Exploring the Demographic Profile of Indigenous ‘Baiga’ Community in India: Evidence from Census Data

Anubhav Verma, International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS)
Harihar Sahoo, International Institute For Population Sciences

India is the second biggest home after Africa, with the highest Indigenous population. As per the recent Indian census, the indigenous (also called ‘tribe’ in India) population constitute 8.6 % of the total population. According to their local mythology, ‘Baigas’, considered one of India's Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs), are original inhabitants of Earth. This study investigates the socioeconomic and demographic profile of the Baiga tribe, which remains under-researched in India. While previous studies on the Baiga depend on limited primary data in a scattered way, this research fills the gap by adding comprehensive knowledge from India's recent Censuses (2001, 2011). The study indicates a higher population growth in a decade (32%), nearly twice the country's growth rate. A decline in work participation and a shift from main to marginal workers is significantly observed, while educated Baigas are increasingly moving toward non-agricultural activities. Moreover, a stark generational literacy gap exists, with younger individuals attaining higher education levels than older generations. Additionally, this finding sheds light on the need for policies that enhance employment diversification and educational access and address the socioeconomic challenges faced by the Baiga tribe, particularly for younger generations.

Keywords: Census data, Inequality, Disadvantage and Discrimination, Population and Development, The Demography of Indigenous Populations

See extended abstract.