Table 1.6 · Population Size & Distribution
Percentage of population distribution by caste
Reported by National Family Health Survey (NFHS).
What the data shows
- Nationally, the largest social group shares are OBC at 42.2%, Others at 27.2%, SC at 20.6% (NFHS 4 2015-16).
- The all-India figure for percentage of population distribution (SC) is 20.6% (NFHS 4 2015-16).
- Across the 36 states and union territories reporting it, values range from 1.1% in Mizoram to 37.5% in Punjab.
- The next highest are West Bengal (28.4%) and Haryana (27.8%), while Lakshadweep (1.4%) and Meghalaya (3.4%) sit near the bottom.
- 9 of the 28 states report a value above the national figure.
Table 1.6: Statewise Percentage of Population Distribution by Caste, from National Family Health Survey (NFHS). Figures are reproduced as published by the source. In the table, n/a the state or union territory did not exist at this date; NA marked “not available” in the source.
| State / Union territory | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| India | 19.2% | 8.4% | 39.6% | 31.9% | 0.5% | 0.3% | 20.6% | 9.2% | 42.2% | 27.2% | 0.8% |
| Andhra Pradesh | 17.6% | 6.5% | 49.4% | 26.5% | 0.0% | 0.1% | 19.9% | 5.3% | 49.6% | 24.5% | 0.6% |
| Arunachal Pradesh | 6.3% | 62.4% | 5.4% | 25.4% | 0.0% | 0.5% | 7.0% | 72.5% | 4.9% | 14.7% | 0.8% |
| Assam | 13.3% | 9.6% | 21.5% | 49.7% | 0.0% | 5.9% | 11.0% | 12.6% | 27.0% | 48.4% | 0.9% |
| Bihar | 18.7% | 0.4% | 58.6% | 22.2% | 0.0% | 0.1% | 20.5% | 3.4% | 57.5% | 18.1% | 0.5% |
| Chhattisgarh | 13.5% | 29.8% | 45.3% | 11.4% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 14.2% | 31.1% | 46.1% | 8.4% | 0.2% |
| Goa | 4.7% | 4.8% | 16.6% | 70.0% | 3.0% | 0.8% | 6.1% | 7.1% | 24.0% | 62.6% | 0.2% |
| Gujarat | 14.7% | 10.6% | 38.7% | 36.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 11.1% | 14.7% | 40.8% | 31.3% | 2.0% |
| Haryana | 24.6% | 0.2% | 22.9% | 52.1% | 0.0% | 0.1% | 27.8% | 0.3% | 44.0% | 27.6% | 0.3% |
| Himachal Pradesh | 19.8% | 4.8% | 13.7% | 61.5% | 0.0% | 0.2% | 23.3% | 4.8% | 14.3% | 57.0% | 0.6% |
| Jharkhand | 11.3% | 27.9% | 44.7% | 16.0% | 0.0% | 0.1% | 14.1% | 27.7% | 46.1% | 11.7% | 0.4% |
| Karnataka | 15.2% | 6.2% | 57.3% | 15.2% | 6.1% | 0.1% | 21.0% | 9.2% | 46.4% | 22.4% | 1.0% |
| Kerala | 11.2% | 2.0% | 30.7% | 55.7% | 0.3% | 0.1% | 9.9% | 1.2% | 49.4% | 38.2% | 1.2% |
| Madhya Pradesh | 17.9% | 21.4% | 39.9% | 20.7% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 18.0% | 19.7% | 43.9% | 18.0% | 0.4% |
| Maharashtra | 15.6% | 10.6% | 26.3% | 47.3% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 17.3% | 10.9% | 27.3% | 43.6% | 0.9% |
| Manipur | 6.7% | 25.6% | 11.6% | 56.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 6.0% | 30.4% | 18.1% | 43.7% | 1.8% |
| Meghalaya | 7.0% | 80.5% | 3.4% | 9.1% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 3.4% | 88.0% | 0.8% | 7.4% | 0.3% |
| Mizoram | 1.4% | 95.4% | 0.8% | 2.4% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 1.1% | 96.0% | 2.0% | 0.5% | 0.4% |
| Nagaland | 5.2% | 72.8% | 13.6% | 8.4% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 5.2% | 89.3% | 0.8% | 4.3% | 0.4% |
| Odisha | 19.7% | 23.2% | 26.5% | 29.8% | 0.0% | 0.8% | 20.0% | 23.2% | 34.9% | 21.1% | 0.8% |
| Punjab | 32.0% | 0.1% | 9.5% | 56.0% | 0.0% | 2.4% | 37.5% | 0.1% | 19.5% | 42.8% | 0.0% |
