Population & Demography — UPSC Prelims Previous Year Questions
56 questions from UPSC CSE Prelims GS Paper 1 on Population & Demography (Geography). Spanning from 1995 to 2014. Practice with show/hide answers and detailed explanations.
Based on 56 questions across 18 years, UPSC has consistently tested aspirants' understanding of Population & Demography within the broader Geography syllabus. The questions range from factual recall to application-based analysis.
Recent trends show UPSC moving towards statement-based questions that combine multiple aspects of Population & Demography. Aspirants should focus on understanding concepts rather than memorizing isolated facts.
Q: With reference to ‘Changpa’ community of India, consider the following statements :
1. They live mainly in the State of Uttarakhand.
2. They rear the Pashmina goats that yield a fine wool.
3. They are kept in the category of Scheduled Tribes.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Q: As per the UN-Habitat's Global Report on Human Settlements 2009, which one among the following regions has shown the fastest growth rate of urbanization in the last three decades?
Q: Consider the following statements :
1. Between Census 1951 and Census 2001, the density of the population of India has increased more than three times.
2. Between Census 1951 and Census 2001, the annual growth rate (exponential) of the population of India has doubled.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?
Q: Which of the following are among the million-plus cities in India on the basis of data of the Census, 2001?
1. Ludhiana
2. Kochi
3. Surat
4. Nagpur
Select the correct answer
using the code given below:
Q: Consider the following statements:
1. Sikkim has the minimum area among the 28 Indian States (Delhi and Pondicherry not included).
2. Chandigarh has the highest literacy rate among Pondicherry, NCT of Delhi and other Union Territories.
3. Maharashtra has the highest population after Uttar Pradesh among the 28 Indian States (Delhi and Pondicherry not included).
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Q: Consider the following statements :
1. According to the Census 2001, Kerala has the smallest gap in male and female literacy rates among the 28 states of India (Delhi and Pondicherry not included).
2. According to the Census 2001, Rajasthan has literacy rate above the national average literacy rate.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Q: Consider the following statements:
1. Area-wise, Chhattisgarh is larger than West Bengal.
2. According to the 2001 Census, the population of West Bengal is larger than that of Chhattisgarh.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Q: Consider the following statements: As per 2001 Census
1. The two States with the lowest sex ratio are Haryana and Punjab.
2. The two States with the lowest population per sq km of area are Meghalaya and Mizoram.
3. Kerala has both the highest literacy rate and sex ratio.
Which of these statements given above is/are correct?
Q: India's population growth during the 20th century can be classified into four distinct phases. Match List I (Period) with List II (Phase) and select the correct answer using the codes given below the lists:
List I (Period) List II (Phase)
A. 1901-21
1. Steady growth
B. 1921-51
2. Rapid high growth
C. 1951-81
3. Stagnant growth
D. 1981-2001
4. High growth with definite signs of slowdown
Codes:
A B C D
Q: Consider the following countries of South Asia:
1. Bangladesh
2. India
3. Pakistan
4. Sri Lanka
The descending order of literacy among these countries is
Q: Consider the following countries:
1. Brazil
2. Indonesia
3. Japan
4. Russia
What is the descending order of the size of the following countries population wise?
Q: Match List I (Ethnic Community) with List II (Country) and select the correct answer using the codes given below the lists:
List I (Ethnic community)
A. Apatani
B. Dayak
C. Dinka
D. Uighur
List II (Country)
1. China
2. India
3. Indonesia
4. Sudan
Q: Consider the decadal Census data given below:
Decadal Population (in millions)
Population 1961 10.7 1971 14.3 1981 16.2 1991 18.9
The above data refer to which one of the ‘Population by Religion’ groups?
Q: Consider the following statements about the megacities of India:
I. Population of each megacity is more than 5 million.
II. All the megacities are important sea ports.
III. Megacities are either national or State capitals.
Which of these statements are correct?
Q: Consider the following statements about the megacities of India:
I. Population of each megacity is more than 5 million.
II. All the megacities are important sea ports.
III. Megacities are either national or State capitals.
Which of these statements are correct?
Q: The population growth rate in Kerala is the lowest among major Indian states.
Which one of the following is the most widely accepted reason for this?
(a)Kerala has made the highest investment in family planning
(b)Kerala has the highest literacy rate in India
(c)Kerala has invested heavily in promoting literacy and public health and placed high priority on social policies
(d)The population pyramid in Kerala has relatively fewer women in the reproductive age group
Q: Match the areas shown as A, B, C and D on the given map showing the largest religious minorities. Select the correct answer using the codes given below the list of minorities.
Largest Religious Minorities
1. Buddhists
2. Christians
3. Jains
4. Muslims
5. Sikhs
Q: Assertion (A): According to statistics, more female children are born each year than male children in India.
Reason (R): In India, the death rate of a male child is higher than that of the female child.
(a)Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A
(b)Both A and R are true, but R is not a correct explanation of A
Q: Among the Indian states shown labelled 1, 2, 3 and 4 in the rough outline map given, the correct sequence in descending order of percentage of scheduled-tribe population to their total population is
Q: What is the correct sequence of the descending order of the following States in respect of female literacy rates as per the 1991 Census?
I. Mizoram
II. Kerala
III. Goa
IV. Nagaland
Choose the correct answer using the codes given below:
Q: As per the 1991 Census, the average size of households in terms of number of persons per household in respect of the given states follows the sequence (highest first, lowest last).
How many UPSC Prelims questions have been asked from Population & Demography?▼
UPSC has asked 56 questions on Population & Demography in GS Paper 1 Prelims between 1995 and 2014. This sub-topic falls under Geography.
In which years has UPSC asked about Population & Demography?▼
Questions on Population & Demography have appeared in UPSC Prelims in the following years: 2014, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004, 2003, 2002, 2001, 2000, 1999, 1998, 1997, 1996, 1995. The topic has appeared in 18 out of 31 years.
What is the difficulty level of Population & Demography questions in UPSC Prelims?▼
Among 56 questions on Population & Demography: 29 are easy, 26 are moderate, and 1 are difficult. Most questions test conceptual understanding of the topic.