DEMOGRAPHICS
General Information
Population of the Republic of India – 1,451 bil. people (2nd in the world).
The male population is 51,64% of the total population, and the female population – 48,36%. The median age in the republic is 26,7 years. At the beginning of 2025, the population is divided into age groups as follows: under 15 years old (29,7 %); from 15 to 65 years old (64,9%); over 64 years old (5,5%).
The sex ratio indicator – 1,07 men per one woman.
The overall life expectancy for 2025 is 66,8 years, with male life expectancy being approximately 65,8 years, while female life expectancy is 68 years and higher.
Ethnic and Confessional Composition
Ethnic Composition
Modern India is a multinational country, inhabited by peoples differing in appearance, language, and customs. The majority of the population (70%) lives in rural areas and adheres to old caste orders. The largest peoples of India are:
- Hindustanis (Hindavi) – The most numerous people of India. An Indo-Aryan people of Northern India, speaks dialects of the Hindi language (Khari Boli, Haryanvi, Braj, Kanauji, Bundeli, Awadhi, Bagheli, Chhattisgarhi), with a total number of about 500 mil. people.
- Bengalis – one of the most numerous peoples in the world. Totals 250 mil. people, 100 mil. of whom live in India, speaks the Bengali language of the Indo-European family.
- Jat – one of the oldest peoples of the country. Mainly belong to Sikhs. The population numbers 85 mil. people.
- Marathis – the main population of the state of Maharashtra, speaks the eponymous language and mostly professes Hinduism. Approximate number – 80 mil. people.
- Telugu – a people numbering about 75 mil. people, speaking the eponymous language of the Dravidian family. The main mass lives in the state of Andhra Pradesh.
- Tamils – a people inhabiting South Asia, 63 mil. people live in India in the state of Tamil Nadu. Speaks the Tamil language, which plays an important role in national identity.
- Gujaratis – an Indo-Aryan people, numbering 45 mil. people in India. Inhabit the western part of the country. A large diaspora lives in emigration in the United Kingdom.
- Kannada – a people living in southern India. Numbers 36 mil. people. Their own language, Kannada, belongs to the Dravidian family.
- Punjabis – the main population of the state of Punjab. The majority of the people live in Pakistan (70 mil. people). In India, the population numbers approximately 30 mil. people, a large diaspora lives in the USA, Canada, and the United Kingdom. In Pakistan, this people professes Islam, in India – typically Hinduism and Sikhism. The percentage of literate people among this people is one of the highest compared to neighbors.
Confessional Composition
India is a secular state. The main practiced religions are:
- Hinduism (80% of the population) – widespread everywhere and is the dominant religion;
- Islam (14%) – widespread in the north of the country in regions adjacent to Pakistan;
- Christianity (2,5-3%);
- Sikhs (2%);
- Buddhism (1%).
State Language
According to the Constitution of India, the official languages are Hindi, spoken by 40% of the population, and English. Indo-European languages are the most widespread in the country.
In total, there are more than 400 languages and two thousand dialects in India; the overwhelming majority of the population speaks 12 official languages, each of which has more than 10 million speakers. Official languages are used for printing and for local self-government in the zones of distribution of the respective languages.
The most common official languages of India include: Bengali (250 mil. speakers), Telugu (80 mil. speakers), Marathi (70 mil. speakers), Tamil (approximately 70 mil. speakers).