Quick Overview of Scheduled Caste Population – Census 2021/2011
- Scheduled Castes (SC) comprised about 16.6% of India's population in Census 2011, with projections for 2021 expected at about 17%.
- SCs form 18.5% of rural and 12.6% of urban populations.
- Total SC population in 2011: 201,378,372 (~20 crore), including 103,535,314 males and 97,843,058 females.
- Highest SC populations: Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Bihar, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra.
- No SC population in Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep (by notification).
Historic Growth Trend of Scheduled Castes
| Census Year | SC Population | % of Total Population | Decadal Growth (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1951 | 51,340,000 | 14.4% | — |
| 1961 | 64,410,000 | 14.7% | +25.5 |
| 1971 | 80,000,000 | 14.6% | +24.2 |
| 1981 | 104,750,000 | 15.8% | +30.9 |
| 1991 | 138,220,000 | 16.5% | +32.0 |
| 2001 | 166,630,000 | 16.2% | +20.6 |
| 2011 | 201,378,372 | 16.6% | +20.8 |
Full State/UT-wise Scheduled Caste Population – Census 2011
| State/UT | SC Population | Males | Females | Households | SC % of State | SC Literacy (%) | Sex Ratio | Child (0-6) % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Uttar Pradesh | 41,357,608 | 21,676,975 | 19,680,633 | 7,375,437 | 20.7% | 60.89 | 908 | 16.81 |
| West Bengal | 21,463,270 | 11,003,304 | 10,459,966 | 4,861,303 | 23.5% | 69.43 | 951 | 11.91 |
| Tamil Nadu | 14,438,445 | 7,204,687 | 7,233,758 | 3,591,953 | 19.0% | 73.26 | 1004 | 11.02 |
| Andhra Pradesh | 13,878,078 | 6,913,047 | 6,965,031 | 3,429,973 | 16.7% | 62.28 | 1008 | 11.17 |
| Bihar | 16,567,325 | 8,606,253 | 7,961,072 | 3,073,109 | 15.9% | 48.65 | 925 | 21.02 |
| Maharashtra | 13,275,898 | 6,767,759 | 6,508,139 | 2,898,245 | 11.8% | 79.66 | 962 | 12.20 |
| Madhya Pradesh | 11,342,320 | 5,908,638 | 5,433,682 | 2,402,342 | 15.6% | 66.16 | 920 | 15.51 |
| Rajasthan | 12,221,593 | 6,355,564 | 5,866,029 | 2,279,366 | 17.8% | 59.75 | 923 | 16.60 |
| Karnataka | 10,474,992 | 5,264,545 | 5,210,447 | 2,178,501 | 17.1% | 65.33 | 990 | 12.97 |
| Punjab | 8,860,179 | 4,639,875 | 4,220,304 | 1,717,888 | 31.9% | 64.81 | 910 | 12.80 |
| Orissa | 7,188,463 | 3,617,808 | 3,570,655 | 1,669,787 | 17.1% | 69.02 | 987 | 13.26 |
| Haryana | 5,113,615 | 2,709,656 | 2,403,959 | 992,096 | 20.2% | 66.85 | 887 | 14.87 |
| Gujarat | 4,074,447 | 2,110,331 | 1,964,116 | 817,281 | 6.7% | 79.18 | 931 | 12.13 |
| Jharkhand | 3,985,644 | 2,043,458 | 1,942,186 | 753,644 | 12.1% | 55.89 | 950 | 18.29 |
| Chhattisgarh | 3,274,269 | 1,641,738 | 1,632,531 | 749,457 | 12.8% | 70.76 | 994 | 15.47 |
| Kerala | 3,039,573 | 1,477,808 | 1,561,765 | 725,582 | 9.1% | 88.73 | 1057 | 9.43 |
| Delhi | 2,812,309 | 1,488,800 | 1,323,509 | 527,307 | 16.7% | 78.89 | 889 | 12.79 |
| Assam | 2,231,321 | 1,145,314 | 1,086,007 | 468,568 | 7.2% | 76.99 | 948 | 13.29 |
| Uttarakhand | 1,892,516 | 968,586 | 923,930 | 363,305 | 18.8% | 74.41 | 954 | 15.20 |
| Himachal Pradesh | 1,729,252 | 876,300 | 852,952 | 358,212 | 25.2% | 78.92 | 973 | 12.54 |
| Jammu & Kashmir | 924,991 | 486,232 | 438,759 | 183,020 | 7.3% | 70.16 | 902 | 13.70 |
| Tripura | 654,918 | 334,370 | 320,548 | 154,112 | 17.8% | 89.45 | 959 | 11.77 |
| Puducherry | 196,325 | 95,512 | 100,813 | 45,409 | 15.7% | 77.90 | 1056 | 11.71 |
| Chandigarh | 199,086 | 106,356 | 92,730 | 40,694 | 18.9% | 76.45 | 872 | 13.32 |
| Manipur | 97,328 | 48,863 | 48,465 | 20,349 | 3.4% | 76.09 | 992 | 12.92 |
| Sikkim | 28,275 | 14,454 | 13,821 | 5,930 | 4.6% | 77.54 | 956 | 12.44 |
| Goa | 25,449 | 12,627 | 12,822 | 5,545 | 1.7% | 83.73 | 1015 | 10.44 |
| Meghalaya | 17,355 | 9,157 | 8,198 | 3,533 | 0.6% | 68.57 | 895 | 13.66 |
| Dadra & Nagar Haveli | 6,186 | 3,339 | 2,847 | 1,353 | 1.8% | 89.42 | 853 | 12.42 |
| Daman & Diu | 6,124 | 3,151 | 2,973 | 1,288 | 2.5% | 92.56 | 944 | 9.98 |
| Mizoram | 1,218 | 807 | 411 | 274 | 0.1% | 92.43 | 509 | 9.93 |
| Arunachal Pradesh | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Nagaland | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Lakshadweep | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Andaman & Nicobar Islands | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
Sex Ratio & Literacy – Scheduled Castes
- SC sex ratio: 945 (India average: 943). Child sex ratio (0-6): 933 for SC, 919 national.
- Highest SC sex ratio states: Kerala (1057), Puducherry (1056), Goa (1015), Arunachal Pradesh (1008), Tamil Nadu (1004).
- Lowest sex ratio: Mizoram (509).
- SC literacy: 66.1% (India average: 72.99%). Highest SC literacy: Mizoram (92.4%), Daman & Diu (92.6%). Lowest: Bihar (48.6%).
| State/UT | SC Literacy (%) | SC Sex Ratio |
|---|---|---|
| Kerala | 88.73 | 1057 |
| Daman & Diu | 92.56 | 944 |
| Bihar | 48.65 | 925 |
| Goa | 83.73 | 1015 |
Socio-Economic & Policy Highlights
- SCs benefit from constitutional reservations, targeted development programs, and quotas in education, jobs, and political representation.
- SCs can only be members of Hinduism, Sikhism, or Buddhism as per notification (per the SC Order Amendment Act, 1990).
- SCs reside predominantly in rural areas, but urban migration rising rapidly (urban decadal growth: 41.3%, rural: 15.7%).
- States with maximum SC ratio: Punjab (31.9%), Himachal Pradesh (25.2%), West Bengal (23.5%), UP (20.7%), Haryana (20.2%).
- States with lowest ratios: Mizoram (0.1%), Meghalaya (0.6%), Goa (1.7%), Dadra & Nagar Haveli (1.8%), Daman & Diu (2.5%).