An ethnic mosaic
India's ethnic diversity is one of its greatest assets. The Indo-Aryan peoples, who make up about 70% of India's population, are in fact a range of different peoples sharing a common linguistic origin. They are believed to have arrived on the Indian subcontinent around 2000 BC and formed the great Indus Valley civilization in northern modern India. The Dravidians, who represent 25% of the population, are the majority in the south of the country. The Telugu (Andhra Pradesh, Telangana), Tamil (Tamil Nadu), Kannadigas (Karnataka) and Malayalis (Kerala) are of Dravidian origin. The origin of the Dravidian languages remains a mystery, but it is known that it precedes that of the Indo-Aryan languages. The Dravidian culture is preponderant in the south of the country and constitutes the pride of its inhabitants. It is not popular to try to communicate with them in Hindi, which is of Indo-Aryan origin and is the language imposed by the central government. The country also has a significant number of tribes that are considered the original inhabitants of the Indian peninsula. These tribal peoples, known as Adivasi, are accurately recorded by the government. There are 705scheduled tribes. Members of these tribes are excluded from the caste system and are therefore at the bottom of the social pyramid. Despite a policy of affirmative action, these tribes have little access to education and their traditional way of life is under severe threat.
Over the centuries, migratory flows and conquests have also influenced the culture, the languages but also the ethnic origin of the population: navigators of various origins coming to trade (Parthians, Romans, Greeks, Arabs), invaders (Moghuls, Central Asian peoples) and more recently European settlers (Portuguese, Dutch, British, French and Danish)
Demographics
India is currently the second most populous country in the world, after China, and its population constitutes almost one fifth of the world's population. Its population in 2022 is estimated to be between 1.35 and 1.41 billion people. Unlike China and its one-child policy, India is a democratic country and has therefore based its birth policy on household empowerment. The government has repeatedly conducted nationwide contraceptive campaigns, encouraging people to visit centers for birth control. Today, the Indian population boom that has lasted since the 1950s is coming to an end. After years of having a fertility rate above 2.4 children per woman, it has fallen to 2, below the replacement level of 2.1, according to a national survey conducted from 2019 to 2021. This trend marks a real change in mores, especially observable in urban areas. The population is growing at about 1.28% per year, and predictions are that India will overtake China to become the most populous country on the planet by 2025. India is a young country, with 26% of its population under the age of 14 and 17% between 14 and 24. In 2022, the human development index, used by the United Nations to measure the quality of life of a population, is 7%. South Indians attach great importance to education as a means to a better life. The literacy rate in India is 74% (82% for men and 65% for women), and the small state of Kerala has the highest rate in the country: 94% (96% for men and 92% for women). The average life expectancy of an Indian is 67 years (69 years for women and 65.4 years for men). The density is high (430 people per km2), mainly in the urban agglomerations where the inhabitants are increasingly crowded. Among the main cities in the south of the country are Mumbai (almost 21 million inhabitants), Bangalore (over 13 million), Chennai (11.5 million) and Hyderabad (over 10 million). However, the majority of the population remains peasant, with over 70% of the population living in rural areas.
The male/female ratio in the population
The National Family and Health Survey conducted in 2019 and 2021 revealed a new trend in the country: the population now has more female births than male. The birth ratio is now 1,020 girls per 1,000 boys. Yet India continues to have more men than women, with a ratio of 927 women per 1,000 men. Indeed, for centuries, the country has had a major problem: there are far fewer women than men. This phenomenon is mainly explained by the crushing weight of traditions, the fact of having a baby girl being generally perceived by the Indian family as a heavy burden: not only does a girl represent a lesser workforce than a boy, but above all the family must pay a large dowry to be able to marry her off. This dowry offered to the groom's family pushes many poor families into debt, and even into ruin. This tradition has long weighed on the country and many baby girls are killed before or after birth. In fact, a significant number of men still live in celibacy and this has even given rise to a real human traffic aiming at bringing women from other Asian countries so that they can find a wife. The reversal of this trend is mainly due to improved living conditions, better access to education and work for women, and a modernization of consciousness (especially in wealthy and urban areas). However, the evolution of Indian society is taking place very slowly. While these figures give cause for optimism, it should not be forgotten that female infanticide is still a reality in several regions, particularly in certain northern states. Although it is also present there, the South of India is less affected by this phenomenon.
