Demographics of Karnataka

Karnataka, with a total population of 61,100,000, is one of the major states in South India. Kannada is the official state language,[1] while other linguistic minorities in the state include Kodava, Konkani, Tulu and Urdu.[2] Karnataka is also at the forefront of population control measures, with the first two birth control clinics in history opening in 1930 in the Mandya district.[3]

## Population

[edit]

See also: Ethnic groups in Karnataka

At the time of the 2011 Census of India, the total population in Karnataka was 6.25 crores (a crore equates to 10 million), with 50.9% being males and 49.1% females. There was a decadal population increase of 17.3% between 1991 and 2001. As per the 2011 census, the population density is 319 per km², the sex ratio is 973 females to 1,000 males, and 38.67% of the people in Karnataka live in urban areas.

The literacy rate in Karnataka was 75.4% at the time of the 2001 census; the eight most-populous cities of the state, in-order from highest to lowest total population, were Bengaluru, Hubballi-Dharwad, Mysuru, Belagavi, Kalburgi, Mangaluru, Davanagere and Ballari.[4] Bengaluru Urban and Belagavi are the most populous Districts, each of them having a population of more than three million. Gadaga, Chamarajanagara and Kodagu districts have a population of less than one million. Karnataka has one of the largest populations of Anglo-Indians in India. Seen below is a composite table of languages and religions of the state at the census of 2001.

### Religion

[edit]

Main article: Religion in Karnataka

Religion in Karnataka[5]

|  |
Hindu |

| 84.00%
Muslim |

| 13.00%
Christian |

| 1.80%
Others |

| 1.20%

At the time of the 2011 Census of India, 84.0% of the population were Hindu, 13.00% Muslim, 1.80% Christian, 0.7% Jain, 0.2% Buddhist, <0.1% Sikhs, with the remaining percentage belonging to other religions.[5] Karnataka is also the location of some tribes, such as the Nayaka, Soliga, and Yerava. The joint family system is prevalent in the rural areas of Karnataka; there are extreme cases, like the Narasinganavars, who reside in the Dharwad district, and are recognised as one of the largest undivided families in the world.

Religion in Karnataka  Religion | 2001[6] | 2011[7][6]

|
|

Population  | (%)  | Population  | (%)
Hinduism | 44,321,279  | 83.86 | 51,317,472  | 84.00
Islam | 6,463,127  | 12.23 | 7,893,065  | 12.92
Christianity | 1,009,164  | 1.91 | 1,142,647  | 1.87
Jainism | 412,659  | 0.78 | 440,280  | 0.72
Buddhism | 393,300  | 0.74 | 95,710  | 0.16
Sikhism | 15,326  | 0.03 | 28,773  | 0.05
Other | 115,460  | 0.22 | 11,263  | 0.02
Not stated | —  | — | 166,087  | 0.27
Total | 52,850,562  |  | 61,095,297  |

### Caste and Communities

[edit]

Just like other Ethnolinguistic groups in India, Kannada speaking people also form a number of distinct communities. The two single biggest communities numerically are the Lingayat and the Vokkaliga from North and South Karnataka respectively,[8] while Scheduled Castes make up the largest cohesive group of communities. There are also numerous OBC (other backward communities) including the former pastoralist community of Kuruba, Scheduled Tribes like the Boya/Valmiki, scheduled castes like Banjara and Adi Karnataka. Kannada Brahmins are divided into several communities.[9][10] Although historically Jainism in Karnataka had dominant presence, Kannada Jains today form a small minority.[11] In Karnataka, 5 communities — Brahmin, Jain, Aryavaishya, Nagarthas and Modaliars — are outside the existing reservation matrix.

