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City in Meghalaya

Shillong Population 2026

City, metro area and district compared

Metro area (UA) · 1 March 2026

≈ 4 lakh Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection 1 March 2026 How this is made →

4,00,000 400,000 1 March 2026

The Shillong metro area is estimated at ≈4 lakh on 1 March 2026, and the city within its municipal limits at ≈1.5 lakh. Census 2011 counted 3,54,759 in the urban agglomeration and 1,43,229 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

Shillong (municipal limits)

Census 2011
1,43,229
2026 Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection How this is made →
≈ 1.5 lakh

Metro area (UA)

Shillong urban agglomeration

Census 2011
3,54,759
2026 Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection How this is made →
≈ 4 lakh

District

East Khasi Hills district

Census 2011
8,25,922
2026 Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection How this is made →
≈ 9.4 lakh

Key figures

City 2026
≈ 1.5 lakh 1,50,000 Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection How this is made →
City · Census 2011
1.43 lakh 1,43,229 Census 2011 Final count, Census of India 2011 (ORGI) How this is made →
Metro area (UA) · 2011
3.55 lakh 3,54,759
Metro area (UA) · 2026
≈ 4 lakh 4,00,000 Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection How this is made →
Sex ratio
1042 Meghalaya: 989
Child sex ratio (0–6)
936 Meghalaya: 970
Literacy rate
92.8% Male 94.8% · Female 90.9%
Households
31 thousand 4.6 people per household
Area
10.4km² Census 2011 (A-4)
Density
13,825per km² 2011
Growth 2001–11
+7.8% City
Work participation
38.3% 2011

Where it ranks

Population over time

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

Shillong: Population over time
  • Metro area (UA)
  • City
  • Census
  • Estimate
4.3 L1.5 L 2026
› Show the numbers as a table
YearMetro area (UA)City
195158,51253,756
19611,02,39872,438
19711,22,75287,659
19811,74,7031,09,244
19912,23,3661,31,719
20012,67,6621,32,867
20113,54,7591,43,229
2016 *3,70,0001,50,000
2021 *3,90,0001,50,000
2026 *4,00,0001,50,000
2031 *4,20,0001,50,000
2036 *4,30,0001,50,000

* Estimate

What the Shillong metro area includes

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

What the Shillong metro area includes
  1. Shillong 1,43,229
  2. Mawlai CT 55,012
  3. Nongthymmai CT 38,004
  4. Madanrting CT 29,194
  5. Pynthorumkhrah CT 27,219
  6. Nongmynsong CT 15,017
  7. Shillong Cantonment 11,930
  8. Umpling CT 8,529
  9. Lawsohtun CT 8,214
  10. Umlyngka CT 7,381
  11. Mawpat CT 6,184
  12. Nongkseh CT 4,846

What the numbers say

  • The Shillong metro area (urban agglomeration) had 3.55 lakh people in 2011, 2.5 times the 1.43 lakh inside city limits.
  • The city accounts for 17.3% of the population of the district it lies in.
  • Within comparable limits, the city grew 7.8% between 2001 and 2011.
  • Literacy in the city was 92.8% in 2011, against 74.4% for Meghalaya.
  • There were 1042 females per 1,000 males, more than in the state (989).
  • By 2011 population it ranks 146th among the 150+ cities on this site and 1st in Meghalaya.
  • Our 2026 estimate for the metro area is ≈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 (16 May 2026 – 14 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 Shillong, they will appear on this page, at this address. Census 2027 explained →

Frequently asked questions

What is the population of Shillong in 2026?
There is no official figure after Census 2011. Our estimate for 1 March 2026 is ≈1.5 lakh within the 2011 city limits and ≈4 lakh for the metro area (urban agglomeration). Both are labelled estimates (method M1).

What was the population of Shillong in Census 2011?
1,43,229 within city limits (Shillong (MB)); the Shillong urban agglomeration had 3,54,759; the East Khasi Hills district had 8,25,922.

Why do sources give such different numbers for Shillong?
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 Shillong?
92.8% in Census 2011 (men 94.8%, women 90.9%). The sex ratio was 1042 females per 1,000 males.

Sources and method

Data updated: · Report a correction