City in Rajasthan
Bikaner Population 2026
City and district figures
City · 1 March 2026
≈ 7.9 lakh Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection 1 March 2026 How this is made →
7,90,000 790,000 1 March 2026
Bikaner is estimated at ≈7.9 lakh within its 2011 municipal limits on 1 March 2026. Census 2011 counted 6,44,406.
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
Bikaner (municipal limits)
- Census 2011
- 6,44,406
- 2026 Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection How this is made →
- ≈ 7.9 lakh
District
- Census 2011
- 23,63,937
- 2026 Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection How this is made →
- ≈ 29.34 lakh
Key figures
- City 2026
- ≈ 7.9 lakh 7,90,000 Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection How this is made →
- City · Census 2011
- 6.44 lakh 6,44,406 Census 2011 Final count, Census of India 2011 (ORGI) How this is made →
- Sex ratio
- 904 Rajasthan: 928
- Child sex ratio (0–6)
- 905 Rajasthan: 888
- Literacy rate
- 79.3% Male 86.6% · Female 71.2%
- Households
- 1.15 lakh 5.6 people per household
- Area
- 155.0km² Census 2011 (A-4)
- Density
- 4,157per km² 2011
- Growth 2001–11
- +21.7% City
- Work participation
- 32.0% 2011
- Children 0–6
- 84.1 thousand 0–6 · 2011
- Children 0–6
- 84.1 thousand 0–6 · 2011
Where it ranks
Population over time
Census counts within the limits of each year, then our estimates on 2011 boundaries.
- Census
- Estimate
› Show the numbers as a table
| Year | City |
|---|---|
| 1951 | 1,30,293 |
| 1961 | 1,66,772 |
| 1971 | 2,08,894 |
| 1981 | 2,87,712 |
| 1991 | 4,16,289 |
| 2001 | 5,29,690 |
| 2011 | 6,44,406 |
| 2016 * | 7,00,000 |
| 2021 * | 7,50,000 |
| 2026 * | 7,90,000 |
| 2031 * | 8,20,000 |
| 2036 * | 8,50,000 |
* Estimate
What the numbers say
- The city accounts for 27.3% of the population of the district it lies in.
- Within comparable limits, the city grew 21.7% between 2001 and 2011.
- Literacy in the city was 79.3% in 2011, against 66.1% for Rajasthan.
- There were 904 females per 1,000 males, fewer than in the state (928), typical of cities that draw male migrants for work.
- By 2011 population it ranks 82nd among the 150+ cities on this site and 4th in Rajasthan.
- Our 2026 estimate for the city is ≈7.9 lakh, on 2011 boundaries; it is not an official figure.
Cities of similar size
Census 2027 status
Results pending-
Phase I: houselisting
Done (16 May 2026 – 14 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 Bikaner, they will appear on this page, at this address. Census 2027 explained →