Academic Voices A Multidisciplinary Journal Volume 1, N0. 1, 2011

CHANGING POPULATION CHARACTERISTICS IN PARSA Keshav Kumar Department of Population Studies

Abstract The populaton of has been growing steadily for the last several decades. The rapidly growing population, at alarming state in Parsa (Nepal), is an indicator of the change in population status. This paper explores the changing population characteristics of in terms of size, growth rate, density, distribution, composition, dependency ratio, marriage age, literacy status, religion, caste/ethnicity as well as the major mother tongue which is vital for local planning. It is based on the secondary data collected from diff erent censuses of Nepal.

Keywords Population distribution, density, age dependency, sex ratio, literacy status

Introduction sq. km. Sex ratio of Parsa is 110 males per 100 females in 2001 which is higher than past. The Population characteristics can be described proportion of child population is declining, but by various indicators. The growth rate of it is still very high. The young age dependency population is one of the most important ratio is declined, but old age dependency ratio indicators. It is still high in Parsa district. is observed increased. A signifi cant increase Population distribution by rural and urban in age at marriage particularly for females areas is also an important population though age at marriage is observed increasing characteristic. Majority of Parsa people live for both males and females over the period. in rural areas. Though the proportion of Literacy rate is very low than nation, which is population living in rural area is declining also a very crucial population characteristic. in Parsa over time, it is still more than 77 The proportion of Hindus is found declining percent in 2001. The pressure of population over the period and other religious followers is increasing in Parsa, the high increasing are increasing but it is still predominant pattern is observed that is 367 persons per

26 percent during 1991– 2001. Also in the same was23151423 with an annualgrowthrate 2.25 Nepal of conducted in 2001, the population is growing very rapidly. In the Tenth Census Table1 shows that theNepal population of Population Size, Its Growth Rate andDensity Results anddiscussion above. been analysed in terms indicatorsof mentoned quantitiative in nature. The relevant data have pro Parsa districtof weretaken fromthe district data regarding the population characteristics collected from di The study wasbased onthe secondary data Methods Parsa andalso sketchitspopulation status. somepopulation changing characteristics of Themain objective the study of wasto analyze Objectivesthe study of city namedBirgunj. 83districthas VDCs andoneSub-metropolitan Thehead quarterthe . districtis of The the North and State Indiaof in the South. the West, Makwanpur and Chitwan distrits in East, and Bihar State India of in inBara centralNepal and region the in district of 260411 and female: 236808) in 2001.It is located 1353 Sq.of Km. and population is 497219 (male: 84o 27’ East longitude. The district has an area North latitude, and in between 84o 8’East to ordinatesfrom27 extending Parsabetween districtlies the geographical co- District setting including the politicalparties. foruseful academia,developmentplanner the changing picture Parsa. Itof might be Changing population characteristicsindicates constitute 83.56 percent in 2001 at Parsa. The speakersmother astongue arethehighest in Parsa with 15.41 percent. The Bhojpuri religion. The proportion Muslimof is highest fi le published by CBS. The study is ff erent censuses in Nepal. The o North to 27 o 26’

Birgunj(urban) time to time. urban areathe and changeborderthe of may be the result migrationof ruralof to census. The proportion urban of population population is increasing over time in each Table2 reveals the proportion urban of Population distributionby urban andrural in Parsa district. to Parsa. The population pressure is also high growing veryfast atthepercent.rate 2.89 of Parsadecadethe population districtis of due to Parsa density from to 1971 2001.It is mainly the high increasing pattern is observed in pressure populationof is increasing in Parsa, squarekilometer the of totalland. The population densityis the population per the pressure population land. Theonof The densityis an e past 30 years. Parsais growing quiterapidly than during it was 3.41 percent. It shows the population of Parsa was 2.70 percent while –1981 during 1971 The annualgrowthrate 1981–1991 of during Table 1:Population Size, growth rate, and 1266.41 Sq.Km. in 1971 The Total Physical Area Parsa of is 1353 Sq.Km. since 1981 and (Source: CBS,Population Monograph, 2003, Vol. I, 01471 354328 .537157 367 2.25 2.89 23151423 497219 2001 Year 91322 890727 .825126 275 2.08 2.70 18491097 372524 1991 91243 528934 .620102 210 2.66 3.41 15022839 284338 1981 91222 159338 .71079 160 2.07 3.84 11555983 202123 1971 fl owpeoplefrom MountainHill of and ouainSz Annual Population Size as ea as ea as Nepal Parsa Nepal Parsa Nepal Parsa Population Characteristics ofParsa Density –2001) (1971 ff ective index to measure to index ective BBS, Birgunj, 2061) Growth Rate (%) 27

