Madhya Pradesh's Population Growth Rate Halved in 35 Years; Rapid Growth to Stabilize
In 2011, Madhya Pradesh's population stood at 72.6 million and has grown to nearly 90 million today. The natural increase in the state averages 1.449 million per year, equivalent to the population of Gwalior city. The state’s natural growth rate (births minus deaths) is 16.1 per 1,000 people.
With a current population of ~90 million, this translates to an annual increase of 1.61 lakh per million or 1.449 million per year. In 2013, the rate was 14.4 per 1,000, adding about 1.08 million annually.
These figures are based on the recently released Sample Registration System (SRS)-2022 report.
Birth and Death Rates in MP
- Overall birth rate: 23.3‰ (Rural: 25.1‰, Urban: 18.2‰)
- Overall death rate: 7.1‰ (Rural: 7.5‰, Urban: 6.2‰)
These numbers yield the natural growth rate of 16.1‰.
Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic
Before COVID, annual birth registrations were around 1.4–1.5 million and death registrations at 0.35–0.45 million. During and after COVID, annual death registrations exceeded 0.7 million, approximately 200,000 more than normal years. Birth registrations rebounded and continued rising through 2024.
Madhya Pradesh in National Context
Madhya Pradesh is the 5th most populous state in India after UP, Maharashtra, Bihar, and West Bengal. In terms of area, MP is second only to Rajasthan.