VI Demography

A. Number of Speakers

The number of Khasi speakers in India according to 2001 census is 1,128,575.

The following table shows the mothertongue grouped under Khasi language.

KHASI1,128,575
Bhoi Khasi14,882
Khasi828,545
Pnar/Synteng243,441
War25,886
Others15,821

1. Main Habitat:

Number of Khasi speakers in the States and Union Territories of India according to 2001 census.

a. Male/Female

India/State/Union Territory Total Male Female
India 1,128,575 558,099 570,476
Meghalaya 1,091,087 539,076 552,011
Assam 34,617 17,544 17,073
Mizoram 868 482 386
Manipur 515 235 280
Maharashtra 254 134 120
Arunachal Pradesh 218 110 108
West Bengal 200 95 105
Nagaland 184 81 103
Tripura 174 100 74
Delhi# 136 59 77
Jammu & Kashmir 91 50 41
Karnataka 69 38 31
Orissa 18 15 3
Sikkim 17 9 8
Rajasthan 15 8 7
Madhya Pradesh 14 8 6
Goa 13 7 6
Haryana 11 6 5
Bihar 9 7 2
Jharkhand 9 5 4
Kerala 9 4 5
Uttaranchal 8 4 4
Uttar Pradesh 8 5 3
Pondicherry# 7 5 2
Himachal Pradesh 5 5 0
Punjab 4 3 1
Tamil Nadu 4 0 4
Andaman & Nicobar Islands# 4 2 2
Chhattisgarh 3 0 3
Andhra Pradesh 2 1 1
Chandigarh# 1 0 1
Gujarat 1 1 0


b. Rural/Urban

Number of Khasi speakers (areawise) in India according to 2001 census.

India/State/Union Territory Total Rural Urban
India 1,128,575 909,179 219,396
Meghalaya 1,091,087 874,543 216,544
Assam 34,617 33,200 1,417
Mizoram 868 400 468
Manipur 515 442 73
Maharashtra 254 12 242
Arunachal Pradesh 218 126 92
West Bengal 200 83 117
Nagaland 184 57 127
Tripura 174 170 4
Delhi# 136 8 128
Jammu & Kashmir 91 75 16
Karnataka 69 4 65
Orissa 18 6 12
Sikkim 17 14 3
Rajasthan 15 3 12
Madhya Pradesh 14 0 14
Goa 13 3 10
Haryana 11 7 4
Bihar 9 2 7
Jharkhand 9 3 6
Kerala 9 6 3
Uttaranchal 8 3 5
Uttar Pradesh 8 2 6
Pondicherry# 7 0 7
Himachal Pradesh 5 5 0
Punjab 4 0 4
Tamil Nadu 4 1 3
Andaman & Nicobar Islands# 4 4 0
Chhattisgarh 3 0 3
Andhra Pradesh 2 0 2
Chandigarh# 1 0 1
Gujarat 1 0 1


2.Decennial Growth:

The following table shows the decennial growth of Khasi Speakers.

Year Khasi Speakers Decennial Growth
1971 479,028 *
1981 628,846 31.28
1991 912,283 45.07
2001 1,128,575 23.71

B. Settlement pattern

Khasi, a tribe reside in the Khasi and Jaintia Hill district of Meghalaya. The Khasis inhabit the Khasi Hills proper, the Syntengs or Pnars inhabit the Jaintia Hills, the Lynngams inhabit the western portion of the Khasi Hills proper while the Bhois live in the low hills to the north and north-east of the district. The Wars inhabit the precipitous slopes and deep valleys to the south of the district. Khasi speakers are also found in neighboring state of Assam (Karbi Anglong District) and across the international border in Bangladesh. (Some Khasi villages are also found in Bangladesh and the Khasis who live there speak a variety of Khasi similar to War Jaintia dialect). Khasi speakers (few in number) are also found in other states of the north-eastern region as well as in other parts of the country. Most Khasi are Presbyterian, Anglican, Roman Catholic, or followers of the original Khasi religion (Ka Niam Tynrai), although there is a tiny Unitarian presence, as well.

The following table gives the settlement pattern of the Khasi community in Meghalaya.

Persons Rural Urban
Persons 1,123,490 914,654 208,836
Male 556,957 458,088 98,869
Female 566,533 456,566 109,967

C. Literacy and Education

1. Literacy

a.Rate

The literacy rate of Khasi community in Meghalaya, according to 2001 census, is given below.

Persons Rural Urban
Persons 66.05 60.9086.95
Male 65.38 59.96 88.94
Female 66.71 61.84 85.21

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