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City in West Bengal

Howrah Population 2026

City, metro area and district compared

City · 1 March 2026

≈ 11.3 lakh Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection 1 March 2026 How this is made →

11,30,000 1.13 million 1 March 2026

Howrah is estimated at ≈11.3 lakh within its 2011 municipal limits on 1 March 2026. Census 2011 counted 10,77,075; it is part of the Kolkata urban agglomeration (1,40,57,991).

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

Howrah (municipal limits)

Census 2011
10,77,075
2026 Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection How this is made →
≈ 11.3 lakh

Metro area (UA)

Kolkata urban agglomeration

Census 2011
1,40,57,991
2026 Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection How this is made →
≈ 1.47 crore

District

Howrah district

Census 2011
48,50,029
2026 Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection How this is made →
≈ 53.22 lakh

Key figures

City 2026
≈ 11.3 lakh 11,30,000 Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection How this is made →
City · Census 2011
10.77 lakh 10,77,075 Census 2011 Final count, Census of India 2011 (ORGI) How this is made →
Metro area (UA) · 2011
1.41 crore 1,40,57,991
Metro area (UA) · 2026
≈ 1.47 crore 1,46,90,000 Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection How this is made →
Sex ratio
919 West Bengal: 950
Child sex ratio (0–6)
932 West Bengal: 956
Literacy rate
88.7% Male 91.1% · Female 86.2%
Households
2.44 lakh 4.4 people per household
Area
51.7km² Census 2011 (A-4)
Density
20,817per km² 2011
Growth 2001–11
+6.9% City
Work participation
36.9% 2011

Where it ranks

Population over time

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

Howrah: Population over time
  • Census
  • Estimate
12 L 2026
› Show the numbers as a table
YearCity
19514,33,630
19615,32,692
19717,37,877
19817,44,429
19919,50,435
200110,07,532
201110,77,075
2016 *11,00,000
2021 *11,20,000
2026 *11,30,000
2031 *11,40,000
2036 *11,50,000

* Estimate

What the Kolkata metro area includes

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

What the Kolkata metro area includes
  1. Kolkata 44,96,694
  2. Howrah 10,77,075
  3. Maheshtala 4,48,317
  4. Rajpur Sonarpur 4,24,368
  5. South Dum Dum 4,03,316
  6. Rajarhat Gopalpur 4,02,844
  7. Bhatpara OG 3,86,019
  8. Panihati 3,77,347
  9. Kamarhati 3,30,211
  10. Bally 2,93,373
  11. Barasat 2,78,435
  12. North Dum Dum 2,49,142

What the numbers say

  • Howrah is part of the Kolkata urban agglomeration, which had 1.41 crore people in 2011.
  • The city accounts for 22.2% of the population of the district it lies in.
  • Within comparable limits, the city grew 6.9% between 2001 and 2011.
  • Literacy in the city was 88.7% in 2011, against 76.3% for West Bengal.
  • There were 919 females per 1,000 males, fewer than in the state (950), typical of cities that draw male migrants for work.
  • By 2011 population it ranks 54th among the 150+ cities on this site and 3rd in West Bengal.
  • Our 2026 estimate for the city is ≈11.3 lakh, on 2011 boundaries; it is not an official figure.

Cities of similar size

Census 2027 status

Results pending

  1. Phase I: houselisting

    Done (16 August 2026 – 14 September 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 Howrah, they will appear on this page, at this address. Census 2027 explained →

Frequently asked questions

What is the population of Howrah in 2026?
There is no official figure after Census 2011. Our estimate for 1 March 2026 is ≈11.3 lakh within the 2011 city limits. Both are labelled estimates (method M1).

What was the population of Howrah in Census 2011?
10,77,075 within city limits (Haora (M Corp)); the Kolkata urban agglomeration had 1,40,57,991; the Howrah district had 48,50,029.

Why do sources give such different numbers for Howrah?
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 Howrah?
88.7% in Census 2011 (men 91.1%, women 86.2%). The sex ratio was 919 females per 1,000 males.

Sources and method

Data updated: · Report a correction