The India hub · 1 March 2026
India Population 2026
Official counts, official projections and clearly labelled estimates for India, all 36 States and UTs, 700+ districts and 150+ cities.
Population · 1 March 2026
142.34 crore Official projection RGI Technical Group on Population Projections (2020), as on 1 March 1 March 2026 How this is made →
1,42,34,35,000 1.42 billion 1 March 2026
India's population is projected at 142.34 crore (1,42,34,35,000) on 1 March 2026 by the RGI Technical Group on Population Projections. The last census, in 2011, counted 1,21,08,54,977. Census 2027 counts people in February 2027.
RGI Technical Group on Population Projections (2020), as on 1 March
Key figures
- Population 2026
- 142.34 crore 1,42,34,35,000 Official projection RGI Technical Group on Population Projections (2020), as on 1 March How this is made →
- Census 2011
- 121.09 crore 1,21,08,54,977 Census 2011 Final count, Census of India 2011 (ORGI) How this is made →
- Density
- 382per km² 2026: 433
- Sex ratio
- 943 females per 1,000 males
- Literacy rate
- 73.0% Male 80.9% · Female 64.6%
- Urban share
- 31.1% 2026: 36.2%
- Fertility rate (TFR)
- 1.9 SRS 2023 · children per woman
- Infant mortality
- 25 SRS 2023 · per 1,000 live births
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Population of every State and UT
2026: official projection (1 March). Click a column to sort.
| # | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Uttar Pradesh | 24,28,59,000 | 19,98,12,341 | +21.5% | 829 | 912 | 67.7% |
| 2 | Bihar | 13,22,65,000 | 10,40,99,452 | +27.1% | 1,106 | 918 | 61.8% |
| 3 | Maharashtra | 12,93,08,000 | 11,23,74,333 | +15.1% | 365 | 929 | 82.3% |
| 4 | West Bengal | 10,05,22,000 | 9,12,76,115 | +10.1% | 1,028 | 950 | 76.3% |
| 5 | Madhya Pradesh | 8,96,73,000 | 7,26,26,809 | +23.5% | 236 | 931 | 69.3% |
| 6 | Rajasthan | 8,36,42,000 | 6,85,48,437 | +22.0% | 200 | 928 | 66.1% |
| 7 | Tamil Nadu | 7,75,46,000 | 7,21,47,030 | +7.5% | 555 | 996 | 80.1% |
| 8 | Gujarat | 7,40,86,000 | 6,04,39,692 | +22.6% | 308 | 919 | 78.0% |
| 9 | Karnataka | 6,89,62,000 | 6,10,95,297 | +12.9% | 319 | 973 | 75.4% |
| 10 | Andhra Pradesh | 5,37,09,000 | 4,96,27,190 | +8.2% | 307 | 997 | 67.4% |
| 11 | Odisha | 4,46,77,000 | 4,19,74,218 | +6.4% | 270 | 979 | 72.9% |
| 12 | Jharkhand | 4,09,58,000 | 3,29,88,134 | +24.2% | 414 | 948 | 66.4% |
| 13 | Telangana | 3,86,36,000 | 3,49,53,587 | +10.5% | 308 | 987 | 66.5% |
| 14 | Assam | 3,67,17,000 | 3,12,05,576 | +17.7% | 398 | 958 | 72.2% |
| 15 | Kerala | 3,62,07,000 | 3,34,06,061 | +8.4% | 860 | 1084 | 94.0% |
| 16 | Punjab | 3,13,18,000 | 2,77,43,338 | +12.9% | 551 | 895 | 75.8% |
| 17 | Haryana | 3,12,99,000 | 2,53,51,462 | +23.5% | 573 | 879 | 75.6% |
| 18 | Chhattisgarh | 3,12,11,000 | 2,55,45,198 | +22.2% | 189 | 991 | 70.3% |
| 19 | Delhi | 2,25,40,000 | 1,67,87,941 | +34.3% | 11,320 | 868 | 86.2% |
| 20 | Jammu and Kashmir | 1,38,96,000 | 1,22,67,013 | +13.3% | 290 | 892 | 67.0% |
| 21 | Uttarakhand | 1,19,93,000 | 1,00,86,292 | +18.9% | 189 | 963 | 78.8% |
| 22 | Himachal Pradesh | 75,79,000 | 68,64,602 | +10.4% | 123 | 972 | 82.8% |
| 23 | Tripura | 42,60,000 | 36,73,917 | +16.0% | 350 | 960 | 87.2% |
| 24 | Meghalaya | 34,40,000 | 29,66,889 | +15.9% | 132 | 989 | 74.4% |
| 25 | Manipur | 33,11,000 | 28,55,794 | +15.9% | 128 | 985 | 76.9% |
| 26 | Nagaland | 22,94,000 | 19,78,502 | +15.9% | 119 | 931 | 79.6% |
| 27 | Puducherry | 17,57,000 | 12,47,953 | +40.8% | 2,547 | 1037 | 85.9% |