Academic Voices, Vol. 1, N0. 1, 2011 Per Sq. Km Density 28 Academic Voices, Vol. 1, N0. 1, 2011 nation. child population Parsaof is higher than the decline in fertility in recent times. But the indicatesinpopulation child the slight in 2001,but it is still very high. The decline is declining from 42.5 percent in 1991 to 40.4 2001. Theinpopulationproportion child of 15 –59)is 54.1 percent theof total population percent. The working age(agedpopulation percentthat oldage and 5.1 of ispopulation population Parsaof under age 15 years is 40.8 Table4 shows that the proportion child of ratioAge dependency neighbours country. from otherthe districts country of as well as be due to the high number maleof migration Table 3 shows. It is highest than past. It may in 2001 which is higher than 108in 1991 as Sex ratio Parsa of is 110males per 100females Sex ratio K.K Yadav Table 2:Population distribution by urban ea 428. . 08649. . 96.0 4.0 93.6 6.4 90.8 9.2 85.8 14.2 Nepal Table 3:Population by sex and sex ratio, as 267. 858. 548. . 93.6 6.4 84.6 15.4 81.5 18.5 77.4 22.6 Parsa raPopulation (Percent) Area 01201 3881532 185210100 110 11587502 11563921 236808 260411 2001 erPplto ySxSex Ratio Population by Sex Year 91137 730929497131799 107 9270123 9220974 179350 193174 1991 91164 3967936725316105 106 7327503 7695336 137996 146342 1981 91141 70 870 788 0 101 108 5738780 5817203 97308 104815 1971 ra ua ra ua ra ua ra Rural Urban Rural Urban Rural Urban Rural Urban and rural –2001) (1971 ae eae ae eae as Nepal Parsa Females Males Females Males 0119 911971 1981 1991 2001 (1971 –2001) (1971 as Nepal Parsa (Source: CBS,2003) Source: CBS,2003 fertility but it is still very low age at marriage in age atmarriage may contributetolower the females and males respectively. The increase years in 1981 to 17.2 and 21.1 years in 2001for more years than males i.e.from 13.7 and 18.0 2001. Age at marriage for females is increased years for males and 17.2 years for females in males and females over the period. It is 21.1 age at marriage is observed increasing for both at marriage particularly for females though Table6 shows that a signi Age atmarriage housing etc. health, education, food, clothes, 84.7 young andoldagetermsin population of people working100 of ageh can be considered as high. It means that every dependency ratio is still 84.7in 2001 which 8.8 to 9.4in 2001 except in 1981. The total ratio is observed increased since from 1971 from 80.8 in 1991,but old age dependency ratio Parsaof is declined at 75.3 in 2001 As Table5 shows the young age dependency age –2001) group(1971 Table 4:Population distribution by broad Table 5:Population distribution by age 014. 41513. 416.5 54.1 39.4 5.1 54.1 40.8 2001 017. . 477. 2084.7 12.0 72.7 84.7 9.4 75.3 2001 erAge composition Year erDependency Ratio Year 914. 25504. 185.8 51.8 42.4 5.0 52.5 42.5 1991 918. . 028. 1293.1 11.2 81.9 90.2 9.4 80.8 1991 914. 17624. 295.7 52.9 41.4 6.2 51.7 42.1 1981 918. 209. 811. 88.9 10.8 78.1 93.4 12.0 81.4 1981 913. 63494. 395.6 53.9 40.5 4.9 56.3 38.8 1971 916. . 767. 