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City in Uttar Pradesh

Prayagraj Population 2026

City, metro area and district compared · formerly Allahabad

Metro area (UA) · 1 March 2026

≈ 14.8 lakh Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection 1 March 2026 How this is made →

14,80,000 1.48 million 1 March 2026

The Prayagraj metro area is estimated at ≈14.8 lakh on 1 March 2026, and the city within its municipal limits at ≈12.8 lakh. Census 2011 counted 12,12,395 in the urban agglomeration and 11,12,544 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

Prayagraj (municipal limits)

Census 2011
11,12,544
2026 Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection How this is made →
≈ 12.8 lakh

Metro area (UA)

Allahabad urban agglomeration

Census 2011
12,12,395
2026 Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection How this is made →
≈ 14.8 lakh

District

Prayagraj district

Census 2011
59,54,391
2026 Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection How this is made →
≈ 72.45 lakh

Key figures

City 2026
≈ 12.8 lakh 12,80,000 Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection How this is made →
City · Census 2011
11.13 lakh 11,12,544 Census 2011 Final count, Census of India 2011 (ORGI) How this is made →
Metro area (UA) · 2011
12.12 lakh 12,12,395
Metro area (UA) · 2026
≈ 14.8 lakh 14,80,000 Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection How this is made →
Sex ratio
853 Uttar Pradesh: 912
Child sex ratio (0–6)
869 Uttar Pradesh: 902
Literacy rate
84.8% Male 88.4% · Female 80.5%
Households
1.95 lakh 5.7 people per household
Area
70.1km² Census 2011 (A-4)
Density
15,882per km² 2011
Growth 2001–11
+14.1% City
Work participation
33.3% 2011

Where it ranks

Population over time

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

Prayagraj: Population over time
  • Metro area (UA)
  • City
  • Census
  • Estimate
16 L13 L 2026
› Show the numbers as a table
YearMetro area (UA)City
19513,32,2953,12,259
19614,30,7304,11,955
19715,13,0364,90,622
19816,50,0706,16,051
19918,44,5467,92,858
200110,42,2299,75,393
201112,12,39511,12,544
2016 *13,10,00011,80,000
2021 *14,00,00012,30,000
2026 *14,80,00012,80,000
2031 *15,30,00013,10,000
2036 *15,70,00013,40,000

* Estimate

What the Allahabad metro area includes

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

What the Allahabad metro area includes
  1. Prayagraj OG 11,68,385
  2. Allahabad Cantonment 26,944
  3. Arail Uparhar CT 12,190
  4. Chak Babura Alimabad CT 4,876

What the numbers say

  • The Prayagraj metro area (urban agglomeration) had 12.12 lakh people in 2011, 1.1 times the 11.13 lakh inside city limits.
  • The city accounts for 18.7% of the population of the district it lies in.
  • Within comparable limits, the city grew 14.1% between 2001 and 2011.
  • Literacy in the city was 84.8% in 2011, against 67.7% for Uttar Pradesh.
  • There were 853 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 44th among the 150+ cities on this site and 7th in Uttar Pradesh.
  • Our 2026 estimate for the metro area is ≈14.8 lakh, on 2011 boundaries; it is not an official figure.

Note: Renamed from Allahabad in 2018.

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 Prayagraj, they will appear on this page, at this address. Census 2027 explained →

Frequently asked questions

What is the population of Prayagraj in 2026?
There is no official figure after Census 2011. Our estimate for 1 March 2026 is ≈12.8 lakh within the 2011 city limits and ≈14.8 lakh for the metro area (urban agglomeration). Both are labelled estimates (method M1).

What was the population of Prayagraj in Census 2011?
11,12,544 within city limits (Allahabad (M Corp.)); the Allahabad urban agglomeration had 12,12,395; the Prayagraj district had 59,54,391.

Why do sources give such different numbers for Prayagraj?
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 Prayagraj?
84.8% in Census 2011 (men 88.4%, women 80.5%). The sex ratio was 853 females per 1,000 males.

Sources and method

Data updated: · Report a correction