Population Growth and Regional Disparities in India: A Geographical Analysis

India's demographic transition is increasingly defined not by a single national growth trajectory but by marked spatial differences in the timing and consequences of fertility decline, population momentum, migration and ageing. This paper examines population growth and regional disparities in India from a geographical perspective. It uses a descriptive, analytical and comparative secondary-data design, drawing principally on Census of India 2011, the Sample Registration System (SRS) Statistical Report 2024, National Family Health Survey-5 (2019-21), and the Report of the Technical Group on Population Projections for India and States 2011-2036. The analysis distinguishes observed census change from later survey estimates and official projections. Census 2011 recorded national decadal growth of 17.64 per cent during 2001-11, but the rate ranged from 25.42 per cent in Bihar to 4.91 per cent in Kerala. By 2024, the national TFR had fallen to 1.9, while Bihar (2.9), Uttar Pradesh (2.6), Madhya Pradesh (2.4) and Rajasthan (2.3) remained substantially above low-fertility states such as Kerala, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal (1.3 each). Official projections further indicate a simultaneous expansion of the working-age population and rapid ageing: the share aged 60 years and above is projected to rise from 8.4 per cent in 2011 to 14.9 per cent in 2036. The paper argues that India is best understood as a set of asynchronous demographic regions. Region-specific policies are therefore required for human-capital formation, reproductive health, employment, migration management, urban infrastructure and population ageing.