In the tiny Goa, more than 75% of the state’s Population is squeezed into urban areas, indicates the estimates of the National Commission on Population of the Union Health ministry. Goa’s population now stands at 15.7 lakh, the commission’s data shows.
The 2011 Census pegged Goa’s population at 14.6 lakh. The 2021 Census could not be carried out because of the pandemic.
As for the population density in urban areas, it “could pose significant risks on living conditions, the Environment and development, due to rapid Urbanization and the changing landscape of human settlement,” says the Economic Survey 2022-23 for Goa. The urban population in Goa is reaching the saturation level, the survey says.
Of Goa’s population of 15.7 lakh, 7.9 lakh (50.4%) are males and 7.8 lakh (49.6%) are females.
The Economic Survey says that the Growth of the state’s population has been much faster over the decade ending 2023, at 7.9%, as against the previous decade from 2011 to 2021 in which the decadal was 6.8%. “Goa has witnessed rapid Urbanisation undoubtedly due to high per capita GSDP,” the survey says. The survey adds that 75.8% of the projected population of Goa is reported to be urban for the year 2023.
As against 11.5 lakh living in Goa’s urban areas two years ago, today close to 12 lakh reside in the state’s city and towns.
The rural population in Goa has gone down from 4.2 lakh in 2021 to 3.8 lakh in 2023.
The Average decrease in Goa’s rural population over the last decade works out to be 1.2%, the survey states.