Demographics
According to the 2011 census Shimoga district has a population of 1,755,512, which is roughly equal to population of the nation Gambia and the state of Nebraska of the United States of America. The district ranks 275th in India out of a total of 640 districts. The district has a population density of 207 inhabitants per square kilometre (540 /sq mi). Its population growth rate over the decade 2001-2011 was 6.88%. Shimoga has a sex ratio of 995 females per 1000 males and a literacy rate of 80.5%.
Shimoga taluk has the highest population with Hosanagara taluk having the lowest. The district has a sex ratio of 977 females to 1000 males. Shimoga Taluk having 991 females to 1000 males has the lowest sex-ratio.
| Taluk name | Number of households | Population | Males | Females |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bhadravati | 71,771 | 338,989 | 171,917 | 167,072 |
| Hosanagara | 23,358 | 115,000 | 57,392 | 57,608 |
| Sagara | 41,915 | 200,995 | 100,977 | 100,018 |
| Shikaripura | 41,389 | 213,590 | 108,344 | 105,246 |
| Shimoga | 93,426 | 445,192 | 226,928 | 218,264 |
| Sorab | 37,363 | 185,572 | 94,267 | 91,305 |
| Tirthalli | 32,002 | 143,207 | 70,734 | 72,473 |
Hindus constitute 85.45% of the population with Muslims making up 12.25% of the population; the remaining part of the population is made up by Christians, Buddhists and other religious groups. Kannada is the dominant language in this district with Urdu taking the second place.
Some of the unique ethnic groups found in Shimoga district are:
- Havyaka Brahmins who speak a unique dialect of Kannada called Havigannada.
- Sanketis who are concentrated near the Mattur-Hosahalli region of Shimoga city and speak the Sanketi language.
Read more about this topic: Shimoga District