While the current level of urbanisation is low in India, it is evident from that the growth of the urban population has also been very slow. Till 1921, the percentage of urban population was almost steady and the increase after 1921 was very gradual.
Thus, while in 1901, only 10.8 per cent of India’s population could be considered urban, in 1921, it was 11.2 per cent, and in 1971 it went up to 19.9 per cent.
According to 1981 census the percentage was 23.31, in 1991 it was 25.72 per cent, and in 2001 it was 27.8 per cent.
It is interesting to note from Table 11.13 that the contribution of towns of different classes have changed over the years. In 1901, only 22.9 per cent of the urban population of India lived in class towns (1,00,000 and more population). This percentage went up to 35.4 in 1941, 41.8 in 1951, 48.4 in 1961, 52.4 in 1971, 60.37 in 1981 and 65.2 per cent in 1991.
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The contribution of class VI towns in (less than 5,000 population) has on the other hand, decreased from 6.3 per cent in 1901 to 0.5 per cent in 1991.
The relative rank of the ten largest cities in India from 1891 to 2001. Places of Pilgrimages, like Banaras and Allahabad figured among the first ten largest cities in 1891, but while Banaras continued to figure in this list till 1921, Allahabad disappeared from it as early as in 1901.
One striking feature of the changing position of Bangalore among 10 largest cities in India. It occupied 7th in 1951, 6th in 1961, again 7th in 1971, 5th in 1981, 6th in 1991 and 4th in 2001. It can be seen that there is a competition in two cities, namely, Kolkata and Greater Mumbai for the first rank.
While Kolkata occupied first rank in 1981, Greater Mumbai held first position in 1991 as well as in 2001. Nagpur was in the 10th position in 1991 and in 2001 Surat has made its entry in the list of ten largest cities and is 10th in the list of urbanisation.