Consider the following about population growth in India:
Statement-I: The population pyramid in India is broad at the base and top and narrow in the middle.
Statement-II: India has a large proportion of young population due to high birth rates and declining death rates.
Which one of the following is CORRECT in respect of the above statements?
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: D
Explanation
The correct answer is option 4 i.e. Statement-I incorrect but Statement-II is correct.
India's population pyramid is broad at the base and narrow at the top, reflecting a typical "expanding" pyramid. It is not broad at the top because the elderly population is still relatively small. Statement-II is accurate; India is experiencing a "demographic dividend" with a vast young population. This is caused by historically high birth rates combined with rapidly declining death rates due to better healthcare, leading to a bulge in the lower and middle sections of the pyramid.