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Union territory · Capital: Leh

Ladakh Population 2026

Population · 1 March 2026

3.05 lakh Official projection RGI Technical Group on Population Projections (2020), as on 1 March 1 March 2026 How this is made →

3,05,000 305,000 1 March 2026

Ladakh's population is projected at 3.05 lakh (3,05,000) on 1 March 2026, according to the RGI Technical Group's official projection. Census 2011, the last count, recorded 2,74,289.

RGI Technical Group on Population Projections (2020), as on 1 March

Key figures

Population 2026
3.05 lakh 3,05,000 Official projection RGI Technical Group on Population Projections (2020), as on 1 March How this is made →
Census 2011
2.74 lakh 2,74,289 Census 2011 Final count, Census of India 2011 (ORGI) How this is made →
Density
5per km² 2011 · 2026: 5
Sex ratio
750 females per 1,000 males
Child sex ratio (0–6)
966 India 918
Literacy rate
74.3% Male 84.8% · Female 59.8%
Urban share
22.6% 2026: 33.1% (projected)
Growth 2001–11
+16.0% 2011→2026: +11.2%
Area
59,146km² †
Households
40.2 thousand 6.8 people per household
Work participation
46.3% 2011
Children 0–6
31.9 thousand 11.7%

† Area of Leh and Kargil districts as used for density in Census 2011 district tables; it excludes territory under the illegal occupation of Pakistan and China.

Where it ranks

Population over time

Census counts 1951–2011, then the official projection to 2036. Earlier years add up the areas that form Ladakh today.

Ladakh: Population over time
  • Census
  • Official projection
3.2 L 2026
› Show the numbers as a table
YearPopulation
195182,340
196188,651
19711,05,291
19811,34,372
19911,79,410
20012,36,539
20112,74,289
2016 *2,87,000
2021 *2,97,000
2026 *3,05,000
2031 *3,12,000
2036 *3,16,000

* Official projection

Districts (2)

All 2 districts of Ladakh
#
1 Kargil≈ 1.59 lakh1,40,80281071.3%
2 Leh≈ 1.46 lakh1,33,48769077.2%

* 2026 figures are our estimates (method M1), tied to the official Ladakh projection.

Births, deaths and fertility

Birth rate
14.6 (18.4)
per 1,000 people
Death rate
5.5 (6.4)
per 1,000 people
Infant mortality
4 (25)
per 1,000 live births

SRS 2023 Sample Registration System Statistical Report 2023 (ORGI) How this is made → Sample Registration System 2023. India in brackets. IMR for smaller States/UTs is a 2021-23 average

Age structure of Ladakh

Population in five-year age groups, Census 2011. Men on the left, women on the right. Reconstructed Census 2011, added up on today’s boundaries from village, town or sub-district records. How this is made →

Age structure of Ladakh
MenWomen
  1. 80+
  2. 75-79
  3. 70-74
  4. 65-69
  5. 60-64
  6. 55-59
  7. 50-54
  8. 45-49
  9. 40-44
  10. 35-39
  11. 30-34
  12. 25-29
  13. 20-24
  14. 15-19
  15. 10-14
  16. 5-9
  17. 0-4
› Show the numbers as a table
AgeMenWomen
0-410,90810,740
5-912,29811,635
10-1412,81811,789
15-1912,15412,009
20-2417,24312,294
25-2922,69611,651
30-3417,2229,242
35-3912,6208,065
40-4410,1326,508
45-497,6005,687
50-545,3484,668
55-593,9363,385
60-643,6493,322
65-692,5042,098
70-742,2761,954
75-791,2911,046
80+1,6961,334
Children (0–14)
25.6%
India 30.9%
Working age (15–59)
66.6%
India 60.5%
Older people (60+)
7.7%
India 8.6%
Median age
26.9years
India 24.9
Dependency ratio
44.5
children and 65+ per 100 aged 15–64
India 57.1

Languages spoken in Ladakh

Share of people by mother tongue, grouped into languages as the Census does. 62 languages recorded. Reconstructed Census 2011, added up on today’s boundaries from village, town or sub-district records. How this is made →

Languages spoken in Ladakh
  1. Bhotia 38.3%
  2. Tibetan 35.9%
  3. Hindi 9.4%
  4. Shina 4.3%
  5. Balti 3.6%
  6. Ladakhi 2.1%
  7. Kashmiri 1.1%
  8. Punjabi 1.0%
  9. All other languages 4.3%

Largest mother tongues

  1. Purkhi36.8%
  2. Bauti31.9%
  3. Hindi10.0%
  4. Shina4.7%
  5. Balti4.0%
  6. Tibetan2.4%
  7. Ladakhi1.9%
  8. Punjabi1.1%

Housing and amenities in Ladakh

Share of households, Houselisting Census 2011. Reconstructed Census 2011, added up on today’s boundaries from village, town or sub-district records. How this is made →

