The World Population Prospects (The 2017 Revision) the population of India is estimated at over 1.32 billion (1,324,171,354). Earlier too, the 2016 population report by the United Nations reported India’s population at about 1.3 billion (source: Wikipedia).
The population count of 1.32 billion people makes India world’s second most populated country (China is only narrowly ahead of India). India’s population continues to grow rapidly: it has more than doubled in the past 50 years.
Population growth: It is estimated that around 1600, India’s population was nearly 100 million and with a static growth until the latter parts of the 19th century. The country’s first census was conducted in the year 1881, and the results showed that the nation had about 255 million people. It is projected that India will be the most populous nation in the world by 2022, overtaking China.
The population growth in India during the last 7 decades starting 1951 has been analyzed in the table below:
| Year | Population* | Change in Population | Change in Population in terms of Percentage | Remarks |
| 1951 | 361,088,000 | – | – | We have taken 1951 as the base year |
| 1961 | 439,235,000 | 78,147,000 | 21.64 | The population of India increased by 21.64 percentage points during 1951 to 1961. |
| 1971 | 548,160,000 | 108,925,000 | 24.80 | Population of India crossed 500 million during this period. |
| 1981 | 683,329,000 | 135,169,000 | 24.66 | High population growth continued in India. |
| 1991 | 846,387,888 | 163,058,888 | 23.86 | The was 23.86 percent growth during the period from 1981 to 1991 |
| 2001 | 1,028,737,436 | 182,349,548 | 21.54 | Population of India crossed 100 billion during this decade. |
| 2011 | 1,210,726,932 | 181,989,496 | 17.69 | With a 17.69 percent population growth, the population of India stood at around 1.21 billion in 2011. |
*Source: Wikipedia
Population density: The population density per square kilometer in India was estimated at 382 persons, according to the 2011 data. It means that for every square kilometer, there are 382 people in India.
Population composition: About 50% of India’s population is made up of people below the age of 25 and nearly 65% under the age of 35. By the year 2020, the average age of the population is estimated to be 29 years. This is where India has edge over other populous nations. For example, the average age of people in India, by the year 2020, is expected to be 37 years. The young population is expected to bring more economic welfare to the nation.
The male population in the country is higher than the female population.
Most populated states: The most populous state is U.P. (Uttar Pradesh) with a population of 199,581, 477 people (2011 census), followed by the state of Maharashtra with a population of 112,372,972 people. Bihar ranks third with a population of 103,804,637. (Note: Click here to find the state-wise population of Top Ten States in India.)
Most populated cities: The most populated city in India is Mumbai with a population estimate of 12.4 million. Delhi comes in second with 11 million, Bengaluru with 8.4 million, and Hyderabad with 6.8 million.
Religion: Hinduism practiced by 79% of the population followed by Isalm at 14.2%, Christianity at 2.3%, Sikhism at 1.7%, Buddhism at 0.7%, Jainism at 0.3%, and the rest at 0.9%.
Linguistic demographics: Hindi is spoken by about 41% of Indians. Other languages spoken in the country are Bengali, Telugu, Tamil, Punjabi, Gujarati, and Assamese among others.
Suggested: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographics_of_India