City in Ladakh
Leh Population 2026
City and district figures
City · 1 March 2026
≈ 33 thousand Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection 1 March 2026 How this is made →
33,000 33,000 1 March 2026
Leh is estimated at ≈33 thousand within its 2011 municipal limits on 1 March 2026. Census 2011 counted 30,870.
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
Leh (municipal limits)
- Census 2011
- 30,870
- 2026 Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection How this is made →
- ≈ 33 thousand
District
- Census 2011
- 1,33,487
- 2026 Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection How this is made →
- ≈ 1.46 lakh
Key figures
- City 2026
- ≈ 33 thousand 33,000 Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection How this is made →
- City · Census 2011
- 30.9 thousand 30,870 Census 2011 Final count, Census of India 2011 (ORGI) How this is made →
- Sex ratio
- 425 Ladakh: 750
- Child sex ratio (0–6)
- 987 Ladakh: 966
- Literacy rate
- 90.3% Male 94.9% · Female 78.9%
- Households
- 4.4 thousand 7.1 people per household
- Area
- 9.2km² Census 2011 (A-4)
- Density
- 3,374per km² 2011
- Growth 2001–11
- +7.8% City
- Work participation
- 63.3% 2011
- Children 0–6
- 1.7 thousand 0–6 · 2011
- Children 0–6
- 1.7 thousand 0–6 · 2011
Where it ranks
Population over time
Census counts within the limits of each year, then our estimates on 2011 boundaries.
- Census
- Estimate
› Show the numbers as a table
| Year | City |
|---|---|
| 1951 | 3,546 |
| 1961 | 3,720 |
| 1971 | 5,519 |
| 1981 | 8,718 |
| 2001 | 28,639 |
| 2011 | 30,870 |
| 2016 * | 32,000 |
| 2021 * | 32,000 |
| 2026 * | 33,000 |
| 2031 * | 33,000 |
| 2036 * | 33,000 |
* Estimate
What the numbers say
- The city accounts for 23.1% of the population of the district it lies in.
- Within comparable limits, the city grew 7.8% between 2001 and 2011.
- Literacy in the city was 90.3% in 2011, against 74.3% for Ladakh.
- There were 425 females per 1,000 males, fewer than in the state (750), typical of cities that draw male migrants for work.
- By 2011 population it ranks 160th among the 150+ cities on this site and 1st in Ladakh.
- Our 2026 estimate for the city is ≈33 thousand, on 2011 boundaries; it is not an official figure.
Cities of similar size
Census 2027 status
Results pending-
Phase I: houselisting
Done (1 June 2026 – 30 June 2026)
-
Phase II: counting people
Done in September 2026 (reference date 1 October 2026)
-
Results
Not yet released. In 2011, first figures came about a month after counting ended.
When the Registrar General publishes Census 2027 figures for Leh, they will appear on this page, at this address. Census 2027 explained →