City in Karnataka
Belagavi Population 2026
City, metro area and district compared
Metro area (UA) · 1 March 2026
≈ 7.1 lakh Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection 1 March 2026 How this is made →
7,10,000 710,000 1 March 2026
The Belagavi metro area is estimated at ≈7.1 lakh on 1 March 2026, and the city within its municipal limits at ≈5.8 lakh. Census 2011 counted 6,10,350 in the urban agglomeration and 4,88,157 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
Belagavi (municipal limits)
- Census 2011
- 4,88,157
- 2026 Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection How this is made →
- ≈ 5.8 lakh
Metro area (UA)
Belgaum urban agglomeration
- Census 2011
- 6,10,350
- 2026 Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection How this is made →
- ≈ 7.1 lakh
District
- Census 2011
- 47,79,661
- 2026 Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection How this is made →
- ≈ 53.05 lakh
Key figures
- City 2026
- ≈ 5.8 lakh 5,80,000 Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection How this is made →
- City · Census 2011
- 4.88 lakh 4,88,157 Census 2011 Final count, Census of India 2011 (ORGI) How this is made →
- Metro area (UA) · 2011
- 6.1 lakh 6,10,350
- Metro area (UA) · 2026
- ≈ 7.1 lakh 7,10,000 Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection How this is made →
- Sex ratio
- 988 Karnataka: 973
- Child sex ratio (0–6)
- 936 Karnataka: 948
- Literacy rate
- 89.8% Male 93.8% · Female 85.8%
- Households
- 1.11 lakh 4.4 people per household
- Area
- 99.6km² Census 2011 (A-4)
- Density
- 4,901per km² 2011
- Growth 2001–11
- +22.1% City
- Work participation
- 35.0% 2011
Where it ranks
Population over time
Census counts within the limits of each year, then our estimates on 2011 boundaries.
- Metro area (UA)
- City
- Census
- Estimate
› Show the numbers as a table
| Year | Metro area (UA) | City |
|---|---|---|
| 1951 | 1,22,793 | 1,06,076 |
| 1961 | 1,46,790 | 1,27,885 |
| 1971 | 2,13,872 | 1,92,427 |
| 1981 | 3,00,372 | 2,74,430 |
| 1991 | 4,02,412 | 3,27,223 |
| 2001 | 5,06,480 | 3,99,653 |
| 2011 | 6,10,350 | 4,88,157 |
| 2016 * | 6,50,000 | 5,20,000 |
| 2021 * | 6,90,000 | 5,50,000 |
| 2026 * | 7,10,000 | 5,80,000 |
| 2031 * | 7,40,000 | 6,00,000 |
| 2036 * | 7,50,000 | 6,10,000 |
* Estimate
What the Belgaum metro area includes
Constituent units of the urban agglomeration, Census 2011. CT = census town; OG = outgrowth.
- Belagavi OG 4,90,045
- Belgaum Cantonment Cantonment 19,411
- Machche CT 18,073
- Peeranwadi CT 17,874
- Kakati CT 13,946
- Hindalgi CT 13,741
- Benakanahalli CT 10,999
- Kangrali CT 10,496
- Kangrali CT 8,204
- Mutga CT 7,561
What the numbers say
- The Belagavi metro area (urban agglomeration) had 6.1 lakh people in 2011, 1.3 times the 4.88 lakh inside city limits.
- The city accounts for 10.2% of the population of the district it lies in.
- Within comparable limits, the city grew 22.1% between 2001 and 2011.
- Literacy in the city was 89.8% in 2011, against 75.4% for Karnataka.
- There were 988 females per 1,000 males, more than in the state (973).
- By 2011 population it ranks 85th among the 150+ cities on this site and 5th in Karnataka.
- Our 2026 estimate for the metro area is ≈7.1 lakh, on 2011 boundaries; it is not an official figure.
Cities of similar size
Census 2027 status
Results pending-
Phase I: houselisting
Done (16 April 2026 – 15 May 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 Belagavi, they will appear on this page, at this address. Census 2027 explained →
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Belagavi in 2026?
What was the population of Belagavi in Census 2011?
Why do sources give such different numbers for Belagavi?
What is the literacy rate of Belagavi?
Sources and method
- Census of India 2011, Primary Census Abstract (ORGI)
- Census 2011 Table A-4: towns and urban agglomerations since 1901
- Census 2011 Primary Census Abstract for urban agglomerations
- Report of the Technical Group on Population Projections 2011–2036 (July 2020)
- Our estimation method M1 (formulas and checks)
Data updated: · Report a correction