District of Himachal Pradesh

Lahaul and Spiti District Population 2026

Q: What is the population of Lahaul and Spiti district in 2026?

Our estimate for 1 March 2026 is ≈31,000 (31 thousand). It is not an official figure: it applies Lahaul and Spiti's 2001–2011 trend, damped, to the official Himachal Pradesh projection (method M1). Census 2011 counted 31,564.

Q: What was the population of Lahaul and Spiti district in Census 2011?

31,564: 16,588 males and 14,976 females, of whom 0 lived in towns and 31,564 in villages.

Population · 1 March 2026

≈ 31 thousand Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection 1 March 2026 How this is made →

31,000 31,000 1 March 2026

Lahaul and Spiti district's population is estimated at ≈31 thousand (31,000) on 1 March 2026. This is our estimate, tied to the official Himachal Pradesh projection; Census 2011, the last count, recorded 31,564.

Estimate: method M1, constrained to the RGI projection for Himachal Pradesh. Census: ORGI.

Which number do you mean?

District totals include villages. Here is how the 2011 population splits between towns and villages.

District

Lahaul and Spiti district

Census 2011: 31,564
2026 Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection How this is made →: ≈ 31 thousand

Urban population

Towns (urban)

Census 2011: 0

Rural

Villages (rural)

Census 2011: 31,564

Key figures

Population 2026: ≈ 31 thousand 31,000 Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection How this is made →
Census 2011: 31.6 thousand 31,564 Census 2011 Final count, Census of India 2011 (ORGI) How this is made →
Density: 2per km² 2011
Sex ratio: 903 Himachal Pradesh: 972
Child sex ratio (0–6): 1033 Himachal Pradesh: 909
Literacy rate: 76.8% Male 85.7% · Female 66.8%
Urban share: 0.0% Himachal Pradesh: 10.0%
Growth 2001–11: −5.0% Himachal Pradesh: +12.9%
Area: 13,841km² Census 2011
Households: 6.7 thousand 4.7 people per household
Villages: 521 Census 2011
Towns: 0 Census 2011

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Population over time

Census counts on 2011 boundaries, then our estimate to 2036.

Census
Estimate

29k 2026

› Show the numbers as a table

Year	Population
1951	15,338
1961	23,682
1971	27,568
1981	32,100
1991	31,294
2001	33,224
2011	31,564
2016 *	32,000
2021 *	31,000
2026 *	31,000
2031 *	30,000
2036 *	29,000

* Estimate

How Lahaul and Spiti's 2011 population was spread

Sub-districts (tehsils, talukas, mandals or blocks) as they were in Census 2011. “Part” means only some of it now lies in this district.

How Lahaul and Spiti's 2011 population was spread
#
1	Spiti	12,457	39.5%	862	79.8%	0.0%
2	Lahul	10,218	32.4%	887	76.1%	0.0%
3	Udaipur	8,889	28.2%	983	73.6%	0.0%

How people in Lahaul and Spiti worked (Census 2011)

Cultivators

58.2%

Agricultural labourers

3.0%

Household industry

0.9%

Other work

38.0%

Share of all workers, main and marginal. Work participation: 61.1%.

Age structure of Lahaul and Spiti

Population in five-year age groups, Census 2011. Men on the left, women on the right. Census 2011 Census 2011, as published. How this is made →

MenWomen

80+
75-79
70-74
65-69
60-64
55-59
50-54
45-49
40-44
35-39
30-34
25-29
20-24
15-19
10-14
5-9
0-4

› Show the numbers as a table

Age	Men	Women
0-4	1,044	1,091
5-9	1,251	1,227
10-14	1,292	1,340
15-19	1,460	1,249
20-24	1,672	1,317
25-29	1,637	1,348
30-34	1,482	1,230
35-39	1,342	1,082
40-44	1,213	959
45-49	1,028	845
50-54	813	794
55-59	676	618
60-64	515	529
65-69	310	359
70-74	247	344
75-79	202	232
80+	268	293

Children (0–14): 23.1%; Himachal Pradesh 25.9%
Working age (15–59): 66.3%; Himachal Pradesh 63.8%
Older people (60+): 10.5%; Himachal Pradesh 10.3%
Median age: 29.5years; Himachal Pradesh 28.1
Dependency ratio: 43.6; children and 65+ per 100 aged 15–64; Himachal Pradesh 48.8

Languages spoken in Lahaul and Spiti

Share of people by mother tongue, grouped into languages as the Census does. 38 languages recorded. Census 2011 Census 2011, as published. How this is made →

Kinnauri 40.9%
Gujarati 26.5%
Hindi 7.5%
Others 7.4%
Bhotia 3.0%
Nepali 2.8%
Tibetan 2.6%
Kurukh/Oraon 2.4%
All other languages 6.9%

