New Delhi, July 15
Punjab is now among the most urbanised states in India having more than 35 per cent of the population living in urban areas, says the Census 2011 data on Urban and Rural population released today. Other than Punjab, Kerala and Karnataka have joined the list of Indian states that have more than 35 per cent population living in urban areas.

In the last census, 2001, the states of Maharastra, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Delhi and Mizoram were the only states with such levels, or more, of urban population. The growth in urban population, an indicator of migration from rural areas due to lack of opportunities, has meant that 31.2 per cent of India lives in urban areas, that is in metros, cities, towns with municipalities, corporations, cantonment boards or notified town area committees. Also, towns with a minimum population of 5,000; at least 75 per cent of the male main workers engaged in non-agricultural pursuits; and with a density of population of at least 400 per sq km are also counted as urban areas.

In the 2001 census, the urban population was 27.81 per cent. “For the first time since Independence, the absolute increase in population is more in urban areas than in rural areas.

The rural-urban distribution is 68.84 per cent and 31.2 per cent respectively," The Registrar-General of India and Census Commissioner C Chandramouli said. Of the 121 crore Indians, 83.3 crore live in rural areas, while 37.7 crore stay in urban areas, said the Census of India's 2011 Provisional Population Totals of Rural-Urban Distribution in the country, released by the Union Home Secretary R K Singh.

During the last 10 years there has been a decline in proportion of rural population from 72.19 per cent to 68.84 per cent. “The slowing down of the overall growth rate of population is due to the sharp decline in the growth rate in rural areas, while the growth rate in urban areas remains almost the same," Chandramouli said.

The statistics reveal that while the maximum number of people living in rural areas in a particular state is 15.5 crore in Uttar Pradesh, Mumbai tops the list having the maximum number of people in urban areas at five crore.

The data also reflects that 18.62 per cent of the country's rural population lives in Uttar Pradesh and 13.48 per cent urban population lives in Maharashtra.