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City in West Bengal

Kolkata Population 2026

City, metro area and district compared

Metro area (UA) · 1 March 2026

≈ 1.47 crore Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection 1 March 2026 How this is made →

1,46,90,000 14.69 million 1 March 2026

The Kolkata metro area is estimated at ≈1.47 crore on 1 March 2026, and the city within its municipal limits at ≈45 lakh. Census 2011 counted 1,40,57,991 in the urban agglomeration and 44,96,694 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

Kolkata (municipal limits)

Census 2011
44,96,694
2026 Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection How this is made →
≈ 45 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

Kolkata district

Census 2011
44,96,694
2026 Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection How this is made →
≈ 44.31 lakh

Key figures

City 2026
≈ 45 lakh 45,00,000 Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection How this is made →
City · Census 2011
44.97 lakh 44,96,694 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
908 West Bengal: 950
Child sex ratio (0–6)
933 West Bengal: 956
Literacy rate
86.3% Male 88.3% · Female 84.1%
Households
10.25 lakh 4.4 people per household
Area
185.0km² Census 2011 (A-4)
Density
24,306per km² 2011
Growth 2001–11
−1.8% City
Work participation
39.9% 2011

Where it ranks

Population over time

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

Kolkata: Population over time
  • Metro area (UA)
  • City
  • Census
  • Estimate
1.5 cr45 L 2026
› Show the numbers as a table
YearMetro area (UA)City
195146,85,86929,11,709
196160,08,65633,06,805
197174,47,42937,16,377
198192,32,10341,26,846
19911,11,10,31443,99,819
20011,32,51,33945,80,546
20111,40,57,99144,96,694
2016 *1,43,20,00045,00,000
2021 *1,45,30,00045,00,000
2026 *1,46,90,00045,00,000
2031 *1,48,00,00045,00,000
2036 *1,48,50,00045,00,000

* 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

  • The Kolkata metro area (urban agglomeration) had 1.41 crore people in 2011, 3.1 times the 44.97 lakh inside city limits.
  • Within comparable limits, the city grew -1.8% between 2001 and 2011, one of the few large cities to shrink.
  • Literacy in the city was 86.3% in 2011, against 76.3% for West Bengal.
  • There were 908 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 3rd among the 150+ cities on this site and 1st in West Bengal.
  • Our 2026 estimate for the metro area is ≈1.47 crore, 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 Kolkata, they will appear on this page, at this address. Census 2027 explained →

Frequently asked questions

What is the population of Kolkata in 2026?
There is no official figure after Census 2011. Our estimate for 1 March 2026 is ≈45 lakh within the 2011 city limits and ≈1.47 crore for the metro area (urban agglomeration). Both are labelled estimates (method M1).

What was the population of Kolkata in Census 2011?
44,96,694 within city limits (Kolkata (M Corp.)); the Kolkata urban agglomeration had 1,40,57,991; the Kolkata district had 44,96,694.

Why do sources give such different numbers for Kolkata?
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 Kolkata?
86.3% in Census 2011 (men 88.3%, women 84.1%). The sex ratio was 908 females per 1,000 males.

Sources and method

Data updated: · Report a correction