Kerala 2005 - of Planning Commission

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Table 4.4: Sex Ratio (F/M) of Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes in Kerala/India, 1971 to 2001
Census Year India Kerala
Total
Population
Scheduled
Caste
Scheduled
Tribe
Total
Population
Scheduled
Caste
Scheduled
Tribe
1971 930 935 982 1,016 1,012 995
1981 934 932 984 1,032 1,023 992
1991 927 922 972 1,036 1,029 996
2001 933 936 978 1,058 1,048 1,027
Source: Census of India, 2001, Kerala, Primary Census Abstract.
Table 4.5: District-wise Population of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, and Overall Sex Ratio, 2001 Census
Districts/State Scheduled Caste Scheduled Tribe Sex Ratio (F/M)
Per cent Share to
State
Per cent Share to
State
Scheduled Caste Scheduled
Tribe
Thiruvananthapuram 11.5 11.9 0.6 5.7 1,075 1,113
Kollam 12.5 10.3 0.2 1.4 1,058 1,121
Pathanamthitta 13.2 5.2 0.5 1.8 1,058 1,057
Alappuzha 9.5 6.4 0.1 0.9 1,056 1,001
Kottayam 7.7 4.8 0.9 5.0 1,034 1,044
Idukki 14.1 5.1 4.5 14.0 1,007 998
Ernakulam 8.5 8.4 0.3 2.8 1,032 978
Thrissur 11.9 11.3 0.2 1.3 1,066 1,105
Palakkad 16.5 13.8 1.5 10.9 1,054 984
Malappuram 7.9 9.1 0.3 3.4 1,031 1,046
Kozhikode 7.0 6.4 0.2 1.6 1,043 1,031
Wayanad 4.2 1.1 17.3 37.4 993 1,019
Kannur 4.1 3.2 0.8 5.5 1,051 1,039
Kasaragod 7.5 2.9 2.5 8.3 1,009 1,005
Kerala 9.8 100.0 1.1 100.0 1,048 1,027
Coefficient of Variation (%) 36.5 51.0 202.2 128.7 2.3 4.5
5.3 Poverty
While Kerala’s performance in reducing overall poverty is
indeed remarkable, there is evidence of disparity across
various social and economic groups. Poverty in the State is
more concentrated in certain segments of the population,
such as traditional fishermen, cashew and coir workers,
and the people belonging to Scheduled Castes and Tribes.
Besides, the seasonal nature of certain occupations, forces
people to migrate and adopt various coping strategies.
The incidence of rural poverty among SCs in the State in 1983
was higher than that of India, that is 62 per cent as against
58 per cent. However, Kerala has registered a marked reduction
in poverty among the SCs along with poverty reduction
in the general population. By 1993-94, Kerala outpaced
India in reducing poverty among SCs, bringing it down to
36 per cent as against 48 per cent for all-India. While Kerala
has succeeded in reducing poverty among SCs further to
14.6 per cent in 1999-2000, the all-India percentage was much
higher at 36 per cent. With respect to the rural ST population,
though Kerala has succeeded in reducing the level of poverty
from 37 per cent to 24 per cent between 1993-94 and
1999-2000, India achieved a reduction from 52 per cent to
49 per cent only. However, rural poverty among STs in Kerala
still remains more than two-and-a-half times that of the all
Kerala rural population below the poverty line, which stands
at 9.4 per cent; the SC population below the poverty line in
urban Kerala declined from 63 per cent to 32 per cent during
1983 to 1993-94, and further to 24 per cent in 1999-2000.
Thus, disparity in urban poverty between the SCs and the
general population has narrowed down, the latter being about
20 per cent in 1999-2000 (following the Planning Commission
methodology for estimating rural and urban poverty).