GlobeMetrics
EN

Try “Pune”, “Poona” or “पुणे”

City in Maharashtra

Thane Population 2026

City, metro area and district compared

City · 1 March 2026

≈ 26.3 lakh Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection 1 March 2026 How this is made →

26,30,000 2.63 million 1 March 2026

Thane is estimated at ≈26.3 lakh within its 2011 municipal limits on 1 March 2026. Census 2011 counted 18,41,488; it is part of the Greater Mumbai urban agglomeration (1,83,94,912).

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

Thane (municipal limits)

Census 2011
18,41,488
2026 Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection How this is made →
≈ 26.3 lakh

Metro area (UA)

Greater Mumbai urban agglomeration

Census 2011
1,83,94,912
2026 Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection How this is made →
≈ 2.05 crore

District

Thane district

Census 2011
80,54,409
2026 Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection How this is made →
≈ 1.04 crore

Key figures

City 2026
≈ 26.3 lakh 26,30,000 Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection How this is made →
City · Census 2011
18.41 lakh 18,41,488 Census 2011 Final count, Census of India 2011 (ORGI) How this is made →
Metro area (UA) · 2011
1.84 crore 1,83,94,912
Metro area (UA) · 2026
≈ 2.05 crore 2,04,60,000 Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection How this is made →
Sex ratio
888 Maharashtra: 929
Child sex ratio (0–6)
908 Maharashtra: 894
Literacy rate
89.4% Male 92.1% · Female 86.3%
Households
4.35 lakh 4.2 people per household
Area
128.2km² Census 2011 (A-4)
Density
14,361per km² 2011
Growth 2001–11
+45.9% City
Work participation
38.0% 2011

Where it ranks

Population over time

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

Thane: Population over time
  • Census
  • Estimate
30 L 2026
› Show the numbers as a table
YearCity
195174,310
19611,09,215
19712,07,352
19814,31,667
19918,03,389
200112,62,551
201118,41,488
2016 *21,20,000
2021 *23,90,000
2026 *26,30,000
2031 *28,50,000
2036 *30,40,000

* Estimate

What the Greater Mumbai metro area includes

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

What the Greater Mumbai metro area includes
  1. Mumbai 1,24,42,373
  2. Thane 18,41,488
  3. Kalyan-Dombivli 12,47,327
  4. Navi Mumbai 11,20,547
  5. Mira-Bhayandar 8,09,378
  6. Ulhasnagar 5,06,098
  7. Ambarnath 2,53,475
  8. Badlapur 1,74,226

What the numbers say

  • Thane is part of the Greater Mumbai urban agglomeration, which had 1.84 crore people in 2011.
  • The city accounts for 22.9% of the population of the district it lies in.
  • Within comparable limits, the city grew 45.9% between 2001 and 2011.
  • Literacy in the city was 89.4% in 2011, against 82.3% for Maharashtra.
  • There were 888 females per 1,000 males, fewer than in the state (929), typical of cities that draw male migrants for work.
  • By 2011 population it ranks 22nd among the 150+ cities on this site and 4th in Maharashtra.
  • Our 2026 estimate for the city is ≈26.3 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 Thane, they will appear on this page, at this address. Census 2027 explained →

Frequently asked questions

What is the population of Thane in 2026?
There is no official figure after Census 2011. Our estimate for 1 March 2026 is ≈26.3 lakh within the 2011 city limits. Both are labelled estimates (method M1).

What was the population of Thane in Census 2011?
18,41,488 within city limits (Thane (M Corp.)); the Greater Mumbai urban agglomeration had 1,83,94,912; the Thane district had 80,54,409.

Why do sources give such different numbers for Thane?
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 Thane?
89.4% in Census 2011 (men 92.1%, women 86.3%). The sex ratio was 888 females per 1,000 males.

Sources and method

Data updated: · Report a correction