Urban populations in India are concentrated in the six most developed states Maharashtra, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, West Bengal and Punjab where rates of urbanisation remained the same or increased during the 1990s. On the other hand urbanisation rates slowed in the backward states of Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh (the “BIMARU” states). Overall, there has been a slowing in the growth rate of urban populations from the record level of 3.8% per annum in the 1970s, to 3.1% in the 1980s and further to 2.7% in the 1990s, and the slowing has been greater in the smaller towns .