Census 2011
Census 2011 at a glance
India’s 15th census counted people between 9 and 28 February 2011, with a reference moment of 00:00 hours on 1 March 2011. It is still the latest official count: every figure labelled “Census 2011” on this site comes from its final tables.
Census 2011 in numbers
- Population
- 1,21,08,54,977 121.09 crore Census 2011 Final count, Census of India 2011 (ORGI) How this is made →
- Sex ratio
- 943 Child sex ratio (0–6): 918
- Literacy rate
- 72.98% Male 80.9% · Female 64.6%
- Urban share
- 31.14% 37,71,06,125
- Density
- 382per km²
- Growth 2001–11
- +17.70%
- Households
- 24.95 crore 4.85 people per household
- Districts / towns / villages
- 640 / 7,933 5,97,608 inhabited villages
- Census
- Official projection
152 cr 2011
› Show the numbers as a table
| Year | Census → Official projection |
|---|---|
| 1901 | 23,83,96,327 |
| 1911 | 25,20,93,390 |
| 1921 | 25,13,21,213 |
| 1931 | 27,89,77,238 |
| 1941 | 31,86,60,580 |
| 1951 | 36,10,88,090 |
| 1961 | 43,92,34,771 |
| 1971 | 54,81,59,652 |
| 1981 | 68,33,29,097 |
| 1991 | 84,64,21,039 |
| 2001 | 1,02,87,37,436 |
| 2011 | 1,21,08,54,977 |
| 2016 * | 1,29,02,35,000 |
| 2021 * | 1,36,13,43,000 |
| 2026 * | 1,42,34,35,000 |
| 2031 * | 1,47,55,19,000 |
| 2036 * | 1,51,82,88,000 |
* Official projection
Three totals for one census
| Total | What it is |
|---|---|
| 1,21,01,93,422 | Provisional population total, released 31 March 2011. |
| 1,21,05,69,573 | Final count excluding Mao-Maram, Paomata and Purul sub-divisions of Senapati district, Manipur, where the count was set aside. |
| 1,21,08,54,977 | Final total including the official estimate for those sub-divisions. Used throughout this site. |
Definitions used on this site
- Sex ratio: females per 1,000 males. Child sex ratio: the same for ages 0–6.
- Literacy rate: people aged 7+ who can read and write with understanding, as a share of the population aged 7+.
- Urban: statutory towns plus census towns. Urban agglomeration (UA): a town with its outgrowths, or contiguous towns, of 20,000+ people.
- Work participation: main plus marginal workers as a share of total population.
Since 2011 the number of districts has grown from 640 to 784. This site rebuilds 2011 figures on today’s boundaries; see how.
Frequently asked questions
What was India’s population in Census 2011?
1,21,08,54,977 in the final tables. You will also see 1,21,01,93,422 (the provisional total of 31 March 2011) and 1,21,05,69,573 (the final total without three sub-divisions of Senapati district, Manipur, whose count was replaced by an estimate). This site uses the final 1,21,08,54,977.
What is the difference between a statutory town and a census town?
A statutory town has a municipal body (corporation, council, cantonment board or notified area). A census town is administered as a village but counts as urban because it has at least 5,000 people, at least 75% of working men outside agriculture and a density of at least 400 per km².
What is an urban agglomeration?
A continuous urban spread: a town plus its adjoining outgrowths, or two or more physically contiguous towns, with at least 20,000 people. Metro figures for Indian cities are urban agglomeration figures.
Why is India’s 2011 literacy rate 73% here and 74.04% elsewhere?
74.04% came from the provisional figures. The final Primary Census Abstract gives 72.98% (literates divided by the population aged seven and above).
Sources and method
- Census of India 2011, Primary Census Abstract (ORGI)
- Census 2011 Table A-2: decadal variation since 1901
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