Declining Parsi population of India: a demographic dilemma?

Dharmendra Pratap Singh, Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS)

The Parsis, followers of Zoroastrian religion, consists of 69,601 in 2001. About 33 percent of community members were aged and just 12 percent below 15 years. Study in Mumbai in 2000 based on 6,565 households indicates that high percentage of single persons (15 %), highly educated (80 %), high level of morbidity (about 45 %), mean age at marriage (31 years men and 25 for women, one-fourth of population remain un-married, birth rate varies 6-7 and death rate 17-18 per 1000. High educational and occupational aspiration and achievent of community, below replacement level of fertility, high level of mortality and prevailing stringent religious rule regarding intercomminity marriage contribute, consanguineous marriages, emigration, childlessness are responsible for dwindling in size of the community. In the Parsi community, no noticeable gender bias in terms of health, education, occupation, etc. is observed. Researches has been suggesting various measures to the community to improve its population.