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City in Karnataka

Mangaluru Population 2026

City, metro area and district compared

Metro area (UA) · 1 March 2026

≈ 7 lakh Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection 1 March 2026 How this is made →

7,00,000 700,000 1 March 2026

The Mangaluru metro area is estimated at ≈7 lakh on 1 March 2026, and the city within its municipal limits at ≈5.6 lakh. Census 2011 counted 6,23,841 in the urban agglomeration and 4,88,968 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

Mangaluru (municipal limits)

Census 2011
4,88,968
2026 Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection How this is made →
≈ 5.6 lakh

Metro area (UA)

Mangalore urban agglomeration

Census 2011
6,23,841
2026 Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection How this is made →
≈ 7 lakh

District

Dakshina Kannada district

Census 2011
20,89,649
2026 Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection How this is made →
≈ 22.69 lakh

Key figures

City 2026
≈ 5.6 lakh 5,60,000 Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection How this is made →
City · Census 2011
4.89 lakh 4,88,968 Census 2011 Final count, Census of India 2011 (ORGI) How this is made →
Metro area (UA) · 2011
6.24 lakh 6,23,841
Metro area (UA) · 2026
≈ 7 lakh 7,00,000 Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection How this is made →
Sex ratio
1016 Karnataka: 973
Child sex ratio (0–6)
941 Karnataka: 948
Literacy rate
93.7% Male 96.1% · Female 91.4%
Households
1.12 lakh 4.4 people per household
Area
134.6km² Census 2011 (A-4)
Density
3,632per km² 2011
Growth 2001–11
+16.6% City
Work participation
41.6% 2011

Where it ranks

Population over time

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

Mangaluru: Population over time
  • Metro area (UA)
  • City
  • Census
  • Estimate
7.4 L5.8 L 2026
› Show the numbers as a table
YearMetro area (UA)City
19511,17,0831,17,083
19611,76,0031,57,167
19712,23,3351,95,800
19813,32,0762,80,779
19914,26,3413,60,395
20015,39,3874,19,306
20116,23,8414,88,968
2016 *6,60,0005,20,000
2021 *6,80,0005,40,000
2026 *7,00,0005,60,000
2031 *7,20,0005,70,000
2036 *7,40,0005,80,000

* Estimate

What the Mangalore metro area includes

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

What the Mangalore metro area includes
  1. Mangaluru OG 4,99,487
  2. Ullal 53,773
  3. Someshwar CT 24,066
  4. Kotekara CT 16,505
  5. Munnur CT 8,919
  6. Mudushedde CT 8,155
  7. Thokur-62 CT 7,433
  8. Neermarga CT 5,503

What the numbers say

  • The Mangaluru metro area (urban agglomeration) had 6.24 lakh people in 2011, 1.3 times the 4.89 lakh inside city limits.
  • The city accounts for 23.4% of the population of the district it lies in.
  • Within comparable limits, the city grew 16.6% between 2001 and 2011.
  • Literacy in the city was 93.7% in 2011, against 75.4% for Karnataka.
  • There were 1016 females per 1,000 males, more than in the state (973).
  • By 2011 population it ranks 84th among the 150+ cities on this site and 4th in Karnataka.
  • Our 2026 estimate for the metro area is ≈7 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 April 2026 – 15 May 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 Mangaluru, they will appear on this page, at this address. Census 2027 explained →

Frequently asked questions

What is the population of Mangaluru in 2026?
There is no official figure after Census 2011. Our estimate for 1 March 2026 is ≈5.6 lakh within the 2011 city limits and ≈7 lakh for the metro area (urban agglomeration). Both are labelled estimates (method M1).

What was the population of Mangaluru in Census 2011?
4,88,968 within city limits (Mangalore (M Corp.)); the Mangalore urban agglomeration had 6,23,841; the Dakshina Kannada district had 20,89,649.

Why do sources give such different numbers for Mangaluru?
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 Mangaluru?
93.7% in Census 2011 (men 96.1%, women 91.4%). The sex ratio was 1016 females per 1,000 males.

Sources and method

Data updated: · Report a correction