| 28 | Arunachal Pradesh | 16,04,000 | 13,83,727 | +15.9% | 17 | 938 | 65.4% |
| 29 | Goa | 15,99,000 | 14,58,545 | +9.6% | 394 | 973 | 88.7% |
| 30 | Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu | 15,41,000 | 5,86,956 | +162.5% | 975 | 706 | 80.9% |
| 31 | Mizoram | 12,72,000 | 10,97,206 | +15.9% | 52 | 976 | 91.3% |
| 32 | Chandigarh | 12,67,000 | 10,55,450 | +20.0% | 9,258 | 818 | 86.1% |
| 33 | Sikkim | 7,08,000 | 6,10,577 | +16.0% | 86 | 890 | 81.4% |
| 34 | Andaman and Nicobar Islands | 4,06,000 | 3,80,581 | +6.7% | 46 | 876 | 86.6% |
| 35 | Ladakh | 3,05,000 | 2,74,289 | +11.2% | 5 | 750 | 74.3% |
| 36 | Lakshadweep | 70,000 | 64,473 | +8.6% | 2,149 | 946 | 91.9% |
Where India lives
People per km², Census 2011
India’s population, 1951–2036
Census counts, then the official projection; the UN-based World Bank series for comparison.
- Census → RGI projection
- UN / World Bank (mid-year)
- Census
- Official projection
› Show the numbers as a table
| Year | Census → RGI projection | UN / World Bank (mid-year) |
|---|---|---|
| 1951 | 36,10,88,090 | – |
| 1961 | 43,92,34,771 | – |
| 1965 | – | 49,01,40,146 |
| 1970 | – | 54,58,64,268 |
| 1971 | 54,81,59,652 | – |
| 1975 | – | 61,13,09,535 |
| 1980 | – | 68,73,54,025 |
| 1981 | 68,33,29,097 | – |
| 1985 | – | 77,26,47,793 |
| 1990 | – | 86,49,72,221 |
| 1991 | 84,64,21,039 | – |
| 1995 | – | 96,03,01,044 |
| 2000 | – | 1,05,79,22,733 |
| 2001 | 1,02,87,37,436 | – |
| 2005 | – | 1,15,46,76,322 |
| 2010 | – | 1,24,34,81,564 |
| 2011 | 1,21,08,54,977 | – |
| 2015 | – | 1,32,80,24,498 |
| 2016 | 1,29,02,35,000 | – |
| 2020 | – | 1,40,26,17,695 |
| 2021 | 1,36,13,43,000 | – |
| 2025 | – | 1,46,38,65,525 |
| 2026 | 1,42,34,35,000 | – |
| 2031 | 1,47,55,19,000 | – |
| 2036 | 1,51,82,88,000 | – |
* Official projection
Rankings
- Most populated states in India (2026)
- Largest states in India by area
- Population density by state
- Sex ratio by state
- Literacy rate by state
- Urban population by state
- Population growth by state
- State population projections to 2036
- Largest cities in India
- Million-plus cities and urban agglomerations
- Most populated districts in India
- Largest districts in India by area
- Birth rate and fertility by state
- Death rate and infant mortality by state
- Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe population by state
- Per capita income by state
- Household amenities by state
- Age structure by state
- Main languages by state
- Population by religion, state-wise (Census 2011)
Largest cities
See all →Metro area for a metro’s main city, city limits otherwise. Census 2011.
Census 2027 status
Results pending-
Phase I: houselisting
Done (April–September 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 India, they will appear on this page, at this address. Census 2027 explained →
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of India in 2026?
What was the population of India in Census 2011?
Which is the most populous state of India?
When will Census 2027 results be released?
Is India the most populous country?
⤓ Download state-wise data (CSV)
Sources and method
- Census of India 2011, Primary Census Abstract (ORGI)
- Census 2011 Table A-2: decadal variation since 1901
- Report of the Technical Group on Population Projections 2011–2036 (July 2020)
- Sample Registration System Statistical Report 2023 (ORGI)
- Our estimation method M1 (formulas and checks)
Data updated: · Report a correction