Panaji: Goa continues to record the slowest natural population growth rate in the country at 3.9, compared to the national average of 12, according to the latest Sample Registration System (SRS) survey conducted annually by the office of the registrar general of India. The report was released last week.Goa’s natural population growth rate remains unusually low, especially when compared to states such as Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, where the figure exceeds 17. Even among smaller states, Goa ranks the lowest.Meghalaya recorded a natural growth rate of 17, while Arunachal reported a figure above 11. Sikkim and Tripura recorded rates of 9.9 and 9.1, respectively.Within Goa, the natural population growth rate stood at 3.4 in rural areas and 4.3 in urban areas.This contrasts with trends seen in most other states, where rural areas typically record higher population growth than urban centres. In Goa, the trend possibly points to lower growth in rural populations and relatively higher growth in urban areas driven by migration.A similar pattern was reflected in the state’s birth rate data. Goa recorded a lower birth rate in rural areas and a comparatively higher birth rate in urban regions, contrary to trends observed elsewhere in the country.The state’s low natural population growth is the result of a combination of factors, including the lowest birth rate in the country and a relatively high death rate. Goa’s birth rate stood at 10.8, significantly lower than the national average of 18.4.At the same time, Goa’s death rate was recorded at 6.8, marginally higher than the national figure of 6.4.Earlier, govt of Goa’s Economic Survey had noted that the state’s death rate has been rising even as the national trend shows a decline. The survey attributed the increase to the growing prevalence of lifestyle diseases in Goa.The Economic Survey for 2024–25 stated that natural deaths caused by heart disease, heart attacks, cancer, and diabetes accounted for 47.4% of total deaths in the state.According to the 2011 Census, Goa’s population stood at 14.58 lakh. However, data on natural population increase between 2019 and 2023 showed a declining trend. The Economic Survey projected the state’s population at only 15.96 lakh in 2025.
