Districtwise Variation and Changes thereof in Age & Sex Composition of Population in Himachal Pradesh: 1971 - 2001

Age and sex structure of a population is the product of past trends in fertility, mortality and migration that the population has come to witness. Similarly, it is the current age and sex composition that would determine the future birth rate, death rate and migration potential. Thus, age and sex composition is both a cause and a consequence. The nature of age and sex composition of a population is also the product of past and prevailing social conditions such as the gender relationships, the status of female in the society, the level of socio-economic development particularly with respect to the literacy level of the society and health care delivery system.

The selection of Himachal Pradesh witness significant social transformation since 1971, the year the state was granted statehood. This social transformation was bound to reflect in the age and sex structure of the state. This study aims at knowing/exploring the nature and extent of change in the age and sex composition of population at district level in Himachal Pradesh between 1971 and 2001. The study is entirely/primly based upon census data published by the Census of India statistical/ graphical techniques such as Lorenz curve, Location quotient and age and sex pyramid were used to understand spatial and temporal variations in the age and sex composition of the state. Results of the study reveal that age and sex composition of population in Himachal Pradesh has been typical of population in the developing countries until 1981. After this, the age pyramid has started regressing at the base signifying a decline in the fertility rate. Particularly the proportion of children in the age group of 0–9 has witnessed relatively sharp decline during the inter-census period of 1991–2001. Similarly, due to the improvements in healthcare facilities and improved quality of life and hence increased in life expectancy, the proportion of aged population has also gone marginally up The age composition in the state is also marked by significant areal variations from one district to another.