Changing Child Population: Growth, Trends and Levels in Karnataka

Abstract

The present investigation endeavours to understand the growth rate trends and levels in Karnataka of child population aged below 6 years. The study tries to present the comparative analysis of child population between the two decades of 1981-1991 and 1991-2001. The available census data for the years 1981, 1991 and 2001 have been used for the study. There has been a drastic change in the growth rate of child population in Karnataka in the two decades under review. Most of the districts in the southern region registered a negative rate of growth in child population. Excepting Belgaum, Gulbarga Raichur, Chitradurga and Bangalore Urban districts, no other district in Karnataka witnessed significant growth in child population in the decade 1991-2001. And excepting Bangalore Urban, Gulbarga, Raichur and Chitradurga, no other district reported a positive growth in female child population in the decade 1991-2001.