India's population at 123 crore as of March 2012: Minister

India's population was estimated at 123 crore as of March 1, 2012, while as many as 27 crore people lived below the poverty line in 2011-12, Parliament was informed today.

'The population as on March 1, 2012 has been estimated at 123 crore. Based on the estimated population and the poverty ratio of 21.9 per cent, 27 crore persons lived below the poverty line in 2011-12,' Minister of State for Planning Rajeev Shukla said in a written reply to Rajya Sabha.

He said, as per the Population Census of 2011 conduced by the Office of Registrar General of India, the population in the country was estimated at 121 crore as of March 1, 2011.

Shukla said the poverty line is being reviewed by a committee under C Rangarajan which is expected to submit its report in 2014.

However, the Minister said the poverty ratio in the country has decreased to 21.9 per cent in 2011-12 from 37.2 per cent in 2004-05.

'The rate of decline between 2004-05 and 2011-12 is three times faster than experienced between 1993-94 and 2004-05,' he added.

Shukla said that as per the Millennium Development Goals Report 2013, the poverty rate in India fell from 49 per cent in 1994 to 42 per cent in 2005 and 33 per cent in 2010.

'... The report states that if the current pace continues, India will meet the poverty reduction target by 2015,' he said.