Urbanisation, considered as an index of development, has shot up in Gujarat in the last 10 years, according to data of Census-2011. The data reveals that the state's urban population as a percentage of its total population grew from 37.36% in 2001 to 42.58% in 2011. This remarkable rise of 5.22% in the urban population in the last one decade is the highest in the country and much ahead of Tamil Nadu (4.41%), Maharashtra (2.80%) and even the national average of 3.35%.

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Moreover, Gujarat recorded impressive decadal growth of urban population at 35.83% against the national average of 31.80%. This decadal growth rate of urban population is impressive as compared to states like Tamil Nadu (27.16%), Chandigarh (26.86%), NCT of Delhi (26.56%), Punjab (25.72%) and Maharashtra (23.67%).

In particular, the decadal increase in urban population in tribal districts has been an impressive 37.51% against the 46.55% in non-tribal districts.

The urbanization trends of Census 2011 clearly indicate that Gujarat has undergone rapid urbanization in the previous decade and has clearly overtaken all major states in terms of increase in urbanization since 2001.

Moreover, a phenomenal increase in urban population has been registered in the tribal districts of Valsad, Sabarkantha, Banaskantha and Kutch. This is a pointer to the fact that urbanization in Gujarat is significantly and equitably spread out. This also indicates that the momentum of urban growth in Gujarat is fuelled by the tier -2 and 3 level towns as is evident by the impressive figures registered in the tribal districts.

Urban policy initiatives of the state government have been very successful in the last decade and the current thrust on developing rurban areas - semi-urban areas in vicinities of cities - have come at an opportune time as is evident by the growth of census towns. Today, 31.16% of India's population (i.e. 377 million people out of 1.21 billion people live in urban areas whereas in Gujarat 42.58% of the population i.e. 2.57 crores out of 6.03 crores live in urban areas. Gujarat ranks 3rd amongst the bigger states in terms of urbanization after Tamil Nadu (48.45%) & Maharashtra (45.23%) and is ahead of states like Karnataka (38.57%), Punjab (37.49%) and Andhra Pradesh (33.49%).

Within the state, urbanization levels vary from 8.99% in Dohad to 84.05% in Ahmedabad. Ahmedabad has the highest percentage of urban population followed by Surat (79.68%), Rajkot (58.12%), Vadodara (49.54%), Porbandar (48.77%). In fact, 12 districts in the state have registered higher percentage of urban population than the national average of 31.16%.

The decadal increase in urban population has been recorded the highest in Valsad (66.35%) followed by Surat (65.52%), Sabarkantha (61.25%), Gandhinagar (53.48%), Kutch (52.84%), Banaskantha (50.05%), Bharuch (49.88%), Rajkot (35.84%) and Panchmahals (32%). These 9 districts have recorded higher levels than the national average of 31.80%.

All the 8 municipal corporations (including the newly added Gandhinagar municipal corporation) in the state have registered a population of 1.50 crore which is 58.4% of the total urban population in Gujarat. Among the municipal corporations, Ahmedabad City has recorded highest population of 56.27 lakh followed by Surat (44.96 lakh) and Vadodara (17.47 lakh). Ahmedabad and Surat together account for nearly two-thirds of the total 1.01 crore people living in municipal corporation areas. Surat City has recorded the highest decadal growth of 66.4% followed by Ahmedabad (52.3%) & Gandhinagar (49.37%) against the decadal growth rate of all municipal corporations (46.51%).

(The author is director, Census Operations, Gujarat)