Largest mother tongues

Kinnauri40.9%
Pattani26.5%
Bhotia2.9%
Hindi2.9%
Nepali2.8%
Tibetan2.6%
Kurukh/Oraon2.4%
Pahari2.0%

Housing and amenities in Lahaul and Spiti

Share of households, Houselisting Census 2011. Census 2011 Census 2011, as published. How this is made →

Basic services

Electricity for lighting 83.9%

Himachal Pradesh 96.8%
Tap water 91.5%

Himachal Pradesh 89.5%
Water source within premises 25.7%

Himachal Pradesh 55.5%
Toilet within premises 78.1%

Himachal Pradesh 69.1%
Open defecation (no latrine) (Lower is better for this one.) 20.5%

Himachal Pradesh 29.7%
Bathing area within premises 73.9%

Himachal Pradesh 74.8%
Closed drainage 13.6%

Himachal Pradesh 24.9%
Cooking with LPG/PNG 30.6%

Himachal Pradesh 38.6%
Cooking with wood, crop waste or dung (Lower is better for this one.) 65.9%

Himachal Pradesh 58.7%

What households own

Mobile phone 67.9%

Himachal Pradesh 74.9%
Television 73.8%

Himachal Pradesh 74.4%
Scooter or motorcycle 8.4%

Himachal Pradesh 15.5%
Computer or laptop 3.8%

Himachal Pradesh 8.4%
Car, jeep or van 8.0%

Himachal Pradesh 8.3%
Use banking services 91.2%

Himachal Pradesh 89.1%
None of the listed assets (Lower is better for this one.) 11.8%

Himachal Pradesh 8.9%

The home itself

Own their home 75.2%

Himachal Pradesh 87.2%
Rent their home 18.3%

Himachal Pradesh 10.3%
Permanent (pucca) house 28.7%

Himachal Pradesh 76.9%
House in good condition 65.5%

Himachal Pradesh 72.4%
Concrete roof 15.2%

Himachal Pradesh 44.7%
Cement or tiled floor 25.8%

Himachal Pradesh 58.0%
One room or less (Lower is better for this one.) 24.5%

Himachal Pradesh 20.7%

Himachal Pradesh

What the numbers say

Lahaul and Spiti district held 0.5% of Himachal Pradesh's population in 2011, 12th of 12 districts.
Literacy is 76.8%, 6.0 points below the Himachal Pradesh average of 82.8%.
The gender gap in literacy is wide: 85.7% of men but only 66.8% of women could read and write in 2011.
The sex ratio of 903 females per 1,000 males is lower than the state's 972.
0.0% of residents lived in towns in 2011, more rural than Himachal Pradesh as a whole (10.0%).
The population grew -5.0% in 2001–11, slower than Himachal Pradesh's 12.9%.
Our 2026 estimate, ≈31 thousand, implies growth of about -2% since 2011; it is tied to the official Himachal Pradesh projection.

Compare with

All districts of Himachal Pradesh →

Census 2027 status

Results pending

Phase I: houselisting

Done (16 June 2026 – 15 July 2026)
Phase II: counting people

Snow-bound areas: September 2026. Rest: February 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 Lahaul and Spiti, they will appear on this page, at this address. Census 2027 explained →

Population by religion in Lahaul and Spiti (Census 2011)

Official figures as published by the Office of the Registrar General. Shown without commentary. Census 2011 Census 2011, as published. How this is made →

Population by religion in Lahaul and Spiti (Census 2011)
Religion	Persons	Share	Himachal Pradesh
Hindu	11,649	36.9%	95.2%
Muslim	74	0.2%	2.2%
Christian	212	0.7%	0.2%
Sikh	35	0.1%	1.2%
Buddhist	19,572	62.0%	1.1%
Jain	3	0.0%	0.0%
Other religions and persuasions	1	0.0%	0.0%
Religion not stated	18	0.1%	0.1%
Total	31,564	100%

Frequently asked questions

What is the population of Lahaul and Spiti district in 2026?

Our estimate for 1 March 2026 is ≈31,000 (31 thousand). It is not an official figure: it applies Lahaul and Spiti's 2001–2011 trend, damped, to the official Himachal Pradesh projection (method M1). Census 2011 counted 31,564.

What was the population of Lahaul and Spiti district in Census 2011?

31,564: 16,588 males and 14,976 females, of whom 0 lived in towns and 31,564 in villages.

What is the literacy rate and sex ratio of Lahaul and Spiti?

Literacy was 76.8% in 2011 (men 85.7%, women 66.8%). The sex ratio was 903 females per 1,000 males, and 1033 among children aged 0–6.

How many villages and towns are in Lahaul and Spiti district?

On today's boundaries the district contains 521 Census 2011 villages and 0 towns.

⤓ Download Himachal Pradesh district data (CSV)

Sources and method

Data updated: 4 October 2026 · Report a correction