Economy

Although the economic development of the state is low, Kerala's Human Development Index and standard of living statistics are the nation's best This apparent paradox arises mainly from Kerala's strong service sector (including tourism, public administration, banking and finance, transportation, and communications) which, along with the agricultural and fishing industries dominate Kerala's economy. Nearly half of Kerala's people are dependent on agriculture alone for income.

Some 600 varieties of rice are harvested from 310,521 ha of paddy fields; 688,859 tonnes are produced per annum. Other key crops include coconut, tea, coffee, rubber, cashews, and spices—including pepper, cardamom, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

Around 1.050 million fishermen haul an annual catch of 668,000 tonnes; 222 fishing villages are strung along the 590 km coast, while an additional 113 fishing villages are spread throughout the hinterland.

Traditional industries manufacturing such items as coir, handlooms, and handicrafts employ around one million people.

Population

The 31.8 million of Kerala’s compound population is predominantly of Malayali Dravidian ?ethnicity, while the rest is mostly made up of Indo-Aryan, Jewish, and Arab elements in both culture and ancestry (both of which are usually mixed). Kerala is also home to 321,000 indigenous tribal Adivasis (1.10% of the population), who are mostly concentrated in the eastern districts.

Malayalam is Kerala's official language spoken by 96% of the population; Tamil and various Adivasi languages are also spoken by ethnic minorities. Kerala's principal religions are Hinduism (56.1%), Islam (24.7%), and Christianity (19%).

Kerala is home to 3.44% of India's people, and its land is three times as densely settled as the rest of India. However, Kerala's population growth rate is India's lowest. Kerala's human development indices—elimination of poverty, primary-level education, and healthcare—are among the best in India. For example, Kerala's literacy rate (91%) and life expectancy (73 years) are now India's highest. In 1991, Kerala had the lowest TFR (children born per women) in the whole of India. Hindus had a TFR of 1.66, Christians had 1.78 and Muslims had 2.97.
Today, the most circulated daily newspaper in India is in Malyalam and Kerala prints 170 ?daily papers, 235 weekly and over 600 monthly periodicals in Malayalam.