Demographics and Culture of Ahmedabad

Demographics And Culture Of Ahmedabad

According to the 2011 national census, the population of Ahmedabad was declared to be 63 lakhs, or 6.3 million people. This figure was only limited to the municipality region. The total population of the Ahmedabad Urban Agglomeration (which also includes the region governed by AUDA) came to 65.11 lakhs, or 6.5 million people. There are 886 females to every 1000 males. Ahmedabad has a literacy rate of 79.89%, which is the highest in Gujarat (87.81% males and 71.12% females are literate). According to the census for the ninth plan, there are 30737 rural families living in Ahmedabad. Out of those, 5.41% (1663 families) live below the poverty line. There are 439,843 people who live in slums in the city. Ahmedabad, being a centre for commerce, has traditionally had a large population of Vanias (or traders), belonging to Vaishnav Hinduism and Jainism. The majority of residents of Ahmedabad are native Gujaratis and speak Gujarati. There is also a sizable population of Punjabis, Marathis, Tamils, Sindhis, Malayalis and Marwaris who bring in their native language and culture to the city. The government institutions and military base near the city also bring peoples from across India. The city's population has increased in a major way following increasing economic expansion and modernization.

Ahmedabad also enjoys great religious diversity. According to the 2011 census, 83% of the population in Ahmedabad is Hindu, 2.5% Jain, 13.8% Muslim and 0.72% Christian. The community of Muslims is large and culturally significant in Ahmedabad, dating from the times of the sultanate. The city is also home to a major population of Parsis in India. There is also a small population of 300 Bene Israel Jews living in Ahmedabad. Owing to the religious and cultural influence of Jains and many Hindus, there is widespread vegetarianism across the city's hotels and restaurants.