Adolescent population
Topic: Population of India: Distribution, Density, Growth and Composition · NCERT: Class 12, Ch 1 "Population: Distribution, Density, Growth and Composition"
Meaning
The adolescent population means people aged 10-19. In 2011 they made up 20.9% of Indians, with 52.7% boys and 47.3% girls. This group has great potential, but it is also at risk. Its problems include early marriage, illiteracy (especially among girls), dropping out of school, poor nutrition and high death rates among teenage mothers. Other risks are HIV/AIDS, physical and mental disability, drugs and alcohol, and crime. Well-educated, healthy adolescents become the skilled workers who can turn India's large young population into a gain.
Example
India's child sex ratio (ages 0-6) was 918 in 2011, the lowest ever. Fewer girls than boys therefore grow into the adolescent group. This is most marked in states such as Haryana, in north-western India.
Don't confuse with
- Youth: the National Youth Policy 2014 defines youth as people aged 15-29. Adolescents are aged 10-19, so the two groups only partly overlap.