For the first time there is significant fall in the growth rate of population in the country. As per the provisional 2011 Census report released on Thursday in New Delhi, the growth rate has declined to 17.64 percent from 21.15 percent in the 2001 census. Releasing the provisional report today, Registrar General of India and Census Commissioner Dr. C. Chandramauli said there is significant decline in population growth in the states of Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Uttarakhand, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Chattisgarh, and Orissa after decades of stagnation. He said the percent decadal growth rates of the six most populous states namely Uttar Pradesh, Maharasthra, Bihar, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh have all fallen during 2001-2012 compared to 1991 -2001. The lowest fall is 3.5 per cent points in Andhra Pradesh and the highest fall of 6.7 per cent points is in Maharashtra. Mr Chandramauli said India’s population is now estimated at 1,210.2 million including 623.7 million male and 586.5 million female. Population has also increased 181 million in the last 10 years. He said the sex ratio of the country has risen by 7 points to 940 which is highest since 1971. It was 933 in the Census 2001. However, the fall in child sex ratio remains unabated and declined to reach an all time low of 914. It was 927 in census 2001. Mr Chandramauli also said the Literate constitute 74 per cent of total population aged 7 and above as per the latest census. He said Literacy rate for males has increased by 6.88 per cent to 82.14 per cent while that of females has increased by 11.79 per cent to 65.46 per cent as compared to last census. He added that the gender gap in literacy rate has also reduced. He said India's population is now bigger than the combined population of USA, Indonesia, Brazil, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Japan. The census report says, Uttar Pradesh is the most populous state and the combined population of UP and Maharashtra is bigger than USA. Mr Chandamauli said child sex ratio in 2011 is 914 female against 1,000 male–the lowest since Independence. He said Delhi's north-east district has the highest population density as 37,346 persons live per square kilo metre while the lowest is in Dibang Valley in Arunachal Pradesh with only one person per square kilo metre.