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City in Uttar Pradesh

Meerut Population 2026

City, metro area and district compared

Metro area (UA) · 1 March 2026

≈ 17.4 lakh Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection 1 March 2026 How this is made →

17,40,000 1.74 million 1 March 2026

The Meerut metro area is estimated at ≈17.4 lakh on 1 March 2026, and the city within its municipal limits at ≈16.1 lakh. Census 2011 counted 14,20,902 in the urban agglomeration and 13,05,429 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

Meerut (municipal limits)

Census 2011
13,05,429
2026 Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection How this is made →
≈ 16.1 lakh

Metro area (UA)

Meerut urban agglomeration

Census 2011
14,20,902
2026 Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection How this is made →
≈ 17.4 lakh

District

Meerut district

Census 2011
34,43,689
2026 Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection How this is made →
≈ 40.64 lakh

Key figures

City 2026
≈ 16.1 lakh 16,10,000 Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection How this is made →
City · Census 2011
13.05 lakh 13,05,429 Census 2011 Final count, Census of India 2011 (ORGI) How this is made →
Metro area (UA) · 2011
14.21 lakh 14,20,902
Metro area (UA) · 2026
≈ 17.4 lakh 17,40,000 Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection How this is made →
Sex ratio
897 Uttar Pradesh: 912
Child sex ratio (0–6)
847 Uttar Pradesh: 902
Literacy rate
75.7% Male 81.0% · Female 69.8%
Households
2.32 lakh 5.6 people per household
Area
141.9km² Census 2011 (A-4)
Density
9,197per km² 2011
Growth 2001–11
+22.1% City
Work participation
31.2% 2011

Where it ranks

Population over time

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

Meerut: Population over time
  • Metro area (UA)
  • City
  • Census
  • Estimate
19 L 2026
› Show the numbers as a table
YearMetro area (UA)City
19512,45,1791,70,403
19612,94,8532,19,519
19713,83,1062,97,691
19815,42,9984,48,788
19918,49,7997,53,778
200111,72,10610,68,772
201114,20,90213,05,429
2016 *15,40,00014,20,000
2021 *16,50,00015,30,000
2026 *17,40,00016,10,000
2031 *18,10,00016,80,000
2036 *18,60,00017,30,000

* Estimate

What the Meerut metro area includes

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

What the Meerut metro area includes
  1. Meerut 13,05,429
  2. Meerut Cantonment 93,312
  3. Aminagar Urf Bhurbaral CT 6,141
  4. Amehra Adipur CT 5,485
  5. Sindhawali CT 5,335
  6. Mohiuddinpur CT 5,200

What the numbers say

  • The Meerut metro area (urban agglomeration) had 14.21 lakh people in 2011, 1.1 times the 13.05 lakh inside city limits.
  • The city accounts for 37.9% of the population of the district it lies in.
  • Within comparable limits, the city grew 22.1% between 2001 and 2011.
  • Literacy in the city was 75.7% in 2011, against 67.7% for Uttar Pradesh.
  • There were 897 females per 1,000 males, fewer than in the state (912), typical of cities that draw male migrants for work.
  • By 2011 population it ranks 35th among the 150+ cities on this site and 6th in Uttar Pradesh.
  • Our 2026 estimate for the metro area is ≈17.4 lakh, on 2011 boundaries; it is not an official figure.

Cities of similar size

Census 2027 status

Results pending

  1. Phase I: houselisting

    Done (22 May 2026 – 20 June 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 Meerut, they will appear on this page, at this address. Census 2027 explained →

Frequently asked questions

What is the population of Meerut in 2026?
There is no official figure after Census 2011. Our estimate for 1 March 2026 is ≈16.1 lakh within the 2011 city limits and ≈17.4 lakh for the metro area (urban agglomeration). Both are labelled estimates (method M1).

What was the population of Meerut in Census 2011?
13,05,429 within city limits (Meerut (M Corp.)); the Meerut urban agglomeration had 14,20,902; the Meerut district had 34,43,689.

Why do sources give such different numbers for Meerut?
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 Meerut?
75.7% in Census 2011 (men 81.0%, women 69.8%). The sex ratio was 897 females per 1,000 males.

Sources and method

Data updated: · Report a correction