City in Gujarat
Bhavnagar Population 2026
City, metro area and district compared
Metro area (UA) · 1 March 2026
≈ 7.3 lakh Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection 1 March 2026 How this is made →
7,30,000 730,000 1 March 2026
The Bhavnagar metro area is estimated at ≈7.3 lakh on 1 March 2026, and the city within its municipal limits at ≈7.1 lakh. Census 2011 counted 6,05,882 in the urban agglomeration and 5,93,368 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
Bhavnagar (municipal limits)
- Census 2011
- 5,93,368
- 2026 Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection How this is made →
- ≈ 7.1 lakh
Metro area (UA)
Bhavnagar urban agglomeration
- Census 2011
- 6,05,882
- 2026 Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection How this is made →
- ≈ 7.3 lakh
District
- Census 2011
- 23,99,061
- 2026 Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection How this is made →
- ≈ 28.81 lakh
Key figures
- City 2026
- ≈ 7.1 lakh 7,10,000 Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection How this is made →
- City · Census 2011
- 5.93 lakh 5,93,368 Census 2011 Final count, Census of India 2011 (ORGI) How this is made →
- Metro area (UA) · 2011
- 6.06 lakh 6,05,882
- Metro area (UA) · 2026
- ≈ 7.3 lakh 7,30,000 Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection How this is made →
- Sex ratio
- 921 Gujarat: 919
- Child sex ratio (0–6)
- 844 Gujarat: 890
- Literacy rate
- 84.7% Male 90.2% · Female 78.9%
- Households
- 1.23 lakh 4.8 people per household
- Area
- 53.3km² Census 2011 (A-4)
- Density
- 11,133per km² 2011
- Work participation
- 33.6% 2011
- Children 0–6
- 65.7 thousand 0–6 · 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 | 1,37,951 | 1,37,951 |
| 1961 | 1,76,473 | 1,76,473 |
| 1971 | 2,25,974 | 2,25,358 |
| 1981 | 3,08,642 | 3,07,121 |
| 1991 | 4,05,225 | 4,02,338 |
| 2001 | 5,17,708 | 5,11,085 |
| 2011 | 6,05,882 | 5,93,368 |
| 2016 * | 6,50,000 | 6,40,000 |
| 2021 * | 6,90,000 | 6,80,000 |
| 2026 * | 7,30,000 | 7,10,000 |
| 2031 * | 7,60,000 | 7,40,000 |
| 2036 * | 7,90,000 | 7,70,000 |
* Estimate
What the numbers say
- The city accounts for 24.7% of the population of the district it lies in.
- Literacy in the city was 84.7% in 2011, against 78.0% for Gujarat.
- By 2011 population it ranks 86th among the 150+ cities on this site and 5th in Gujarat.
- Our 2026 estimate for the metro area is ≈7.3 lakh, on 2011 boundaries; it is not an official figure.
Cities of similar size
Census 2027 status
Results pending-
Phase I: houselisting
Done (20 April 2026 – 19 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 Bhavnagar, they will appear on this page, at this address. Census 2027 explained →
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Bhavnagar in 2026?
What was the population of Bhavnagar in Census 2011?
Why do sources give such different numbers for Bhavnagar?
What is the literacy rate of Bhavnagar?
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