0485.4 10.4 75.0 77.6 8.8 68.8 1971 dependency Ratio(1971 –2001) dependency Ratio(1971 (Males per100 Females) on l oa on l Total Old Young Total Old Young 41 96 41 960+ 15 –59 0– 14 60+ 15 –59 0 –14 (Parsa) (Parsa) fi cant increase in age (Source: CBS,2003) ave to ave to Source: CBS,2003 look after Dependency Ratio Age composition (Nepal) (Nepal) lower than thelevel.national that it is improving gradually in Parsa, it is still sameperiod. The dataliteracy on rate show increased to onlymore than twice during the –2001 period 1971 during 30 years but it is is increased by more than percent in 2001. The literacy rate for female increasing from 14.7 percent into 1971 42.6 Table 7 reveals that literacy rate Parsaof is Literacy status Parsa arelower than thenation. females atParsa.Age of atmarriage for girl of percent. second largest proportion constitutes 15.40 religious in Parsa. Followers Islamof are increasing but it is still predominent Hindu theperiod andother religious followers are isfound declining overHindu proportion of in Parsa in 2001, as shown in Table 8. The FollowersHindu constitute 82.37 of percent Religion ea 291. 141. 0717.2 20.7 18.1 21.4 19.5 22.9 Nepal as 111. 891. 8013.7 18.0 15.1 18.9 17.2 21.1 Parsa Area 014. 552. 416. 42.8 65.5 54.1 28.2 55.5 42.6 2001 erLtrc tts(as)Literacy Status (Nepal) Literacy Status (Parsa) Year 913. 621. 965. 25.0 54.5 39.6 17.9 46.2 32.5 1991 912. 991. 333. 12.0 34.0 23.3 12.4 29.9 21.3 1981 911. 35491. 363.9 23.6 13.9 4.9 23.5 14.7 1971 Table 6: Age at marriage(1981 –2001) Table 7:Literacy status –2001) (1971 aeFml aeFml aeFemale Male Female Male Female Male 0119 1981 1991 2001 oa aeFml oa aeFemale Male Total Female Male Total (Source: CBS,1995and 2003) Source: CBS, 1995and2003 fi ve timesin the shown in Table 9. shown in Table 8.It is almost similar in 1991 as groups are less than 6 percent in Parsa as (8.21%), YadavKurmi (6.37%) andother caste with 15.41 percent followed by Tharu (8.24%), The proportion Muslimof is highest in Parsa Major caste /ethnicity Table10 reveals that theBhojpuri speakers as Major mother tongue hita .000 .500 .200 .70.45 0.17 0.03 0.02 0.06 0.05 0.02 0.00 Christian at/tnct Population (%) Caste/Ethnicity eiinPplto as % Population Nepal (%) Population Parsa (%) Religion uhs .024 .619 .053 .810.74 7.78 5.32 7.50 1.98 1.76 2.47 0.50 Budhist id 62 92 58 23 93 95 65 80.62 86.50 89.50 89.39 82.37 85.83 79.26 86.21 Hindu tes00 .801 .300 .920 4.0 2.01 2.49 0.05 0.23 0.10 9.38 0.02 others ui awr27 .130 0.88 3.08 0.91 2.77 Sudi, Kalwar rhi()33 27 .012.92 3.10 12.74 3.30 Brahmin(H) rhi()15 .920 0.88 2.01 0.59 1.57 Brahmin(T) sa 32 .71.61.030 .635 4.2 3.53 2.66 3.04 15.40 12.26 8.87 13.28 Islam Table 9:Population distribution by Table 8:Population distribution by aag17 . .95.5 1.89 5.6 1.75 Tamang hmr42 .945 1.10 4.56 1.19 4.23 Chamar her .71.025 16.05 2.50 15.80 3.07 Chhetri Muslim ua .507 .80.50 2.48 0.70 2.35 Dusad ea .85525 5.6 2.52 5.5 2.18 Newar um .109 .50.90 8.55 0.94 8.21 Kurmi hr .467 .86.46 8.78 6.75 8.24 Tharu aa .739 .24.14 6.92 3.94 6.37 Yadav ai03 .420 5.21 2.08 3.94 0.31 Kami au54 .251 0.38 5.19 0.42 5.46 Kanu or .911 .3- 3.33 1.11 2.39 Koiri ei35 .450 1.36 5.03 1.34 3.59 Teli caste/ethnicity -2001) (1971 Population Characteristics ofParsa religion(1971 –2001) religion(1971 9118 9120 9118 912001 1991 1981 1971 2001 1991 1981 1971 Source: CBS,1995and2003 Source: CBS,1995and2003 Parsa 15.41 011991 2001 Nepal 4.27 Parsa 12.26 29

