Population growth in Goa declines

Panaji, Jul 26: Population growth in Goa has declined by nearly half in the last decade, Economic Survey 2014-15 report stated.

The state's population as per the 2011 Census stood at 14.58 lakh which constitutes 0.12 per cent of the country's total population as against 0.13 per cent during 2001 Census, according to the Economic Survey report which was tabled in the Assembly yesterday.

During 2001-11, the state's population recorded a net increase of 1.10 lakh, a growth of 8.23 per cent. The population growth declined from 15.21 per cent (during 1990-2001) to 8.23 per cent during 2001-11.

The tourist state that was liberated from Portuguese rule in 1961, witnessed single digit growth rate during the colonial times.

The survey mentioned that during the first 60 years of the century, i.e. 1900-1960, the state's population increased from 4.75 lakh to 5.90 lakh, recording an increase of only 1.15 lakh persons during the six-decade long period.

In the first census conducted after liberation, the population jumped from 5.90 lakhs in 1960 to 7.95 lakhs in 1971 leading to a net addition of 2.05 lakh people, thereby recording a decadal growth rate of 34.77 per cent.

The report noted that urbanisation in the state has shown increasing trend since liberation in 1961. The percentage of population dwelling in urban areas of the state has increased from mere 14.80 per cent in 1961 to 62.17 per cent in 2011.

"Goa has the highest percentage of urban population amongst the smaller states in India," it said.

PTI