| Rajasthan | 18.5% | 14.3% | 45.3% | 21.8% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 19.1% | 14.3% | 45.5% | 20.4% | 0.7% |
| Sikkim | 8.8% | 36.0% | 41.4% | 13.8% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 5.6% | 36.9% | 32.0% | 25.3% | 0.1% |
| Tamil Nadu | 22.2% | 0.8% | 74.5% | 2.4% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 26.8% | 1.9% | 69.4% | 1.8% | 0.1% |
| Telangana | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | 18.8% | 7.8% | 56.4% | 16.2% | 0.8% |
| Tripura | 22.9% | 17.1% | 20.5% | 39.3% | 0.0% | 0.2% | 21.2% | 30.5% | 17.8% | 30.4% | 0.1% |
| Uttar Pradesh | 25.2% | 1.0% | 49.7% | 24.1% | 0.0% | 0.1% | 24.3% | 1.3% | 51.8% | 22.4% | 0.3% |
| Uttarakhand | 20.5% | 2.8% | 15.1% | 61.6% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 21.8% | 4.1% | 21.2% | 52.3% | 0.6% |
| West Bengal | 25.7% | 5.1% | 4.4% | 63.8% | 0.9% | 0.1% | 28.4% | 6.3% | 11.8% | 51.8% | 1.7% |
| Andaman & Nicobar Islands | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | 8.8% | 5.3% | 21.6% | 64.0% | 0.3% |
| Chandigarh | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | 23.9% | 0.2% | 21.5% | 54.4% | 0.0% |
| Dadra & Nagar Haveli | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | 5.5% | 53.7% | 13.4% | 24.7% | 2.7% |
| Daman & Diu | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | 10.9% | 8.6% | 40.1% | 33.3% | 7.0% |
| NCT of Delhi | 17.3% | 1.2% | 14.3% | 67.2% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 26.7% | 1.5% | 24.5% | 43.9% | 3.3% |
| Jammu & Kashmir | 12.7% | 8.7% | 10.2% | 68.2% | 0.0% | 0.2% | 9.5% | 8.8% | 4.6% | 76.8% | 0.3% |
| Ladakh | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Lakshadweep | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | 1.4% | 95.4% | 2.3% | 1.0% | 0.0% |
| Puducherry | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | 21.8% | 0.6% | 77.0% | 0.6% | 0.0% |
Sources & method
Table 1.6: Statewise Percentage of Population Distribution by Caste, from National Family Health Survey (NFHS)
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*
http://rchiips.org/nfhs/NFHS-4Reports/India.pdf
page no. 32, 33
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http://rchiips.org/nfhs/NFHS-3%20Data/VOL-1/India_volume_I_corrected_17oct08.pdf
page no. 24
Cite as: Foundation for Research in Health Systems, “Percentage of population distribution by caste”, Health Monitor, https://frhsindia.org/health-monitor/population-size-and-distribution/population-distribution-by-caste/.
Questions about this indicator
What is percentage of population distribution (SC) in India?
20.6%, according to NFHS 4 2015-16. This is the all-India figure; state and union territory values are listed in the table on this page.
Which state has the highest percentage of population distribution (SC)?
Punjab, at 37.5% (NFHS 4 2015-16), followed by West Bengal (28.4%) and Haryana (27.8%).
Which state has the lowest percentage of population distribution (SC)?
Mizoram, at 1.1% (NFHS 4 2015-16), followed by Lakshadweep (1.4%) and Meghalaya (3.4%).
What is the source of this data?
NFHS 3, NFHS 4, covering 2005-06, 2015-16. Full source links are listed in the sources section of this page. Compiled by the Foundation for Research in Health Systems.
How many states and union territories are covered?
37 states and union territories, plus the all-India figure.