Telangana: population, society
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Contents |
Demography
Caste survey, 2025
Sribala Vadlapatla, February 3, 2025: The Times of India
Hyderabad : The Backward classes (BC) constitute 46.25% (categories A, B, C and D) or approximately 1.64 crore of the over 3.5 crore population in Telangana, making them the largest group, according to the recent caste survey done across the state.
Also, BCs among the minorities (category E) make up an additional 10.08% (35.76 lakh), taking the total BC population in the state to 56.33%. Telangana provides reservations to backward communities among Muslims in the BC-E category.
Giving details of the survey at a press conference on Sunday, irrigation and civil supplies minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy, who is the chairman of the cabinet sub-committee on socio-economic, employment, political and caste survey, said a special assembly session would be held on Tuesday to discuss the report. He stated that 3,54,77,554 (3.5 crore) people from 1.12 crore households participated in the survey. About 3.1% population did not participate in the survey for various reasons and survey compilation excludes them.
After the BCs, the Scheduled Castes (SC) population is the second largest group at 17.43% (61.84 lakh), followed by the Scheduled Tribes (ST) at 10.45% (37.59 lakh). Forward Castes (excluding Forward Castes among minorities) constitute 13.31%. The total population of the Other Castes (OC) is 15.79%, after including 2.38% of the OC population (8.8 lakh) from the minority community, bringing the total OC population to 56.01 lakh.
After the planning department submitted the initial report of the caste survey, Reddy stated, “This is an unprecedented and accurate survey that has taken place inthecountry.”
Gender ratio
Sribala Vadlapatla, February 3, 2025: The Times of India
999 females for every 1k males, gender tallies just 1% apart
Hyderabad: According to the caste survey, there is only a one percent difference between the male and female populations in Telangana, reports Sribala Vadlapatla.
The survey reveals that the state has a male population of 50.51% and a female population of 49.45%. This means that out of the 3.5 crore people surveyed, approximately 1.79 crore are males and 1.75 crore are females. Notably, the survey also indicates that 13,774 individuals identify as third gender, constituting 0.04% of the population.
The figures present an encouraging picture regarding the gender ratio, indicating that for every 1,000 males, there are 999 females. The reported gender ratios for Telangana have varied in the past between national family health survey figures and thos provided by state govt.
Telangana society As revealed by the survey
Sreenivas Janyala, April 18, 2026: The Indian Express
Despite their numerical strength, 135 castes — 69 BC castes, 41 SC groups, and 25 ST castes — are more backward than previously understood. The OC category, though just 13.3% of the population, holds a disproportionately large share of private sector jobs and educational opportunities, commands higher salaries, lives in larger homes, and enjoys a generally higher standard of living.
The English-medium revolution
Since the creation of Telangana as a separate state in June 2014, the government has invested heavily in education, particularly in English-medium instruction. Schemes like Mana Vooru Mana Badi (Our Village, Our School) upgraded school infrastructure and introduced digital classrooms that taught in English, along with improvements such as toilets and drinking water. The government also invested in training teachers.
Over a decade, this has produced a significant generational shift: among those aged 6–29, 60.5% now receive instruction in English, compared with 35.3% in Telugu. The trend is even more pronounced in urban areas and among higher-income groups.
Telangana debt levels
Economic vulnerability remains a key theme. As many as 44.4% of households report at least one outstanding loan, taken primarily for agricultural expenses, but also for marriages, medical emergencies, and education.
Rural debt: Agriculture is the primary driver, with 56.7% of rural borrowers taking loans for crop-related expenses. As many as 6.8% borrowed from moneylenders, and 7% took loans for marriages or medical needs — a dependence more pronounced among weaker sections.
Medical debt: Health is a significant financial burden — 10.5% of loans statewide were taken to cover medical expenses, rising to 16.2% among SC households.
Credit sources: Scheduled banks provide 41.6% of loans, but informal lenders still account for 9.5% of total borrowing.
Rise of female-headed households
One in four households in Telangana (25.1%) is headed by a woman — a significant demographic trend that underscores the growing role of women in managing household finances and decision-making, particularly in rural areas.
Housing: urban renters vs. rural owners
A sharp divide exists between urban and rural living conditions. In rural areas, approximately 74.7% of households own their homes. In urban areas, 53.15% live in rented accommodation, reflecting high migration rates and property costs. A small but notable 1.08% of households statewide are homeless.
Moving away from traditional occupations
Telangana is departing from its traditional economic roots, with 64.4% of rural residents report no longer practising a traditional occupation. This reflects a broad shift toward daily wage labour and service-sector work. Only 43.4% of the total population is actively employed; the rest are students, homemakers, or unemployed.
Land ownership
Land ownership remains out of reach for most. Only 14.3% of the total population owns any land. Ownership is highest among the OC category at 31.5%, while SC ownership stands at 16.5%. Among those who do own land, 39.5% rely entirely on rain-fed agriculture and 27.9% use borewells.
Internal migration
The statewide migration rate is relatively low at 1.1%, but certain districts are significant international migration hubs. In Nizamabad (93.9%), Nirmal (85.9%), and Jagtial (82.1%), the vast majority of migrants move abroad rather than to other Indian states. The Gulf countries (41.9%) and the United States (17.8%) are the top destinations.
Social security and caste certificates
Possession of a caste certificate — essential for accessing government benefits — stands at 47.8% statewide. Rates are highest among ST (59.9%) and SC (61.5%) populations, while only 24.5% of the OC population holds one.
Religious freedom
As many as 94.3% of households report that family members are free to visit temples, mosques, or churches.
Inter-caste marriages
The survey also notes a growing incidence of inter-caste marriages across all communities, pointing to gradual social integration. As many as 5.6% of families reported an inter-caste marriage.
THE SURVEY
The survey covered over 3.50 crore Telangana households — nearly 97 per cent — and examined 242 caste groups using 42 indicators, including income, occupation, education, land ownership, property ownership, and access to medical and civic infrastructure.
The door-to-door survey was undertaken on November 6, 2024, and completed in 50 days, followed by another two months of data collection through other means.
