The total population of Orissa on March 1, 2001 stood at 36,706,920 as per the provisional results of the Census of India 2001. In terms of population it is ranked eleventh among the States and Union territories. The population of the State rose by 15.94 per cent between 1991 and 2001. The sex ratio has been recorded as 972 females per 1000 males. Total literacy in the State has shown significant improvement. This has gone up from 49.09 per cent in 1991 to 63.61 per cent in the present Census.

The population of Orissa increased from 316.60 lakh in 1991 to 368.05 lakh in 2001. The decennial growth rate of population of Orissa during 1991-01 was 16.25 per cent as against 20.06 per cent in the previous decade. The decline in the growth rate may be attributed to the rise in literacy rate, effective dissemination of the information about benefits of small family, and the drive launched by the State Government to provide better access to family planning measures.

The sex ratio marginally increased from 971 in 1991 to 972 in 2001 as compared to the all-India average, which increased from 927 to 933 during the same period. The density of population, which was 203 persons per sq km in 1991, increased to 236 per sq km in 2001. The urban population of 13.38 per cent in 1991 increased to 14.99 per cent in 2001. On the literacy front the achievement has been impressive as the literacy rate increased from 49.09 per cent in 1991 to 63.1 per cent in 2001 as against an increase from 52.10 per cent to 64.8 per cent at the national level during the same period.

The male and female literacy rates, which were 63.1 per cent and 34.7 per cent in 1991, have increased to 75.3 per cent and 50.5 per cent respectively in 2001. Female literacy continues to be an area of concern despite notable achievement during last decade.

Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribe population in the State has been recorded as 60.82 lakh and 81.45 lakh respectively, which was 16.5 per cent and 22.1 per cent of the total population of the State as against 16.2 per cent and 22.2 per cent in 1991. The decennial growth rate of SC & ST population during 1991-01 was 18.6 per cent and 15.8 per cent respectively. Similarly as per 2001 census the sex ratio among SC & ST people was 979 and 1003 respectively as against 936 and 978 at all India level.

Population
Persons :           36,706,920
Males    :           18,612,340
Females :          18,094,580
Sex Ratio:         972

Percentage of Literates to Total population:
Persons   :       63.61 % 
Males      :       75.95 % 
Females  :      50.97 %
 
Number of Literates:
Persons              20,053,785
Males                 12,118,256
Females              7,935,529

Decadal Growth 1991 - 2001 
Persons :  (+) 15.94 %      
Males    :  (+) 15.86 % 
Females :  (+) 16.02 % 

Orissa comprises of 4.74 per cent of India's landmass and 36.80 million people (2001 Census), accounts for 3.58% of the population of the country. Nearly 85 per cent of its population live in the rural areas and depend mostly on agriculture for their livelihood. The State has abundant mineral resources including precious and semi­-precious stones. It has also plentiful water resources. According to the estimate of the Central Ground Water Board, the total ground water resources in Orissa was 21,01,128 hectaremeter in 2001.

The gross annual draft for all uses in 2001 was 3,10,689 hectaremeter. Accordingly, 14.79 per cent of ground water resources had been harnessed till 2001. The total cultivable land of the State is nearly 65.59-lakh hectare of which only 26.89-lakh hecta1e has been provided with irrigation facilities by the end of 2003-04, which constitutes around 40 per cent of the cultivable land. Planned exploitation and optimum utilization of rich natural resources like mineral, land, water and others including human resources holds the key to rapid economic development of the State.

The State can be divided into ten argo-climatic zones on the basis of soil, weather and other relevant characteristics. Its land can be classified into three categories, low (25.6 per cent), medium (33.6) and up-lands (40.8 per cent) with various types of soil like red, yellow, red-loamy, alluvial, coastal alluvial, laterite and black soil etc. with low and medium texture. Characteristics of different agro-climatic zones in Orissa are presented in Table.