City in Punjab

Jalandhar Population 2026

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

8,62,886 within city limits (Jalandhar (M Corp.)); the Jalandhar urban agglomeration had 8,74,412; the Jalandhar district had 21,93,526.

City, metro area and district compared

Metro area (UA) · 1 March 2026

≈ 9.7 lakh Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection 1 March 2026 How this is made →

9,70,000 970,000 1 March 2026

The Jalandhar metro area is estimated at ≈9.7 lakh on 1 March 2026, and the city within its municipal limits at ≈10.3 lakh. Census 2011 counted 8,74,412 in the urban agglomeration and 8,62,886 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

Jalandhar (municipal limits)

Census 2011: 8,62,886
2026 Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection How this is made →: ≈ 10.3 lakh

Metro area (UA)

Jalandhar urban agglomeration

Census 2011: 8,74,412
2026 Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection How this is made →: ≈ 9.7 lakh

District

Jalandhar district

Census 2011: 21,93,526
2026 Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection How this is made →: ≈ 24.38 lakh

Key figures

City 2026: ≈ 10.3 lakh 10,30,000 Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection How this is made →
City · Census 2011: 8.63 lakh 8,62,886 Census 2011 Final count, Census of India 2011 (ORGI) How this is made →
Metro area (UA) · 2011: 8.74 lakh 8,74,412
Metro area (UA) · 2026: ≈ 9.7 lakh 9,70,000 Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection How this is made →
Sex ratio: 886 Punjab: 895
Child sex ratio (0–6): 865 Punjab: 846
Literacy rate: 86.2% Male 88.8% · Female 83.3%
Households: 1.85 lakh 4.7 people per household
Area: 101.4km² Census 2011 (A-4)
Density: 8,507per km² 2011
Growth 2001–11: +21.5% City
Work participation: 36.9% 2011

Population over time

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

Metro area (UA)
City
Census
Estimate

10 L11 L 2026

› Show the numbers as a table

Year	Metro area (UA)	City
1951	1,68,816	1,68,816
1961	2,22,569	2,22,569
1971	2,96,106	2,96,106
1981	4,08,196	4,08,196
1991	5,09,510	5,09,510
2001	7,14,077	7,10,078
2011	8,74,412	8,62,886
2016 *	9,10,000	9,30,000
2021 *	9,50,000	9,90,000
2026 *	9,70,000	10,30,000
2031 *	9,90,000	10,70,000
2036 *	10,00,000	11,00,000

* Estimate

What the Jalandhar metro area includes

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

Jalandhar OG 8,68,929
Khambra CT 5,483

What the numbers say

The city accounts for 39.3% of the population of the district it lies in.
Within comparable limits, the city grew 21.5% between 2001 and 2011.
Literacy in the city was 86.2% in 2011, against 75.8% for Punjab.
By 2011 population it ranks 70th among the 150+ cities on this site and 3rd in Punjab.
Our 2026 estimate for the metro area is ≈9.7 lakh, on 2011 boundaries; it is not an official figure.

Cities of similar size

Census 2027 status

Results pending

Phase I: houselisting

Done (15 May 2026 – 13 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 Jalandhar, they will appear on this page, at this address. Census 2027 explained →

Frequently asked questions

What is the population of Jalandhar in 2026?

There is no official figure after Census 2011. Our estimate for 1 March 2026 is ≈10.3 lakh within the 2011 city limits and ≈9.7 lakh for the metro area (urban agglomeration). Both are labelled estimates (method M1).

What was the population of Jalandhar in Census 2011?

8,62,886 within city limits (Jalandhar (M Corp.)); the Jalandhar urban agglomeration had 8,74,412; the Jalandhar district had 21,93,526.

Why do sources give such different numbers for Jalandhar?

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 Jalandhar?

86.2% in Census 2011 (men 88.8%, women 83.3%). The sex ratio was 886 females per 1,000 males.

Sources and method

Data updated: 4 October 2026 · Report a correction