PopulationIndia · evidence to use and share
Census literacy: choose the right denominator
Census 2011 · people aged 7 and above
72.98% is calculated from literate people divided by the matching population aged 7 and above. Dividing by the whole population answers a different question.
| Measure | Value | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| Total population | 1,21,08,54,977 | people |
| Children aged 0–6 | 16,45,15,253 | people |
| Population aged 7+ | 1,04,63,39,724 | people |
| Literates aged 7+ | 76,36,38,812 | people |
| Literacy rate | 72.98 | percent |
Source and interpretation
Census 2011 Primary Census Abstract workbook · Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India · Sheet1! rows 2, 3, 4; original PCA field codes are documented in field-definitions.json..
Underlying evidence checked 2026-10-11. This fact sheet was prepared on 3 November 2026; that is not a new source-release date.
The literacy denominator excludes children aged 0–6. These are final Census 2011 PCA counts and 2011 geography, not current population figures.