The four Southern States — Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh (undivided) — and five Union Territories are the most urbanised than the rest of the country, the Union Urban Development Ministry has said.
On Monday, Urban Development Minister Venkaiah Naidu in response to a question in Parliament said 14 States and six Union Territories have reported higher urbanisation than the national average of 3.30 per cent during the years 2001-11.
The Minister said urban population in the country has increased from 27.80 per cent of the total population in 2001 to 31.10 per cent in 2011 and the population in urban areas in the country has increased by over 9 crore during this period.
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As against the national trend, urban population in the southern States increased by 21.70 per cent in Kerala, 6.10 per cent in undivided Andhra Pradesh, 4.70 per cent in Karnataka and 4.40 per cent in Tamil Nadu. In UTs, Daman and Diu recorded an increase of 39.00 per cent, Lakshadweep 33.60 per cent, Dadra and Nagar-Haveli 23.80 per cent, Chandigarh 7.50 per cent, Delhi 4.30 per cent, Andaman and Nicobar Islands 5.10 per cent and only Puducherry reported an increase of only 1.70 per cent.
The other States that have shown an increase in urbanisation and have exceeded the national average are Goa at 22.40 per cent, Sikkim with 14.10 per cent, Nagaland with 10.70 per cent, Haryana with 6.0 per cent and Gujarat with 5.20 per cent.
States that have lagged behind and are below the national average in urban growth are Himachal Pradesh with 0.20 per cent increase in urban population, Uttar Pradesh 0.50 per cent, Bihar 0.80 per cent, Assam
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1.20 per cent, Rajasthan 1.50 per cent, Odisha 1.70 per cent and Jharkhand 1.80 per cent and Maharashtra 2.80 per cent.