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City in Chhattisgarh

Bhilai Population 2026

City, metro area and district compared

City · 1 March 2026

≈ 7 lakh Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection 1 March 2026 How this is made →

7,00,000 700,000 1 March 2026

Bhilai is estimated at ≈7 lakh within its 2011 municipal limits on 1 March 2026. Census 2011 counted 6,25,700; it is part of the Durg-Bhilainagar urban agglomeration (10,64,222).

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

Bhilai (municipal limits)

Census 2011
6,25,700
2026 Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection How this is made →
≈ 7 lakh

Metro area (UA)

Durg-Bhilainagar urban agglomeration

Census 2011
10,64,222
2026 Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection How this is made →
≈ 12.2 lakh

District

Durg district

Census 2011
17,21,948
2026 Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection How this is made →
≈ 20.51 lakh

Key figures

City 2026
≈ 7 lakh 7,00,000 Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection How this is made →
City · Census 2011
6.26 lakh 6,25,700 Census 2011 Final count, Census of India 2011 (ORGI) How this is made →
Metro area (UA) · 2011
10.64 lakh 10,64,222
Metro area (UA) · 2026
≈ 12.2 lakh 12,20,000 Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection How this is made →
Sex ratio
941 Chhattisgarh: 991
Child sex ratio (0–6)
922 Chhattisgarh: 969
Literacy rate
86.6% Male 92.2% · Female 80.7%
Households
1.35 lakh 4.6 people per household
Area
141.3km² Census 2011 (A-4)
Density
4,428per km² 2011
Growth 2001–11
+12.5% City
Work participation
32.7% 2011

Where it ranks

Population over time

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

Bhilai: Population over time
  • Census
  • Estimate
7.4 L 2026
› Show the numbers as a table
YearCity
196186,116
19711,74,370
19813,19,450
19914,61,352
20015,56,366
20116,25,700
2016 *6,50,000
2021 *6,80,000
2026 *7,00,000
2031 *7,20,000
2036 *7,40,000

* Estimate

What the Durg-Bhilainagar metro area includes

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

What the Durg-Bhilainagar metro area includes
  1. Bhilai OG 6,27,734
  2. Durg 2,68,806
  3. Bhilai Charoda 98,008
  4. Kumhari 35,044
  5. Jamul 25,878
  6. Utai 8,752

What the numbers say

  • Bhilai is part of the Durg-Bhilainagar urban agglomeration, which had 10.64 lakh people in 2011.
  • The city accounts for 36.3% of the population of the district it lies in.
  • Within comparable limits, the city grew 12.5% between 2001 and 2011.
  • Literacy in the city was 86.6% in 2011, against 70.3% for Chhattisgarh.
  • There were 941 females per 1,000 males, fewer than in the state (991), typical of cities that draw male migrants for work.
  • By 2011 population it ranks 83rd among the 150+ cities on this site and 3rd in Chhattisgarh.
  • Our 2026 estimate for the city is ≈7 lakh, on 2011 boundaries; it is not an official figure.

Cities of similar size

Census 2027 status

Results pending

  1. Phase I: houselisting

    Done (1 May 2026 – 30 May 2026)

  2. Phase II: counting people

    February 2027 (reference date 1 March 2027)

  3. Results

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

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

Frequently asked questions

What is the population of Bhilai in 2026?
There is no official figure after Census 2011. Our estimate for 1 March 2026 is ≈7 lakh within the 2011 city limits. Both are labelled estimates (method M1).

What was the population of Bhilai in Census 2011?
6,25,700 within city limits (Bhilai Nagar (M Corp.)); the Durg-Bhilainagar urban agglomeration had 10,64,222; the Durg district had 17,21,948.

Why do sources give such different numbers for Bhilai?
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 Bhilai?
86.6% in Census 2011 (men 92.2%, women 80.7%). The sex ratio was 941 females per 1,000 males.

Sources and method

Data updated: · Report a correction