Demographic and other recent statistical sources for India

Overview

SRS surveys (from the 1980s)

Medical causes of death

Other web resources on Indian demographic data include a 2010 Paper by PM Kulkarni , a survey on microdata done in 2007 by Smith et al. and a chapter on demography for anthropologists

 

 

Census of India

Objectives
  • Exhaustive survey of population and housing
Dates
  • Started in 1871-72
  • Last census: 1 March 2011
  • Frequency: decennial (no interruption), usually conducted in March
Organization and management
  • Office of Registrar General of India, Delhi and regional offices
  • Enumeration conducted by temporary employees (including local officials)
Sampling
  • Operations: house numbering, houselisting, population enumeration (Census), post-enumeration survey
  • Conducted at individual, household (and village) level.
  • Exhaustive
Publication scale
  • Data now published at village/tehsil/district/town/ state level
  • Volume: more than one thousand volumes published every ten years (from district to country level)
  • Census newsletter (PDF)
Publication
  • Paper format: volumes of the Census of India (tables, analysis, special analyses)
  • Old census volumes on microfiches (from 1871 to 1971)
  • Electronic format: many tables on CD, some tables and reports on web
  • Raw data: not available
Topics covered
  • Socioeconomic and demographic characteristics (individual level)
  • Housing amenities, household goods (household level)
  • Infrastructure and land use data from other sources (village level)
Web resources
Other sites
  • More and more states have now their own Census websites.
  • Check on google for "Census + Andhra Pradesh", Himachal, Kerala, Orissa, Gujarat, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu etc.
Assessment
  • Indispensable as the only exhaustive source on Indian population.
  • Most economic, social and demographic characteristics are covered
Limitations
  • No raw sample data available
  • Limited village data available
  • Publication delays vary from one month to ten years
New features
  • Tables immediately available from the web
  • Census maps from the web
  • Detailed administrative atlas (showing boundary changes)
  • Permanent location number
  • La Trobe University has already scanned reports from 1871, 1881, 1891 and 1901 censuses

 

 

Civil registration

Objectives
  • Exhaustive registration of vital events (births, deaths) with additional particulars
Dates
  • Started in the 19th century (1850s in some cities)
  • Currently running
Organization and management
  • Office of Registrar General of India, Delhi, and various state-level bodies (department of public health, statistics, etc.)
  • Enumeration conducted by local officials in rural areas
  • Voluntary registration in urban areas (taluk office, etc.)
Sampling
  • Registration of all births and deaths
Publication scale
  • Data published at district/town/ state level.
  • Data may also be published at lower level (urban wards, taluk, etc.) in specific states
  • Volume: one volume per year for India.
  • Information at state level may be included in State reports.
Publication
  • Paper format: Civil registration in India series (discontinued)
  • Electronic format: some tables may be available on various web site
  • Raw data: not available
Topics covered
  • Births: sex, age of mother, etc.
  • Deaths: sex, age, cause of death, etc.
  • No data available on migration, marriage, divorce, etc.
Web resources
  • www.censusindia.net (very limited information available)
  • More and more information available on specific State website. See for example for Delhi or Gujarat, but on the whole, it is a matter of luck.
Assessment
  • Indispensable as the only potentially exhaustive source on births and deaths
Limitations
  • Coverage and registration level vary from somewhat reliable to very poor
  • Publication delays vary from five years to ten years
  • Detailed cross tabulations not available
New features
  • Major improvements in the CR system are now under way with the launching of the 2003 campaign on birth certificates
  • Unpublished district-wise data may be available at the ORG in Delhi if you meet the right people at the right moment

 

Sample Registration System (SRS)

Objectives
  • Sample registration of vital events (births, deaths) with additional particulars
  • Provides estimated vital rates to supplement defective civil registration
Dates
  • Started in 1964-65 (pilot surveys), operational since 1970
  • Currently running
  • Frequency: annual reports based on continuous enumeration of vital events
Organization and management
  • Office of Registrar General of India, Delhi, and regional offices
  • Enumeration conducted by temporary employees (including local officials)
Sampling
  • Conducted at individual, household (and village) level.
  • Sample (state level and rural/urban): 6671 units in 2000 (2235 urban units) covering 6.3 million people (1.4 in urban areas)
Publication scale
  • Data published at state level (with rural/urban differentials)
  • Volume: one volume per year.
  • SRS bulletin (annual)
  • Additional volumes: special studies (life tables, compendia, etc.)
Publication
  • Paper format: annual volume (tables, analysis) and special analyses
  • Electronic format: some more tables on the web
  • Raw data: not available
Topics covered
  • Births: sex, age of mother, rank, etc.
  • Deaths: sex, age, cause of death, etc.
  • Medical attendance at delivery, death
  • special studies on SRS data (life tables, maternal mortality, etc.)
  • No data available on economic status, marriage, divorce, etc.
Website
Assessment
  • Indispensable as the only dependable estimates on regional birth and deaths rates (including infant, child and maternal mortality)
  • Good quality of estimates (with regional and temporal variation though)
  • Special reports available (but alas not on the web)
Limitations
  • Data published only at state level
  • No raw data available
New features
  • Samples renewed
  • Data more regularly published on the Census website

 

 

National and Family Health Surveys (NFHS)

