City in Puducherry
Puducherry Population 2026
City, metro area and district compared
Metro area (UA) · 1 March 2026
≈ 9.4 lakh Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection 1 March 2026 How this is made →
9,40,000 940,000 1 March 2026
The Puducherry metro area is estimated at ≈9.4 lakh on 1 March 2026, and the city within its municipal limits at ≈3.5 lakh. Census 2011 counted 6,57,209 in the urban agglomeration and 2,44,377 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
Puducherry (municipal limits)
- Census 2011
- 2,44,377
- 2026 Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection How this is made →
- ≈ 3.5 lakh
Metro area (UA)
Puducherry urban agglomeration
- Census 2011
- 6,57,209
- 2026 Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection How this is made →
- ≈ 9.4 lakh
District
- Census 2011
- 10,47,731
- 2026 Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection How this is made →
- ≈ 14.93 lakh
Key figures
- City 2026
- ≈ 3.5 lakh 3,50,000 Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection How this is made →
- City · Census 2011
- 2.44 lakh 2,44,377 Census 2011 Final count, Census of India 2011 (ORGI) How this is made →
- Metro area (UA) · 2011
- 6.57 lakh 6,57,209
- Metro area (UA) · 2026
- ≈ 9.4 lakh 9,40,000 Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection How this is made →
- Sex ratio
- 1046 Puducherry: 1037
- Child sex ratio (0–6)
- 995 Puducherry: 967
- Literacy rate
- 89.2% Male 94.0% · Female 84.7%
- Households
- 60.6 thousand 4.0 people per household
- Area
- 19.5km² Census 2011 (A-4)
- Density
- 12,506per km² 2011
- Work participation
- 36.0% 2011
- Children 0–6
- 23.6 thousand 0–6 · 2011
Where it ranks
Population over time
Census counts within the limits of each year, then our estimates on 2011 boundaries.
- Metro area (UA)
- City
- Census
- Estimate
› Show the numbers as a table
| Year | Metro area (UA) | City |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 51,762 | 51,762 |
| 1971 | 1,54,945 | 1,33,570 |
| 1981 | 2,51,420 | 1,62,639 |
| 1991 | 4,01,437 | 2,03,065 |
| 2001 | 5,05,959 | 2,44,058 |
| 2011 | 6,57,209 | 2,44,377 |
| 2016 * | 7,40,000 | 2,80,000 |
| 2021 * | 8,40,000 | 3,10,000 |
| 2026 * | 9,40,000 | 3,50,000 |
| 2031 * | 10,60,000 | 3,90,000 |
| 2036 * | 11,90,000 | 4,40,000 |
* Estimate
What the Puducherry metro area includes
Constituent units of the urban agglomeration, Census 2011. CT = census town; OG = outgrowth.
- Ozhukarai 3,00,104
- Puducherry 2,44,377
- Villianur CT 34,383
- Kurumbapet OG 32,871
- Ariankuppam CT 29,808
- Manavely CT 15,666
What the numbers say
- The Puducherry metro area (urban agglomeration) had 6.57 lakh people in 2011, 2.7 times the 2.44 lakh inside city limits.
- The city accounts for 23.3% of the population of the district it lies in.
- Literacy in the city was 89.2% in 2011, against 85.9% for Puducherry.
- By 2011 population it ranks 80th among the 150+ cities on this site and 1st in Puducherry.
- Our 2026 estimate for the metro area is ≈9.4 lakh, 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
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 Puducherry, they will appear on this page, at this address. Census 2027 explained →
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Puducherry in 2026?
What was the population of Puducherry in Census 2011?
Why do sources give such different numbers for Puducherry?
What is the literacy rate of Puducherry?
Sources and method
- Census of India 2011, Primary Census Abstract (ORGI)
- Census 2011 Table A-4: towns and urban agglomerations since 1901
- Census 2011 Primary Census Abstract for urban agglomerations
- Report of the Technical Group on Population Projections 2011–2036 (July 2020)
- Our estimation method M1 (formulas and checks)
Data updated: · Report a correction