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City in Uttar Pradesh

Varanasi Population 2026

City, metro area and district compared

Metro area (UA) · 1 March 2026

≈ 17 lakh Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection 1 March 2026 How this is made →

17,00,000 1.7 million 1 March 2026

The Varanasi metro area is estimated at ≈17 lakh on 1 March 2026, and the city within its municipal limits at ≈13.1 lakh. Census 2011 counted 14,32,280 in the urban agglomeration and 11,98,491 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

Varanasi (municipal limits)

Census 2011
11,98,491
2026 Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection How this is made →
≈ 13.1 lakh

Metro area (UA)

Varanasi urban agglomeration

Census 2011
14,32,280
2026 Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection How this is made →
≈ 17 lakh

District

Varanasi district

Census 2011
36,76,841
2026 Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection How this is made →
≈ 43.77 lakh

Key figures

City 2026
≈ 13.1 lakh 13,10,000 Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection How this is made →
City · Census 2011
11.98 lakh 11,98,491 Census 2011 Final count, Census of India 2011 (ORGI) How this is made →
Metro area (UA) · 2011
14.32 lakh 14,32,280
Metro area (UA) · 2026
≈ 17 lakh 17,00,000 Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection How this is made →
Sex ratio
887 Uttar Pradesh: 912
Child sex ratio (0–6)
873 Uttar Pradesh: 902
Literacy rate
79.3% Male 83.5% · Female 74.6%
Households
1.91 lakh 6.3 people per household
Area
82.1km² Census 2011 (A-4)
Density
14,598per km² 2011
Growth 2001–11
+8.6% City
Work participation
33.6% 2011

Where it ranks

Population over time

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

Varanasi: Population over time
  • Metro area (UA)
  • City
  • Census
  • Estimate
18 L14 L 2026
› Show the numbers as a table
YearMetro area (UA)City
19513,69,7993,51,234
19615,05,9524,85,083
19716,35,1755,98,020
19818,03,3657,28,511
199110,39,9399,43,907
200112,16,39211,03,952
201114,32,28011,98,491
2016 *15,40,00012,40,000
2021 *16,30,00012,80,000
2026 *17,00,00013,10,000
2031 *17,60,00013,30,000
2036 *18,00,00013,50,000

* Estimate

What the Varanasi metro area includes

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

What the Varanasi metro area includes
  1. Varanasi 11,98,491
  2. Ramnagar 49,132
  3. Phulwaria CT 20,466
  4. Shivdaspur CT 16,405
  5. Kotwa CT 14,394
  6. Maruadih Rly. Settlement Township 14,298
  7. Varanasi Cantonment 14,119
  8. Chhitpur CT 12,156
  9. Sir Gobardhan CT 11,350
  10. Maruadih CT 11,228
  11. Susuwahi CT 10,454
  12. Salarpur CT 10,126

What the numbers say

  • The Varanasi metro area (urban agglomeration) had 14.32 lakh people in 2011, 1.2 times the 11.98 lakh inside city limits.
  • The city accounts for 32.6% of the population of the district it lies in.
  • Within comparable limits, the city grew 8.6% between 2001 and 2011.
  • Literacy in the city was 79.3% in 2011, against 67.7% for Uttar Pradesh.
  • There were 887 females per 1,000 males, fewer than in the state (912), typical of cities that draw male migrants for work.
  • By 2011 population it ranks 34th among the 150+ cities on this site and 5th in Uttar Pradesh.
  • Our 2026 estimate for the metro area is ≈17 lakh, on 2011 boundaries; it is not an official figure.

Cities of similar size

Census 2027 status

Results pending

  1. Phase I: houselisting

    Done (22 May 2026 – 20 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 Varanasi, they will appear on this page, at this address. Census 2027 explained →

Frequently asked questions

What is the population of Varanasi in 2026?
There is no official figure after Census 2011. Our estimate for 1 March 2026 is ≈13.1 lakh within the 2011 city limits and ≈17 lakh for the metro area (urban agglomeration). Both are labelled estimates (method M1).

What was the population of Varanasi in Census 2011?
11,98,491 within city limits (Varanasi (M Corp.)); the Varanasi urban agglomeration had 14,32,280; the Varanasi district had 36,76,841.

Why do sources give such different numbers for Varanasi?
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 Varanasi?
79.3% in Census 2011 (men 83.5%, women 74.6%). The sex ratio was 887 females per 1,000 males.

Sources and method

Data updated: · Report a correction