Demographics of Nair community

The total population of the Nair community is disputed, since there has been no caste-based census since 1931. The administrators of the British Raj had an abiding interest in ethnography but in post-independence India the policy has been generally to ignore it in censuses.[1]

The 1968 Socio-Economic Survey by the Government of Kerala gave the population of the Nair community as 14.41% of the total population of the state. But various sources cite figures ranging from 15%,[2] 16%,[3] 17.5%, 19%[4] and 20%.[5] There is also the practical difficulty of certain Nair subcastes declaring as independent caste. Out of those citizens who are eligible to vote in Kerala, 15% belong to the Nair community.[6]

Nair population has been declining in Kerala. Some of the districts in Kerala have only a small population of Nairs. Malappuram has a Nair population of 1.8% and Kasargode has about 2.1%.[7]

The most reliable population figures comes from two sources. The BCRC estimated Nair population at 14.47% of the total population of Kerala based on a statewide sample survey conducted for the reservation of seats in educational institutions. At the same time, the government for the same purpose, gave a figure of 15.35% based on the Census of Travancore in 1941, Census of Cochin in 1941 & Census of Malabar in 1921.[8] This figure will be true if the population growth rate is uniform for all the ethnic groups in Kerala. But this is not the case, as according to the 1941 Census, the Total Fertility Rate varied across various ethnic groups. In 1941, Kammalas had the highest TFR at 3.88 children per woman. They were followed by Ezhavas at 3.84, Syrians at 3.79, Muslims at 3.71 and Nadars at 3.64 children per woman. On the other hand, Nairs had a TFR of only 3.63 children per woman. Below the Nairs were Pulayas (3.43 each), Parayas (3.23), Brahmins (3.13) and Kuravas (3.13).[9]

Population estimates

Household sample surveys conducted by the Kerala Statistical Institute, the last of which were in 2000, produced estimates which are:

Distribution of Nair population in Kerala.[10][11]

Distribution of Nairs in Kerala - District-wise.
District Total Pop Nairs % of Pop % of Nairs
Kerala 31,838,000 4,457,000 14.9% 100.0%
Kasaragod 1,203,000 36,000 3.0% 0.8%
Kannur 2,412,000 584,000 24.2% 13.1%
Wayanad 787,000 152,000 19.3% 3.4%
Kozhikode 2,878,000 504,000 17.5% 11.3%
Malappuram 3,630,000 80,000 2.2% 1.8%
Palakkad 2,617,000 330,000 12.6% 7.4%
Thrissur 2,975,000 223,000 7.5% 5.0%
Ernakulam 3,098,000 316,000 10.2% 7.1%
Idukki 1,129,000 111,000 9.8% 2.5%
Kottayam 1,953,000 227,000 11.6% 5.1%
Alappuzha 2,105,000 352,000 16.7% 7.9%
Pathanamthitta 1,232,000 174,000 14.1% 3.9%
Kollam 2,584,000 793,000 30.7% 17.8%
Thiruvananthapuram 3,235,000 575,000 17.8% 12.9%

References
  1. Blair, Harry W. (1981). "Caste and the British Census in Bihar: Using Old Data to Study Contemporary Political Behavior". In Barrier, Norman Gerald (ed.). The Census in British India: New Perspectives. New Delhi: Manohar. p. 154. ISBN 9780836408478. Retrieved 28 August 2011.
  2. Archived 7 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine
  3. "Kerala: Radical Reform as Development in an Indian State (FF, 1994, 140 p.): 11. Women and the Kerala reforms". Nzdl.sadl.uleth.ca. Archived from the original on 6 July 2011. Retrieved 13 June 2011.
  4. "Kashmir terror trail vanishes in Kerala's political sands .:. newkerala.com Online News". Newkerala.com. Retrieved 13 June 2011.
  5. Drèze, Jean; Sen, Amartya (2002). India: development and participation - Google Books. ISBN 9780199257492. Retrieved 13 June 2011.
  6. Rana, Mahendra Singh (2006). India votes: Lok Sabha & Vidhan ... - Google Books. ISBN 9788176256476. Retrieved 13 June 2011.
  7. Zachariah, Kunniparampil Curien; Mathew, Elangikal Thomas; Rajan, Sebastian Irudaya (2003). Dynamics of migration in Kerala: dimensions, differentials, and consequences. Orient Longman. ISBN 978-81-250-2504-7.
  8. Nossiter, Thomas Johnson (1982). Communism in Kerala: a study in ... - Google Books. ISBN 9780905838403. Retrieved 13 June 2011.
  9. Balakrishnan Nair, V. (1994). Social development and demographic ... - Google Books. ISBN 9788185880501. Retrieved 13 June 2011.
  10. Zachariah, Kunniparampil Curien; Mathew, Elangikal Thomas; Rajan, Sebastian Irudaya (2003). Dynamics of migration in Kerala: dimensions, differentials, and consequences. Orient Longman. p. 91. ISBN 978-81-250-2504-7.
  11. G.O.K 1971: Appendix XVIII : For percentage of Nairs in total population of Kerala, adjusted for decrease due to emigration and low birth rates.Nairs are kshtriya caste.
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