Stagnant phase of population growth
Also called: Phase I (1901-1921) · Topic: Population of India: Distribution, Density, Growth and Composition · NCERT: Class 12, Ch 1 "Population: Distribution, Density, Growth and Composition"
Meaning
The stagnant phase of population growth is the first phase of India's population growth, from 1901 to 1921. "Stagnant" means almost no growth. Both the birth rate and the death rate were high, so they nearly cancelled each other out. Poor health care, illiteracy and a weak food supply kept deaths high. Famines, plague and the 1918 influenza killed very large numbers of people. This is the only time India's population actually shrank.
Example
India had 238.4 million people in 1901. In 1911-21 the population fell by 0.31%. This is the only decade with negative growth in India's census record.
Don't confuse with
- Steady growth phase (1921-51): in that phase the death rate fell while births stayed high, so the population grew steadily. 1921 is called the "Great Divide" between the two phases.
Related concepts
- Population growth
- Decadal growth rate
- Steady growth phase
- Population explosion phase
- Phase of declining growth