City in Delhi

Delhi Population 2026

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

1,10,34,555 within city limits (DMC (U)); the Delhi urban agglomeration had 1,63,49,831; the Central and East and New Delhi and Outer North and North and South and South West districts had 1,45,97,778.

City, metro area and district compared

Metro area (UA) · 1 March 2026

≈ 2.19 crore Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection 1 March 2026 How this is made →

2,19,50,000 21.95 million 1 March 2026

The Delhi metro area is estimated at ≈2.19 crore on 1 March 2026, and the city within its municipal limits at ≈1.31 crore. Census 2011 counted 1,63,49,831 in the urban agglomeration and 1,10,34,555 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

Delhi (municipal limits)

Census 2011: 1,10,34,555
2026 Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection How this is made →: ≈ 1.31 crore

Metro area (UA)

Delhi urban agglomeration

Census 2011: 1,63,49,831
2026 Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection How this is made →: ≈ 2.19 crore

District

Central + East + New Delhi + Outer North + North + South + South West districts

Census 2011: 1,45,97,778
2026 Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection How this is made →: ≈ 1.95 crore

Key figures

City 2026: ≈ 1.31 crore 1,30,70,000 Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection How this is made →
City · Census 2011: 1.1 crore 1,10,34,555 Census 2011 Final count, Census of India 2011 (ORGI) How this is made →
Metro area (UA) · 2011: 1.63 crore 1,63,49,831
Metro area (UA) · 2026: ≈ 2.19 crore 2,19,50,000 Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection How this is made →
Sex ratio: 876 Delhi: 868
Child sex ratio (0–6): 871 Delhi: 871
Literacy rate: 87.6% Male 91.5% · Female 83.2%
Households: 23.07 lakh 4.8 people per household
Area: 561.3km² Census 2011 (A-4)
Density: 19,660per km² 2011
Growth 2001–11: +11.7% City
Work participation: 34.3% 2011

#2 / 160
among cities on this site
#1 / 1
in Delhi

Population over time

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

Metro area (UA)
City
Census
Estimate

2.6 cr1.4 cr 2026

› Show the numbers as a table

Year	Metro area (UA)	City
1951	14,37,134	11,19,870
1961	23,59,408	20,61,758
1971	36,47,023	32,87,883
1981	57,60,811	50,99,539
1991	84,71,625	74,23,193
2001	1,28,95,547	98,79,172
2011	1,63,49,831	1,10,34,555
2016 *	1,81,90,000	1,17,30,000
2021 *	2,00,30,000	1,24,00,000
2026 *	2,19,50,000	1,30,70,000
2031 *	2,39,10,000	1,37,30,000
2036 *	2,59,00,000	1,43,80,000

* Estimate

What the Delhi metro area includes

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

Delhi 1,10,34,555
Kirari Suleman Nagar CT 2,83,211
NDMC 2,57,803
Karawal Nagar CT 2,24,281
Nangloi Jat CT 2,05,596
Bhalswa Jahangir Pur CT 1,97,148
Sultan Pur Majra CT 1,81,554
Hastsal CT 1,76,877
Deoli CT 1,69,122
Dallo Pura CT 1,54,791
Burari CT 1,46,190
Mustafabad CT 1,27,167

What the numbers say

The Delhi metro area (urban agglomeration) had 1.63 crore people in 2011, 1.5 times the 1.1 crore inside city limits.
The city accounts for 75.6% of the population of the districts it lies in.
Within comparable limits, the city grew 11.7% between 2001 and 2011.
Literacy in the city was 87.6% in 2011, against 86.2% for Delhi.
By 2011 population it ranks 2nd among the 150+ cities on this site and 1st in Delhi.
Our 2026 estimate for the metro area is ≈2.19 crore, on 2011 boundaries; it is not an official figure.

Note: Delhi Municipal Corporation (Urban) in 2011; trifurcated 2012 and reunified as MCD in 2022.

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 Delhi, they will appear on this page, at this address. Census 2027 explained →

Frequently asked questions

What is the population of Delhi in 2026?

There is no official figure after Census 2011. Our estimate for 1 March 2026 is ≈1.31 crore within the 2011 city limits and ≈2.19 crore for the metro area (urban agglomeration). Both are labelled estimates (method M1).

What was the population of Delhi in Census 2011?

1,10,34,555 within city limits (DMC (U)); the Delhi urban agglomeration had 1,63,49,831; the Central and East and New Delhi and Outer North and North and South and South West districts had 1,45,97,778.

Why do sources give such different numbers for Delhi?

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 Delhi?

87.6% in Census 2011 (men 91.5%, women 83.2%). The sex ratio was 876 females per 1,000 males.

Sources and method

Data updated: 4 October 2026 · Report a correction