City in Gujarat

Rajkot Population 2026

Q: What was the population of Rajkot in Census 2011?

12,86,678 within city limits (Rajkot (M Corp.)); the Rajkot urban agglomeration had 13,90,640; the Rajkot district had 30,41,852.

City, metro area and district compared

Metro area (UA) · 1 March 2026

≈ 20.3 lakh Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection 1 March 2026 How this is made →

20,30,000 2.03 million 1 March 2026

The Rajkot metro area is estimated at ≈20.3 lakh on 1 March 2026, and the city within its municipal limits at ≈17.9 lakh. Census 2011 counted 13,90,640 in the urban agglomeration and 12,86,678 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

Rajkot (municipal limits)

Census 2011: 12,86,678
2026 Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection How this is made →: ≈ 17.9 lakh

Metro area (UA)

Rajkot urban agglomeration

Census 2011: 13,90,640
2026 Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection How this is made →: ≈ 20.3 lakh

District

Rajkot district

Census 2011: 30,41,852
2026 Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection How this is made →: ≈ 37.32 lakh

Key figures

City 2026: ≈ 17.9 lakh 17,90,000 Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection How this is made →
City · Census 2011: 12.87 lakh 12,86,678 Census 2011 Final count, Census of India 2011 (ORGI) How this is made →
Metro area (UA) · 2011: 13.91 lakh 13,90,640
Metro area (UA) · 2026: ≈ 20.3 lakh 20,30,000 Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection How this is made →
Sex ratio: 908 Gujarat: 919
Child sex ratio (0–6): 836 Gujarat: 890
Literacy rate: 87.8% Male 91.5% · Female 83.8%
Households: 2.79 lakh 4.6 people per household
Area: 110.8km² Census 2011 (A-4)
Density: 11,608per km² 2011
Growth 2001–11: +33.0% City
Work participation: 34.9% 2011

Population over time

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

Metro area (UA)
City
Census
Estimate

24 L21 L 2026

› Show the numbers as a table

Year	Metro area (UA)	City
1951	1,32,069	1,32,069
1961	1,94,145	1,94,145
1971	3,00,612	3,00,612
1981	4,45,076	4,45,076
1991	6,54,490	6,40,462
2001	10,03,015	9,67,476
2011	13,90,640	12,86,678
2016 *	16,00,000	14,50,000
2021 *	18,20,000	16,20,000
2026 *	20,30,000	17,90,000
2031 *	22,30,000	19,40,000
2036 *	24,10,000	20,80,000

* Estimate

What the Rajkot metro area includes

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

Rajkot OG 13,23,363
Kotharia CT 53,794
Anandpar CT 13,483

What the numbers say

The Rajkot metro area (urban agglomeration) had 13.91 lakh people in 2011, 1.1 times the 12.87 lakh inside city limits.
The city accounts for 42.3% of the population of the district it lies in.
Within comparable limits, the city grew 33.0% between 2001 and 2011.
Literacy in the city was 87.8% in 2011, against 78.0% for Gujarat.
By 2011 population it ranks 37th among the 150+ cities on this site and 4th in Gujarat.
Our 2026 estimate for the metro area is ≈20.3 lakh, on 2011 boundaries; it is not an official figure.

Cities of similar size

Census 2027 status

Results pending

Phase I: houselisting

Done (20 April 2026 – 19 May 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 Rajkot, they will appear on this page, at this address. Census 2027 explained →

Frequently asked questions

What is the population of Rajkot in 2026?

There is no official figure after Census 2011. Our estimate for 1 March 2026 is ≈17.9 lakh within the 2011 city limits and ≈20.3 lakh for the metro area (urban agglomeration). Both are labelled estimates (method M1).

What was the population of Rajkot in Census 2011?

12,86,678 within city limits (Rajkot (M Corp.)); the Rajkot urban agglomeration had 13,90,640; the Rajkot district had 30,41,852.

Why do sources give such different numbers for Rajkot?

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 Rajkot?

87.8% in Census 2011 (men 91.5%, women 83.8%). The sex ratio was 908 females per 1,000 males.

Sources and method

Data updated: 4 October 2026 · Report a correction