City in Punjab
Ludhiana Population 2026
City and district figures
City · 1 March 2026
≈ 18.6 lakh Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection 1 March 2026 How this is made →
18,60,000 1.86 million 1 March 2026
Ludhiana is estimated at ≈18.6 lakh within its 2011 municipal limits on 1 March 2026. Census 2011 counted 16,18,879.
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
Ludhiana (municipal limits)
- Census 2011
- 16,18,879
- 2026 Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection How this is made →
- ≈ 18.6 lakh
District
- Census 2011
- 34,98,739
- 2026 Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection How this is made →
- ≈ 39.82 lakh
Key figures
- City 2026
- ≈ 18.6 lakh 18,60,000 Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection How this is made →
- City · Census 2011
- 16.19 lakh 16,18,879 Census 2011 Final count, Census of India 2011 (ORGI) How this is made →
- Sex ratio
- 850 Punjab: 895
- Child sex ratio (0–6)
- 865 Punjab: 846
- Literacy rate
- 85.8% Male 88.9% · Female 82.1%
- Households
- 3.44 lakh 4.7 people per household
- Area
- 159.4km² Census 2011 (A-4)
- Density
- 10,158per km² 2011
- Growth 2001–11
- +15.8% City
- Work participation
- 36.6% 2011
- Children 0–6
- 1.84 lakh 0–6 · 2011
- Children 0–6
- 1.84 lakh 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 | 1,53,795 |
| 1961 | 2,44,032 |
| 1971 | 4,01,176 |
| 1981 | 6,07,052 |
| 1991 | 10,42,740 |
| 2001 | 13,98,467 |
| 2011 | 16,18,879 |
| 2016 * | 17,10,000 |
| 2021 * | 17,90,000 |
| 2026 * | 18,60,000 |
| 2031 * | 19,10,000 |
| 2036 * | 19,40,000 |
* Estimate
What the numbers say
- The city accounts for 46.3% of the population of the district it lies in.
- Within comparable limits, the city grew 15.8% between 2001 and 2011.
- Literacy in the city was 85.8% in 2011, against 75.8% for Punjab.
- There were 850 females per 1,000 males, fewer than in the state (895), typical of cities that draw male migrants for work.
- By 2011 population it ranks 30th among the 150+ cities on this site and 1st in Punjab.
- Our 2026 estimate for the city is ≈18.6 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 Ludhiana, they will appear on this page, at this address. Census 2027 explained →