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City in Uttar Pradesh

Ghaziabad Population 2026

City, metro area and district compared

Metro area (UA) · 1 March 2026

≈ 32.5 lakh Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection 1 March 2026 How this is made →

32,50,000 3.25 million 1 March 2026

The Ghaziabad metro area is estimated at ≈32.5 lakh on 1 March 2026, and the city within its municipal limits at ≈22.6 lakh. Census 2011 counted 23,75,820 in the urban agglomeration and 16,48,643 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

Ghaziabad (municipal limits)

Census 2011
16,48,643
2026 Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection How this is made →
≈ 22.6 lakh

Metro area (UA)

Ghaziabad urban agglomeration

Census 2011
23,75,820
2026 Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection How this is made →
≈ 32.5 lakh

District

Ghaziabad district

Census 2011
33,43,334
2026 Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection How this is made →
≈ 45.8 lakh

Key figures

City 2026
≈ 22.6 lakh 22,60,000 Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection How this is made →
City · Census 2011
16.49 lakh 16,48,643 Census 2011 Final count, Census of India 2011 (ORGI) How this is made →
Metro area (UA) · 2011
23.76 lakh 23,75,820
Metro area (UA) · 2026
≈ 32.5 lakh 32,50,000 Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection How this is made →
Sex ratio
885 Uttar Pradesh: 912
Child sex ratio (0–6)
835 Uttar Pradesh: 902
Literacy rate
84.8% Male 89.5% · Female 79.5%
Households
3.36 lakh 4.9 people per household
Area
220.0km² Census 2011 (A-4)
Density
7,494per km² 2011
Work participation
35.0% 2011
Children 0–6
2.09 lakh 0–6 · 2011

Where it ranks

Population over time

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

Ghaziabad: Population over time
  • Metro area (UA)
  • City
  • Census
  • Estimate
38 L26 L 2026
› Show the numbers as a table
YearMetro area (UA)City
195143,74543,745
196170,43870,438
19711,37,0331,37,033
19812,97,4292,87,170
19915,78,6805,11,759
200112,17,5439,68,256
201123,75,82016,48,643
2016 *26,70,00018,60,000
2021 *29,70,00020,60,000
2026 *32,50,00022,60,000
2031 *35,10,00024,40,000
2036 *37,60,00026,10,000

* Estimate

What the Ghaziabad metro area includes

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

What the Ghaziabad metro area includes
  1. Ghaziabad 16,48,643
  2. Loni 5,16,082
  3. Khora CT 1,90,005
  4. Haqiqatpur Urf Khudawas CT 15,324
  5. Banthla CT 5,766

What the numbers say

  • The Ghaziabad metro area (urban agglomeration) had 23.76 lakh people in 2011, 1.4 times the 16.49 lakh inside city limits.
  • The city accounts for 49.3% of the population of the district it lies in.
  • Literacy in the city was 84.8% in 2011, against 67.7% for Uttar Pradesh.
  • There were 885 females per 1,000 males, fewer than in the state (912), typical of cities that draw male migrants for work.
  • By 2011 population it ranks 14th among the 150+ cities on this site and 3rd in Uttar Pradesh.
  • Our 2026 estimate for the metro area is ≈32.5 lakh, on 2011 boundaries; it is not an official figure.

Cities of similar size

Census 2027 status

Results pending

  1. Phase I: houselisting

    Done (22 May 2026 – 20 June 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 Ghaziabad, they will appear on this page, at this address. Census 2027 explained →

Frequently asked questions

What is the population of Ghaziabad in 2026?
There is no official figure after Census 2011. Our estimate for 1 March 2026 is ≈22.6 lakh within the 2011 city limits and ≈32.5 lakh for the metro area (urban agglomeration). Both are labelled estimates (method M1).

What was the population of Ghaziabad in Census 2011?
16,48,643 within city limits (Ghaziabad (M Corp.)); the Ghaziabad urban agglomeration had 23,75,820; the Ghaziabad district had 33,43,334.

Why do sources give such different numbers for Ghaziabad?
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 Ghaziabad?
84.8% in Census 2011 (men 89.5%, women 79.5%). The sex ratio was 885 females per 1,000 males.

Sources and method

Data updated: · Report a correction