### Languages

[edit]

Government Census On Language  Language  | 2001( %)[12][13] | 2011( %)[14]

|
|

Kannada | 68.5  | 66.46
Hindi | 0.6%  | 1.43
Urdu | 10.5  | 10.83
Telugu | 5.00  | 5.84
Tamil | 3.2  | 3.45
Tulu | 2.1  | 2.61
Marathi | 3.40  | 3.80
Lambadi |  | 1.59
Malayalam | 0.13  | 1.22
Beary  | 1.3  |
Konkani | 1.0  | 1.29
Others  | 2.71  | 1.99

## Districts

[edit]

Population of districts of Karnataka
as per 2001 census

District  | Population  | Decadal %age growth 1991 -> 2001
Bangalore Urban | 6,537,124 | 34.8
Bangalore Rural | 1,881,514 | 12.2
Chitradurga | 1,517,896 | 15.1
Davanagere | 1,790,952 | 14.8
Kolar | 2,536,069 | 13.8
Shimoga | 1,642,545 | 12.9
Tumkur | 2,584,711 | 11.9
Bagalkot | 1,651,892 | 18.8
Belgaum | 4,214,505 | 17.4
Bijapur | 1,806,918 | 17.6
Dharwad | 1,604,253 | 16.7
Gadag | 971,835 | 13.1
Haveri | 1,439,116 | 13.3
Uttara Kannada | 1,353,644 | 10.9
Bellary | 2,027,140 | 22.3
Bidar | 1,502,373 | 19.6
Gulbarga | 3,130,922 | 21.0
Koppal | 1,196,089 | 24.6
Raichur | 1,669,762 | 21.9
Chamarajanagar | 965,462 | 9.2
Chikmagalur | 1,140,905 | 12.0
Dakshina Kannada | 1,897,730 | 14.5
Hassan | 1,721,669 | 9.7
Kodagu | 548,561 | 11.6
Mandya | 1,763,705 | 7.1
Mysore | 2,641,027 | 15.0
Udupi | 1,112,243 | 6.9

## See also

[edit]

* Karnataka ethnic groups
* Kannada people

## Footnotes

[edit]

Official Census Portal of Mysore District [1]

1. ^ "The Karnataka Official Language Act" (PDF). Official website of Department of Parliamentary Affairs and Legislation. Government of Karnataka. Retrieved 2007-06-29.
2. ^ "Urdu in Karnataka". A. R. Fatihi, PhD on Language in India. Central Institute of Indian Languages. Retrieved 2007-06-29.
3. ^ "Envisaging a healthy growth". Online Webpage of the Frontline. The Hindu. Archived from the original on 2011-07-28. Retrieved 2007-06-21.
4. ^ "Population of Corporation/CMC/TMC/TP, Population 2001 Census". Online Webpage of the Directorate of Municipal Administration. Government of Karnataka. Archived from the original on 2009-04-10. Retrieved 2007-05-05.
5. ^ a b "Population by religion community – 2011". Census of India, 2011. The Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India. Archived from the original on 25 August 2015.
6. ^ a b "Total population by religious communities". Censusindia.gov.in. Archived from the original on 19 January 2008. Retrieved 20 November 2014.
7. ^ "Indian Census 2011". Census Department, Government of India. Archived from the original on 13 September 2015. Retrieved 25 August 2015.
8. ^ "In Karnataka, five communities with 4% population will faller EWS quota". The Hindu. 8 November 2022.
9. ^ Harish Ramaswamy (2007). Karnataka Government and Politics. Concept Publishing Company. pp. 398–399\. ISBN 978-81-8069-397-7.
10. ^ Karnataka State Gazetteer: Mysore. Director of Print, Stationery and Publications at the Government Press. 1988. p. 157.
11. ^ Jainism and Karnataka Culture by Shripad Rama Sharma|page 13|2017
12. ^ "Language in India 2001". www.censusindia.gov.in. Archived from the original on 24 November 2007. Retrieved 2025-04-05.
13. ^ "Language Atlas 2001 Flip Book". censusindia.gov.in. Retrieved 2025-04-05.
14. ^ "Language – India, States and Union Territories" (PDF). Census of India 2011. Office of the Registrar General. pp. 12–14, 49. Archived (PDF) from the original on 14 November 2018. Retrieved 8 September 2018.

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State of Karnataka

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Belagavi division|

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Kalaburagi division|

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