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Among the stares of India, Orissa is tenth in area and eleventh in population with the latter figure standing at 31,512,073 according 1991census. While covering 4.7 per cent of the country's total area, it accounts for 3.7 per cent of the total population. The density of population is 2020 as against the all-India figure of 267 and the sex ratio is 972, the all-India ration being 929.
Orissa's percentage of literacy is around 49, the male-female divide being 62.4:34.4. Although the progress during the last decade seems to be consistent, we are not yet able to catch, up with the all-India level of literacy, which is 52.1%. What is most striking is our male-female differential, the corresponding all-India differential being 63.9 :39.4.
About 87 per cent of Orissa's population live in villages. The districts of Phulbani, Mayurbhanj and Kalahandi are mostly rural having a rural population of about 94 per cent in average. Only about 13 per cent of the people live in towns and cities. The 1991 census enlists 124 urban units including 102 statutory census towns, i.e. they have either a municipality or an NAC each. Of these there are only 8 cities with a population of one lakh and above. Two of these cities, Bhubaneswar and Rourkela, are of the modern type, the rest have the traditional urban structure of agglomeration of houses in rows along roads or lanes. The low figure of urban population is almost half of the all-India percentage. However, there is a consolation that the initial Sap between the two figures is gradually getting reduced.
The work force of the state consists of 37.5 per cent of the population, out of which 32.7 per cent are the main workers arid 4·s marginal. As usual the rural people constitute a greater percentage of tile work force i.e. 38.7 per cent; and while male workers in the realm of main work are greater in number, female workers outnumber the males in marginal work. Orissa's economy being preliminary agricultural, majority of the work force is composed of cultivators and agricultural labourers, their percentage being 44.2 and 28.9 respectively. The rest are engaged in household industries and other occupations.