Academic Voices, Vol. 1, N0. 1, 2011 Nepal

3.53 30 Academic Voices, Vol. 1, N0. 1, 2011 to women atmarrying early ages. Thefemale children is very high in Parsa. This may be due with 40.8 percent because the proportion of ParsaPopulation be can of considered as young percent. time but it is still rural in character with 77.4 isinpopulationrural decreasing area over Population density is 367 per sq. km. and per annum during the period 1991–2001. rate is still high in Parsa, it is 2.89 percent males per 100females. Population growth 97308) with104815 sexfemale: ratio and 110 ParsaPopulation district of was(male: 497219 Concluson tongue areMaithili speakers. percentNepali speakers mother andsecond increased slightly. In Nepal there are 48.6 are slightly declinedwhereas other speakers (1.41%) and Maithili (1.41%).Nepali speakers by Nepali (8.15%), Tamang (1.58%),Newari percent in 2001 at Parsa which is followed mothertongue arehighest constitute83.56 K.K Yadav hjui8.675 14 .65.576 18 6.98 91.88 7.61 58.05 7.46 81.49 7.53 83.56 Bhojpuri Mother aag15 .915 .911 .801 4.80 0.12 3.48 1.16 4.89 1.56 5.19 1.58 Tamang Tongue atii11 23 .11.532 11 .411.49 0.54 11.11 3.22 11.85 0.81 12.30 1.12 Maithili about halfadozen articlesinvariousjournals. include PopulationAnalysis, PopulationofNepalandIndirectTechniques.Hehas published Birgunj. Hehasbeeninvolved inteachingforthelastfourteenyears.Hissubjects of interest Keshav KumarYadavisaLecturer inPopulationEducationThakurRamMultiple Campus The Author eai14 .311 .331 .908 3.94 0.89 2.99 3.18 3.73 1.19 3.63 1.41 Newari eai81 86 05 03 41 83 .652.45 4.66 58.36 24.12 50.31 10.53 48.61 8.15 Nepali Table 10:Population distribution by id .104 .409 - - - - 0.92 0.54 0.47 0.91 mother tongue -2001) (1971 Parsa 0119 911971 1981 1991 2001 (Source: CBS,1995and2003) Ne- pal Parsa Population (Percent) Ne- pal Parsa Central Bureau Statistics, (2003). of Branch Bureau Statistics, (2062).of Central Bureau Statistics, (2003). of Central Bureau Statistics, (1995). of Central Bureau Statistics, (1987). of References whereas other speakersincreased slightly. NepaliParsa. speakers are slightly declined highest constitute 83.56 percent in 2001 at The Bhojpuri speakers as mother tongue are with 15.41 percent. proportion Muslimof caste is highest in Parsa predominant Hindu religious in Parsa. The religious followers are increasing but it is still found decliningovertheperiod andother in Parsa in 2001. The proportion Hindu isof FollowersHindu constitute 82.37 of percent literacy rate is twice in the same period. -2001 period 1971 during 30 years while male rate is increased more than into 1971 42.6 percent in 2001.Female literacy Literacy rate is increasing from 14.7 percent in Parsa. age at marriage is still very low with 17.2 years Ko BastugatBibran 2061 : ICIMOD. Nepal Census Indicators 2001and Trends CBS. Monograph ofNepal CBS. Monograph ofNepal CBS. Monograph ofNepal Ne- pal Parsa . Kathmandu: . Kathmandu: . Vol. IKathmandu: Ne- pal . Birgunj: BBS. fi ve timesin the Population Population Population Parsa Jila Mapping .