Objectives
  • Large-scale survey on reproductive health
  • Provides estimates on health and demographic behaviour at state level
Dates
  • NFHS 1 in 1992-93
  • NFHS 2 in 1998-99
  • NFHS 3 in 2005-06
Organization and management
  • IIPS, Mumbai, is the coordinating agency (with USAID, ORC Macro, East-West Center)
  • State surveys conducted by Population Research Centres, private organizations etc.
  • Enumeration conducted by temporary employees after intensive training
Sampling
  • Conducted at individual, household (and community) level.
  • Sample size for NFHS 2: 89199 women, 91196 households in all states
Publication scale
  • Data published at state level (with rural/urban differentials)
  • Volume: one volume per state. Additional studies also available
Publication
  • Paper format: regional and national volumes (tables, analysis) and special analyses
  • Electronic format: most reports available on the web (PDF format)
  • Raw data: available on CD (can also be downloaded from the web)
Topics covered
  • Reproductive health: nuptiality, fertility, family planning, maternal and natal care, aids awareness, nutrition, etc.
Website
Assessment
  • the major source on health and demographic behaviour at the individual and regional level. Provides more information than any other demographic survey
  • State reports published and available for download
  • Raw data available for further research and many DHS papers on special topics
Limitations
  • Data published only at state level (or substate units), but not available for districts or cities
  • Data quality varies
  • geographical information is still sparse
New features
  • NFHS 2 made available in less than 2 years
  • NFHS 3 covers quite a lot of new ground (including aids)
  • NFHS should be replaced by the Annual Health Surveys providing estimates at district level.

 

 

Reproductive and Child Health Project-

Rapid Household Survey (RCH-RHS)

Facility Survey

Objectives
  • District-level survey on reproductive and child health and on government services (aka District Level Household Survey or Facility Survey)
Dates
  • RHS 1 in 1998-99 (in two phases)
  • District Level Household Survey (DLHS-2) in 2002-04 (in two phases)
  • Facility Survey (DLHS-3) in 2007-08
Organization and management
  • IIPS, Mumbai, is the coordinating agency
  • State surveys conducted by Population Research Centres, private organizations etc.
  • Enumeration conducted by temporary employees after intensive training
Sampling
  • Conducted at individual and household level.
  • 1000 households per district ( 529 817 for India) with 474 463 women and 257 245 men interviewed
  • conducted in two phases (with slightly modified questionnaires)
Publication scale
  • Data published at national level with district estimates
  • India volume published and additional (state or district) volumes scheduled
Publication
  • Paper format: regional and national volumes (tables, analysis)
  • Electronic format: a few reports are available on the web (PDF format)
  • Raw data: available on CD from IIPS
Topics covered
  • Ante Natal Care (ANC) and other health services, demographic behaviour, family planning, awareness about RTI/STI and HIV/AIDS, user's satisfaction
  • Health Infrastructure (trained staff, equipment, etc.)
Website
Assessment
  • An unique source to assess the quality of government health services
  • Data available at district level
  • Sample data available on request from IIPS
Limitations
  • The format and the name of the survey have changed over the years
New features
  • Round 2 includes further dimensions (nutritional status, attitude of husbands)
  • State-level reports also available

 

 

 

SRS surveys (in brief)

Name and managing agency
  • SRS surveys on mortality and fertility
  • Surveys conducted from the SRS sample by the ORG (see above for details on SRS)
Year and place
  • 1972 and 1979 for all states

Sampling

 

  • Conducted on the SRS sample at state level (with urban/rural differentials)
Publication
  • Paper format: national volumes (tables, analysis)
  • No electronic format
  • Raw data not available
Topics covered
  • Mortality (1979)
  • Fertility (1972, 1979)
Observations
  • The first reliable all-India surveys before the NFHS)
  • Limited data available

 

 

MICS-2000 (in brief)

Name and managing agency
  • Multiple Indicator Survey 2000
  • Surveys designed by Unicef to assess the situation of children at the end of the century
  • Department of Women and Child Development, Ministry of Human Resources Development
Year and place
  • 2000 for all states

Sampling

 

  • 119305 households for India
  • Stratified by state and urban/rural
Publication
Topics covered
  • Household characteristics
  • School attendance, health status, nutrition, education, family planning, morbidity, registration of births

 

 

Uttar Pradesh and Bihar: Survey of Living Conditions

Name and managing agency
  • Uttar Pradesh and Bihar 1997-98: Survey of Living Conditions
  • This study utilized both qualitative methods – rapid rural appraisal (RRA) & participatory rural appraisal (PRA) methodologies, and semi-structured interviews – as well as quantitative methods drawing on data collected from household and community surveys modelled after the World Bank’s Living Standards Measurement Study (LSMS) surveys.
Year and place
  • 1997-1998 in Bihar and UP

Sampling

 

  • 25 districts 120 villages 2,250 households
  • South and eastern Uttar Pradesh and north and central Bihar.
Publication
Topics covered
  • Household characteristics: composition, income, agricultural production, expenses, food vulnerability, reproductive Health
  • Village characteristics (infrastructures, migration, accessibility).

 

 

Various other sources of demographic information

Rural health statistics
  • Bulletin of rural he lath statistics, includes state-wise data on health infrastructures
  • Website

Family planning

 

Indiastat

 

Overseas Indians
CBHI
  • Central Bureau of Health Intelligence
  • Provide ready information on Health Profile of India (demography, health care, morbidity & mortality indicators as well as medical/paramedical education & infrastructure in the country)
  • http://cbhidghs.nic.in/index.asp
NCAER
National Sample Surveys

compiled by CZG