Kerala is home to 2.76% of India's population; at 859 persons per km2, its land is nearly three times as densely settled as the rest of India, which is at a population density of 370 persons per km2. In the state, the rate of population growth is India's lowest, and the decadal growth of 4.9% in 2011 is less than one third of the all-India average of 17.64%. Kerala's population more than doubled between 1951 and 1991 by adding 15.6 million people to reach 29.1 million residents in 1991; the population stood at 33.3 million by 2011. Kerala's coastal regions are the most densely settled, leaving the eastern hills and mountains comparatively sparsely populated. Around 31.8 million Keralites are predominantly of Malayali descent. State's 321,000 indigenous tribal Adivasis, 1.10% of the population, are concentrated in the east. Malayalam, one of the classical languages in India, is Kerala's official language, however Tamil is also widely understood. Kannada, Tulu, Hindi, Bengali, Mahl and various Adivasi (tribal) languages are also spoken. As of early 2013, there are close to 2.5 million (7.5% of state population) migrant workers from other states of India in Kerala.
Languages of Kerala in 2001
Malayalam (96.74%) Tamil (1.87%) Others (1.39%) Religion Main article: Religion in KeralaIn comparison with the rest of India, Kerala experiences relatively little sectarianism. According to 2001 Census of India figures, 56.2% of Kerala's residents are Hindus, 24.7% are Muslims, 19% are Christians, and the remaining 0.1% follows other religions. The major Hindu castes are Dalit, Ezhava/Thiyya, Nadars, Nair and Nambudiri. The rest of the Hindu castes, including those in the list of Other Backward Class (OBC), are minority communities. Islam and Judaism arrived in Kerala through Arab traders. Muslims of Kerala, generally referred to as Moplahs, mostly follow the Shafi'i Madh'hab under Sunni Islam. The major Muslim organisations are Sunni, Mujahid and Jama'at-e-Islami. Christianity is believed to have reached the shores of Kerala in 52 AD with the arrival of St Thomas, one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus Christ. Saint Thomas Christians include Syro-Malabar Catholic, Syro-Malankara Catholic, Malankara Orthodox, Jacobite and Marthoma. Latin Rite Christians were converted by the Portuguese in the 16th and 19th centuries, mainly from communities where fishing was the traditional occupation. A significant Jewish community existed in Kerala until the 20th century, when most of them migrated to Israel. Jainism has a considerable following in the Wayanad district.Buddhism was dominant at the time of Ashoka the Great but vanished by the 8th century CE.
Religion in Kerala Religion Percent Hinduism 56.2% Islam 24.7% Christianity 19.0% Others 0.1%The Paradesi Synagogue at Kochi is the oldest synagogue in the Commonwealth. Certain Hindu communities such as the Kshatriyas, Nairs, some Ezhavas, Tiyyas and the Muslims around North Malabar used to follow a traditional matrilineal system known as marumakkathayam, although this practice ended in the years after Indian independence. Other Muslims, Christians, and some Hindu castes such as the Namboothiris and the Ezhavas followed makkathayam, a patrilineal system. Owing to the former matrilineal system, women in Kerala enjoy a high social status. However, gender inequality among low caste men and women is reportedly higher compared to that in other castes.
GenderThere are a number of possible explanations for the position of women in Kerala. One is the rise of communist governing bodies in Kerala. These governments helped to distribute land and implement education reforms. Another explanation is a tradition of matrilineal inheritance in Kerala. This was common among certain influential castes and is a factor in the value placed on daughters. Christian missionaries also influenced Malayali women in that they started schools for girls from poor families. Opportunities for women like education and gainful employment often translate into a lower birth rate, which in turn, makes education and employment more likely to be accessible and more beneficial for women. This creates an upward spiral for both the women and children of the community that is passed on to future generations of both boys and girls. Low birth rate and high literacy rate are often the twin hallmarks of the healthy advancement of a society.
While having the opportunities that education affords them such as participating in politics, keeping up to date on news, reading religious texts, etc., these tools have not translated into full, equal rights for the women of Kerala. At Cochin University women must be in their hostels by dark, while men are free to roam at any hour. There is a general attitude that women must be restricted for their own benefit. Women who break the rules are often looked down on. A male student from Kerala State expressed his anger at women in Cochin who wore jeans or short skirts, saying that they were "flaunting their sexuality". Kerala is a state in flux where, despite the social progress made so far, caste and gender still influence social mobility.
Human Development IndexAs of 2011 Kerala has a HDI of 0.790 which comes under the "very high" category and it is the highest in the country. Comparatively higher spending of the government in primary level education, health care and elimination of poverty from the 19th century onward had helped the state to keep a very high HDI; report was prepared by the central government's Institute of Applied Manpower Research. However, the Human Development Report, 2005 prepared by Centre for Development Studies envisages a virtuous phase of inclusive development for the state since the advancement in human development had already started aiding the economic development of the state.
According to a 2005–2006 national survey, Kerala has one of the highest literacy rates among Indian states; 93.91%. Life expectancy of 74 years was among the highest in India as of 2011. Kerala's rural poverty rate fell from 69% (1970–1971) to 12% (2010); the overall (urban and rural) rate fell 47% between the 1970s and 2000s. By 1999–2000, the rural and urban poverty rates dropped to 10.0% and 9.6% respectively. These changes stem largely from efforts begun in the late 19th century by the kingdoms of Cochin and Travancore to boost social welfare. This focus was maintained by Kerala's post-independence government. The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the World Health Organisation designated Kerala the world's first "baby-friendly state" because of its effective promotion of breast-feeding over formulas. As of 2004, more than 95% of births were hospital-delivered. Ayurveda (both elite and popular forms), siddha, and many endangered and endemic modes of traditional medicine, including kalari, marmachikitsa and vishavaidyam, are practised. Some occupational communities such as Kaniyar were known as native medicine men in relation with practice of such streams of medical systems, apart from their traditional vocation. These propagate via gurukula discipleship, and comprise a fusion of both medicinal and supernatural treatments.
Kerala has undergone the "demographic transition" characteristic of such developed nations as Canada, Japan, and Norway. as 11.2% of people are over the age of 60, and due to the low birthrate of 18 per 1,000. In 1991, Kerala's total fertility rate (TFR) was the lowest in India. Hindus had a TFR of 1.66, Christians; 1.78, and Muslims; 2.97. The sub-replacement fertility level and infant mortality rate are lower compared to those of other states; estimated from 12 to 14 deaths per 1,000 live births. According to Human Development Report 1996, Kerala's Gender Development Index was reported to be 597; higher than any other state of India. Many factors, such as high rates of female literacy, education, work participation and life expectancy, along with favourable female-to-male ratio, had contributed to it. Kerala's female-to-male ratio of 1.058 is higher than that of the rest of India.. The state also is regarded as the "least corrupt Indian state" according to the surveys conducted by Transparency International (2005) and India Today (1997)
Kerala is the cleanest and healthiest state in India. However, Kerala's morbidity rate is higher than that of any other Indian state—118 (rural) and 88 (urban) per 1,000 people. The corresponding figures for all India were 55 and 54 per 1,000 respectively as of 2004. Kerala's 13.3% prevalence of low birth weight is higher than that of First World nations. Outbreaks of water-borne diseases such as diarrhoea, dysentery, hepatitis, and typhoid among the more than 50% of people who rely on 3 million water wells is an issue worsened by the lack of sewers. In respect of women empowerment, some negative factors such as higher suicide rate, lower share of earned income, complaints of sexual harassment and limited freedom are reported.
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