rate in 2001-2011 compared with 1991-2001? (1 mark)
Hint
One southern, one western state.
Answer
Smallest: Andhra Pradesh (3.5 percentage points); largest: Maharashtra (6.7 percentage points).
Q4 · 2 marks · Very short answerHarder board level
Distinguish between the natural and induced components of population growth. (2 marks)
Hint
Births and deaths vs movement.
Answer
Natural growth is analysed from crude birth and death rates; induced growth is explained by the volume of inward and outward movement of people in an area.
Q5 · 3 marks · Short answerHOTS / competency
Suppose a state's population rose from 8,00,00,000 in 2001 to 9,12,00,000 in 2011. Find its decadal growth rate and say whether it grew faster or slower than India (17.64 per cent). (3 marks)
Hint
Change over old, times a hundred.
Answer
Increase = 9,12,00,000 - 8,00,00,000 = 1,12,00,000. Growth rate = 1,12,00,000 / 8,00,00,000 x 100 = 14 per cent. It grew more slowly than India's 17.64 per cent.
Q6 · 3 marks · Short answerHarder board level
Table 1.1 shows decadal growth of -0.31 per cent (1911-21), 24.66 per cent (1971-81) and 17.64 per cent (2001-11). Explain what each figure shows about birth and death rates in its phase. (3 marks)
Hint
Both high; deaths fall first; births fall later.
Answer
-0.31 per cent (Phase I): both birth and death rates were high, because of poor health and medical services, illiteracy and inefficient food distribution, so deaths cancelled births and growth was even negative. 24.66 per cent (Phase III): mortality fell rapidly while fertility stayed high, so natural increase was very large. 17.64 per cent (Phase IV): the crude birth rate has started falling with a higher mean age at marriage and better female education, so growth, though still high, is slowing.
Q7 · 5 marks · Long answerHOTS / competency
"Phase III was shaped as much by policy and politics as by births and deaths." Discuss. (5 marks)
Hint
Planning, living conditions, migration, vital rates.
Answer
Phase III (1951-1981) is called the period of population explosion. Demographically, mortality fell rapidly while fertility stayed high, so natural increase was large and annual growth reached about 2.2 per cent; the decadal rate peaked at 24.80 per cent in 1961-71. Policy played a part: after Independence, development was introduced through centralised planning and the economy improved, which raised living conditions and lowered death rates. Politics played a part too: increased international migration brought Tibetans, Bangladeshis, Nepalis and people from Pakistan into India, adding to growth. So the explosion came from vital rates, but those rates were themselves shaped by planning, and migration added a political dimension; the statement is justified.

Test your recall

Answer in your head or on paper first, then open the card. Pulling an answer out of memory makes it stick far better than re-reading.

1.Which two world events form the backdrop against which NCERT calls Phase II growth impressive?Show answer
The Great Economic Depression of the 1920s and World War II.
2.Which two areas registered an increase in growth rate in 2001-2011 over 1991-2001?Show answer
Tamil Nadu (3.9 percentage points) and Puducherry (7.1 percentage points).
3.What share of India's population were adolescents in 2011?Show answer
About 20.9 per cent.
4.Which two components make up population growth?Show answer
Natural (birth and death rates) and induced (inward and outward movement of people).
5.When was the National Youth Policy launched?Show answer
February 2014.

Phases of Population Growth in India: frequently asked questions

What are the four phases of population growth in India?

Stagnant (1901-1921), steady growth (1921-1951), population explosion (1951-1981) and high but slowing growth (after 1981).

Did migration affect India's population growth?

Yes. In Phase III (1951-1981), increased international migration of Tibetans, Bangladeshis, Nepalis and people from Pakistan added to the high growth rate.

How is the decadal growth rate calculated?

g = (p2 - p1) / p1 x 100, where p1 is the base-year and p2 the present-year population.

Are adolescents and youth the same age group?

No. Adolescents are 10-19 years (about 20.9 per cent of the population in 2011); the National Youth Policy 2014 defines youth as 15-29 years.