City in Punjab

Amritsar Population 2026

Q: What was the population of Amritsar in Census 2011?

11,32,383 within city limits (Amritsar (M Corp.)); the Amritsar urban agglomeration had 11,83,549; the Amritsar district had 24,90,656.

City, metro area and district compared

Metro area (UA) · 1 March 2026

≈ 13.5 lakh Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection 1 March 2026 How this is made →

13,50,000 1.35 million 1 March 2026

The Amritsar metro area is estimated at ≈13.5 lakh on 1 March 2026, and the city within its municipal limits at ≈13 lakh. Census 2011 counted 11,83,549 in the urban agglomeration and 11,32,383 in the city.

Estimates: method M1 on 2011 boundaries, not official figures. Census: ORGI.

Which number do you mean?

Three areas share the name. Quoting the district figure as the “city population” is the most common mistake.

City

Amritsar (municipal limits)

Census 2011: 11,32,383
2026 Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection How this is made →: ≈ 13 lakh

Metro area (UA)

Amritsar urban agglomeration

Census 2011: 11,83,549
2026 Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection How this is made →: ≈ 13.5 lakh

District

Amritsar district

Census 2011: 24,90,656
2026 Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection How this is made →: ≈ 28.37 lakh

Key figures

City 2026: ≈ 13 lakh 13,00,000 Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection How this is made →
City · Census 2011: 11.32 lakh 11,32,383 Census 2011 Final count, Census of India 2011 (ORGI) How this is made →
Metro area (UA) · 2011: 11.84 lakh 11,83,549
Metro area (UA) · 2026: ≈ 13.5 lakh 13,50,000 Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection How this is made →
Sex ratio: 884 Punjab: 895
Child sex ratio (0–6): 825 Punjab: 846
Literacy rate: 84.2% Male 86.9% · Female 81.2%
Households: 2.34 lakh 4.8 people per household
Area: 136.0km² Census 2011 (A-4)
Density: 8,326per km² 2011
Growth 2001–11: +15.6% City
Work participation: 37.0% 2011

Population over time

Census counts within the limits of each year, then our estimates on 2011 boundaries.

Metro area (UA)
City
Census
Estimate

14 L 2026

› Show the numbers as a table

Year	Metro area (UA)	City
1951	3,36,114	3,36,114
1961	3,90,055	3,90,055
1971	4,54,805	4,54,805
1981	5,94,844	5,94,844
1991	7,08,835	7,08,835
2001	10,03,917	9,79,801
2011	11,83,549	11,32,383
2016 *	12,50,000	12,00,000
2021 *	13,00,000	12,50,000
2026 *	13,50,000	13,00,000
2031 *	13,90,000	13,30,000
2036 *	14,10,000	13,60,000

* Estimate

What the Amritsar metro area includes

Constituent units of the urban agglomeration, Census 2011. CT = census town; OG = outgrowth.

Amritsar OG 11,59,227
Nangli CT 20,440
Mudal CT 3,882

What the numbers say

The city accounts for 45.5% of the population of the district it lies in.
Within comparable limits, the city grew 15.6% between 2001 and 2011.
Literacy in the city was 84.2% in 2011, against 75.8% for Punjab.
By 2011 population it ranks 47th among the 150+ cities on this site and 2nd in Punjab.
Our 2026 estimate for the metro area is ≈13.5 lakh, on 2011 boundaries; it is not an official figure.

Cities of similar size

Census 2027 status

Results pending

Phase I: houselisting

Done (15 May 2026 – 13 June 2026)
Phase II: counting people

February 2027 (reference date 1 March 2027)
Results

Not yet released. In 2011, first figures came about a month after counting ended.

When the Registrar General publishes Census 2027 figures for Amritsar, they will appear on this page, at this address. Census 2027 explained →

Frequently asked questions

What is the population of Amritsar in 2026?

There is no official figure after Census 2011. Our estimate for 1 March 2026 is ≈13 lakh within the 2011 city limits and ≈13.5 lakh for the metro area (urban agglomeration). Both are labelled estimates (method M1).

What was the population of Amritsar in Census 2011?

11,32,383 within city limits (Amritsar (M Corp.)); the Amritsar urban agglomeration had 11,83,549; the Amritsar district had 24,90,656.

Why do sources give such different numbers for Amritsar?

They measure different areas. The municipal body covers the city proper; the urban agglomeration adds the contiguous towns and outgrowths around it; the district adds rural areas too. Quoting the district figure as the "city population" is the most common mistake.

What is the literacy rate of Amritsar?

84.2% in Census 2011 (men 86.9%, women 81.2%). The sex ratio was 884 females per 1,000 males.

Sources and method

Data updated: 4 October 2026 · Report a correction