State wise status of urban slums in India: Census data

The word “slum” is often used to describe informal settlements within cities that have inadequate housing and miserable living conditions. They are often overcrowded, with many people crammed into very small living spaces. The slum population enumerated constitutes 5.4 percent of the total population of the country. As per Census of India 2011, Tamil Nadu has the largest number of cities and towns (507) reporting slum population, Andhra Pradesh has the highest proportion (36.1%) of slum population to the total population. Slums in the 189 towns of Maharashtra accounts for 2499948 slum households, which is 17.96 percent of the total slum households of the country. The Government of India started programmes towards inclusive city development with focus on slums, including the provision of basic services and affordable housing to the urban poor people.