City in Odisha
Rourkela Population 2026
City, metro area and district compared
Metro area (UA) · 1 March 2026
≈ 5.9 lakh Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection 1 March 2026 How this is made →
5,90,000 590,000 1 March 2026
The Rourkela metro area is estimated at ≈5.9 lakh on 1 March 2026, and the city within its municipal limits at ≈2.9 lakh. Census 2011 counted 5,52,239 in the urban agglomeration and 2,72,721 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
Rourkela (municipal limits)
- Census 2011
- 2,72,721
- 2026 Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection How this is made →
- ≈ 2.9 lakh
Metro area (UA)
Raurkela urban agglomeration
- Census 2011
- 5,52,239
- 2026 Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection How this is made →
- ≈ 5.9 lakh
District
- Census 2011
- 20,93,437
- 2026 Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection How this is made →
- ≈ 22.31 lakh
Key figures
- City 2026
- ≈ 2.9 lakh 2,90,000 Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection How this is made →
- City · Census 2011
- 2.73 lakh 2,72,721 Census 2011 Final count, Census of India 2011 (ORGI) How this is made →
- Metro area (UA) · 2011
- 5.52 lakh 5,52,239
- Metro area (UA) · 2026
- ≈ 5.9 lakh 5,90,000 Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection How this is made →
- Sex ratio
- 888 Odisha: 979
- Child sex ratio (0–6)
- 895 Odisha: 941
- Literacy rate
- 87.0% Male 91.2% · Female 82.3%
- Households
- 61.7 thousand 4.4 people per household
- Area
- 32.1km² Census 2011 (A-4)
- Density
- 8,504per km² 2011
- Work participation
- 33.2% 2011
- Children 0–6
- 29.9 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 | 90,287 | – |
| 1971 | 1,72,502 | 47,076 |
| 1981 | 3,22,610 | 96,000 |
| 1991 | 3,98,864 | 1,40,408 |
| 2001 | 4,84,874 | 2,24,987 |
| 2011 | 5,52,239 | 2,72,721 |
| 2016 * | 5,70,000 | 2,80,000 |
| 2021 * | 5,80,000 | 2,90,000 |
| 2026 * | 5,90,000 | 2,90,000 |
| 2031 * | 5,90,000 | 2,90,000 |
| 2036 * | 5,90,000 | 2,90,000 |
* Estimate
What the Raurkela metro area includes
Constituent units of the urban agglomeration, Census 2011. CT = census town; OG = outgrowth.
- Rourkela OG 3,20,040
- Raurkela Industrial Township OG 2,16,410
- Jalda Town CT 15,789
What the numbers say
- The Rourkela metro area (urban agglomeration) had 5.52 lakh people in 2011, 2.0 times the 2.73 lakh inside city limits.
- The city accounts for 13.0% of the population of the district it lies in.
- Literacy in the city was 87.0% in 2011, against 72.9% for Odisha.
- There were 888 females per 1,000 males, fewer than in the state (979), typical of cities that draw male migrants for work.
- By 2011 population it ranks 94th among the 150+ cities on this site and 3rd in Odisha.
- Our 2026 estimate for the metro area is ≈5.9 lakh, on 2011 boundaries; it is not an official figure.
Cities of similar size
Census 2027 status
Results pending-
Phase I: houselisting
Done (16 April 2026 – 15 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 Rourkela, they will appear on this page, at this address. Census 2027 explained →
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Rourkela in 2026?
What was the population of Rourkela in Census 2011?
Why do sources give such different numbers for Rourkela?
What is the literacy rate of Rourkela?
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