Basic services

  • Electricity for lighting 85.0%

    India 67.4%

  • Tap water 44.2%

    India 43.7%

  • Water source within premises 12.7%

    India 46.7%

  • Toilet within premises 93.5%

    India 47.1%

  • Open defecation (no latrine) (Lower is better for this one.) 5.7%

    India 49.6%

  • Bathing area within premises 57.2%

    India 58.6%

  • Closed drainage 11.0%

    India 18.3%

  • Cooking with LPG/PNG 43.7%

    India 28.7%

  • Cooking with wood, crop waste or dung (Lower is better for this one.) 53.8%

    India 65.6%

What households own

  • Mobile phone 53.6%

    India 59.3%

  • Television 55.6%

    India 47.3%

  • Scooter or motorcycle 5.0%

    India 21.1%

  • Computer or laptop 8.3%

    India 9.5%

  • Car, jeep or van 15.9%

    India 4.7%

  • Use banking services 82.8%

    India 58.8%

  • None of the listed assets (Lower is better for this one.) 14.1%

    India 17.8%

The home itself

  • Own their home 93.0%

    India 86.5%

  • Rent their home 5.4%

    India 11.1%

  • Permanent (pucca) house 2.6%

    India 62.0%

  • House in good condition 36.2%

    India 53.2%

  • Concrete roof 0.9%

    India 29.1%

  • Cement or tiled floor 10.4%

    India 42.1%

  • One room or less (Lower is better for this one.) 23.0%

    India 41.0%

India

Per capita income of Ladakh

Per capita Net State Domestic Product (NSDP) at current prices, the standard measure of state per capita income. NSO National Statistical Office (MoSPI), compiled in the RBI Handbook of Statistics on Indian States 2024-25 How this is made →

Per capita income 2023-24
₹2,42,360
#14 of 33 States/UTs in 2023-24
GSDP 2023-24
₹8,304 crore
Gross State Domestic Product, current prices
Per capita income of Ladakh
› Show the numbers as a table
YearCurrent prices (₹)Constant 2011-12 prices (₹)
2022-231,86,970–
2023-242,42,360–

Median State/UT 2023-24: ₹2,34,721. Financial years (April–March). Latest years are advance or quick estimates and get revised.

What the numbers say

  • Ladakh is home to 0.02% of India's people and is the 35th most populous of the 36 States and Union Territories.
  • The official projection has Ladakh growing 11.2% between Census 2011 and 1 March 2026, slower than India's 17.6%.
  • Literacy in 2011 was 74.3%, 1.3 points above the national rate of 73.0%.
  • There were 750 females for every 1,000 males in 2011 (India: 943).
  • 22.6% of people lived in towns in 2011; the official projection puts the urban share at 33.1% in 2026.
  • At 5 people per km² in 2011, Ladakh is far less crowded than India as a whole (382).

Compare with

Census 2027 status

Results pending

  1. Phase I: houselisting

    Done (1 June 2026 – 30 June 2026)

  2. Phase II: counting people

    Done in September 2026 (reference date 1 October 2026)

  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 Ladakh, they will appear on this page, at this address. Census 2027 explained →

Population by religion in Ladakh (Census 2011)

Official figures as published by the Office of the Registrar General. Shown without commentary. Reconstructed Census 2011, added up on today’s boundaries from village, town or sub-district records. How this is made →

Population by religion in Ladakh (Census 2011)
ReligionPersonsShareIndia
Hindu ≈ 33,200 12.1% 79.8%
Muslim ≈ 1,27,300 46.4% 14.2%
Christian ≈ 1,300 0.5% 2.3%
Sikh ≈ 2,300 0.8% 1.7%
Buddhist ≈ 1,08,800 39.7% 0.7%
Jain ≈ 100 0.0% 0.4%
Other religions and persuasions ≈ 100 0.0% 0.7%
Religion not stated ≈ 1,300 0.5% 0.2%
Total2,74,289100%

Frequently asked questions

What is the population of Ladakh in 2026?
The official projection by the RGI Technical Group puts Ladakh's population at 3,05,000 (3.05 lakh) on 1 March 2026. No census count exists after 2011; Census 2027 results will replace this projection.

What was the population of Ladakh in Census 2011?
Census 2011 counted 2,74,289 people in Ladakh: 1,56,756 males and 1,17,533 females. Ladakh did not exist in its present form in 2011, so this total adds up the 2011 figures of the areas it covers today.

Which district of Ladakh has the largest population?
Kargil had the most people in 2011 (1,40,802). The least populous was Leh (1,33,487).

What is the sex ratio and literacy rate of Ladakh?
In Census 2011 Ladakh had 750 females per 1,000 males (child sex ratio 966) and a literacy rate of 74.3% (men 84.8%, women 59.8%).

When will Census 2027 figures for Ladakh be released?
Counting of people takes place in February 2027 with a reference date of 1 March 2027. The government has not announced a release date; in 2011 provisional totals came out on 31 March 2011, about a month after counting ended. This page will switch to Census 2027 figures as soon as they are published.

⤓ Download Ladakh data (CSV)

Sources and method

Data updated: · Report a correction