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Overall Health Situation in India
IndiaPopulation Profile: The work on the next census (2001) has already started. Even without it, it can be said that India is heading towards a population explosion. It is one of the most populous nations in the world–second only to China. Nature has only finite resources and the consequences of an ever expanding population to mankind as a whole are grave. Let us look at some of these demographics or should we say “Demographics”.
Large population
High fertility both in terms of birth rate and family size.
Declining mortality
Illiteracy rate of about 40%
Dependency ratio of 0.9, that is, every economically productive member has to support almost one dependent. This table summarizes the most recent
demographic information available:
India: Demographic profile
| Total Population (eatimated1996) | 952 | Million |
| Population rural% (1995) | 73.2 | – |
| Adult literacy rate % (1995) | 52 | – |
| Density of population per sq.km (1995) | 283 | – |
| Sex ratio female per 1000 male (1991) | 929 | – |
| Average family size (1988) | 34.8 | – |
| Age at marriage, female (1991) | 19 | Years |
| Annual per capita GNP (at current prices 1994–95) |
INR 8984 | – |
When we compare some of the available statistics to that prevalent in the west the following is the observation.
Selected health and socioeconomic indicators
| Other developing Countries | Developed Countries | |
| Life expectancy at birth (years) 1996 | 66 | 77 |
| IMR (per 1000 live births) | 55 | 6 |
| Maternal mortality per 100,000 live births 1990 | 350 | 13 |
| Doctor population ratio per 10,000 (1993) | 8.4 | 25.2 |
| Nurse population ratio per 10,000 | 9.6 | 74.2 |
| GNP per capita (US $)(1994) | 1133 | 24414 |
| Adult Literacy rate | 73 | 99 |
