Elector-Population Ratio: Karnataka sees drop in people below 18 years as senior citizens surge
Bengaluru: Karnataka is experiencing a demographic shift, with the population under 18 years steadily decreasing while the number of adult voters and senior citizens continues to grow. This trend, particularly evident in several districts, raises concerns about a potential population crisis driven by declining birth rates.
As of January 2025, the Elector-Population Ratio (EPR) for Karnataka stands at 70.61, surpassing the national average of 65, according to the Office of the Chief Electoral Officer, Karnataka, as reported by The New Indian Express on Monday.
However, significant variations in the EPR exist across districts. Chikkamagaluru district leads with the highest EPR at 85.84, followed closely by Kodagu at 84.25. In Chikkamagaluru, this means that more than 85 out of every 100 people are aged 18 or older, with a projected population of 11.33 lakh, of which 9.73 lakh are adults enrolled as voters.
“The EPR shows the number of electors in the state. The idea of preparing it regularly is to know if all the people above 18 years of age (voting age) are included in the rolls or not. The present EPR data shows the number of electors in the state is high, the elderly and people above 18 years are more than the young and newborn. However, this does not give the accurate population as the base for calculation (actual population of the state) is not accurately available in the absence of the latest census report,” TNIE quoted Manoj Kumar Meena, Chief Electoral Officer, Karnataka, as saying.
District-level officials, when asked to explain the unusually high Elector-Population Ratio (EPR) in certain areas, pointed to factors such as migration, low birth rates, and under-registration of the voting population.
The yet to be released NHFS-6 report mentioned that there is low fertility in the districts of Dakshina Kannada, Chikkamagaluru, Kodagu, Hassan, Shivamogga, Bengaluru Urban and Mysuru.
Meanwhile, the EPR is lowest in Bengaluru Urban district and the city’s municipal area, ranging between 51.78 and 63.21.
“Bengaluru houses a large number of young people. It is a youth-centric city with a good number of elderly people and children. But most of them are migratory. They stay here, with voting rights elsewhere. Healthcare facilities and economic growth in Bengaluru is very high, but at the same time the fertility rate is on a gradual decline. A separate study on Bengaluru city is needed,” TNIE quoted experts from the Election Commission and demographers as saying.
Earlier this month, a United Nations report projected that India’s population would reach 1.46 billion in 2025, while highlighting a critical demographic trend: the country’s fertility rate has dropped below the replacement level. This indicates that fewer children are being born than are needed to sustain the current population size across generations, in the absence of migration.
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Rupee slips 1 paisa to 90.67 against US dollar in early session
Mumbai (PTI): The rupee slipped by 1 paisa to 90.67 against the US dollar in the early session on Monday amid FII outflows and a stronger greenback.
A marginal rise in global crude oil prices and a sharp decline in the country's forex reserves also weighed on the local unit, according to forex traders.
At the interbank foreign exchange, the rupee opened higher at 90.63 before falling to 90.67 against the US dollar, down 1 paisa from its previous close.
The rupee consolidated in a narrow range and settled 5 paise lower at 90.66 against the US dollar on Friday.
"The rupee opened slightly stronger from Friday close and should remain in a small range on a day when cash demand will be lower due to US Presidential Day holiday," Anil Kumar Bhansali, Head of Treasury and Executive Director, Finrex Treasury Advisors LLP, said.
Markets will watch out for India's trade balance figures, which could be released by the commerce ministry on Monday, he said.
Meanwhile, the dollar index, which gauges the greenback's strength against a basket of six currencies, was trading 0.02 per cent higher at 96.93.
Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, was trading 0.04 per cent higher at USD 67.78 per barrel in futures trade.
At the domestic equity markets, Sensex declined 71.53 points to 82,555.23 in early trade while Nifty was down 11.95 points to 25,459.15.
On Friday, foreign institutional investors offloaded equities worth Rs 7,395.41 crore, according to exchange data.
Reserve Bank data released on Friday showed India's forex reserves were down USD 6.711 billion to USD 717.064 billion during the week ended February 6. In the previous reporting week, the kitty had jumped by USD 14.361 billion to an all-time high of USD 723.774 billion.
