District of Meghalaya
West Jaintia Hills District Population 2026
Population · 1 March 2026
≈ 3.23 lakh Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection 1 March 2026 How this is made →
3,23,000 323,000 1 March 2026
West Jaintia Hills district's population is estimated at ≈3.23 lakh (3,23,000) on 1 March 2026. This is our estimate, tied to the official Meghalaya projection; Census 2011, the last count, recorded 2,72,185 on the district’s present boundaries.
Estimate: method M1, constrained to the RGI projection for Meghalaya. Census: ORGI.
Which number do you mean?
District totals include villages. Here is how the 2011 population splits between towns and villages.
District
West Jaintia Hills district
- Census 2011
- 2,72,185
- 2026 Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection How this is made →
- ≈ 3.23 lakh
Urban population
Towns (urban)
- Census 2011
- 28,430
Rural
Villages (rural)
- Census 2011
- 2,43,755
Key figures
- Population 2026
- ≈ 3.23 lakh 3,23,000 Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection How this is made →
- Census 2011
- 2.72 lakh 2,72,185 Reconstructed Census figures re-added on today’s boundaries How this is made →
- Density
- ≈ 107per km² 2011
- Sex ratio
- 1015 Meghalaya: 989
- Child sex ratio (0–6)
- 972 Meghalaya: 970
- Literacy rate
- 63.1% Male 58.5% · Female 67.6%
- Urban share
- 10.5% Meghalaya: 20.1%
- Growth 2001–11
- +32.1% Meghalaya: +28.0%
- Area
- ≈ 2,539km² approx., from 2011 sub-district areas
- Households
- 45.3 thousand 6.0 people per household
- Villages
- 331 Census 2011
- Towns
- 1 Census 2011
Where it ranks
Population over time
Census figures re-added on today’s boundaries (parts of earlier districts apportioned by their 2011 population), then our estimate to 2036.
- Reconstructed
- Estimate
› Show the numbers as a table
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 1991 | 1,51,875 |
| 2001 | 2,06,043 |
| 2011 | 2,72,185 |
| 2016 * | 2,89,000 |
| 2021 * | 3,06,000 |
| 2026 * | 3,23,000 |
| 2031 * | 3,39,000 |
| 2036 * | 3,52,000 |
* Estimate
How West Jaintia Hills'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.
| # | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Thadlaskein | 1,37,939 | 50.7% | 1031 | 64.4% | 20.6% |
| 2 | Laskein | 90,402 | 33.2% | 998 | 57.4% | 0.0% |
| 3 | Amlarem | 43,844 | 16.1% | 1002 | 70.2% | 0.0% |
How people in West Jaintia Hills worked (Census 2011)
Cultivators
33.6%
Agricultural labourers
23.8%
Household industry
1.2%
Other work
41.3%
Share of all workers, main and marginal. Work participation: 40.0%.
Age structure of West Jaintia Hills
Population in five-year age groups, Census 2011. Men on the left, women on the right. Census 2011, approx. Census 2011 on today’s boundaries; approximate, because some 2011 units were split between districts and are apportioned by population. How this is made →
- 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 | 23,196 | 22,530 |
| 5-9 | 20,248 | 20,097 |
| 10-14 | 18,439 | 18,698 |
| 15-19 | 15,011 | 15,134 |
| 20-24 | 12,440 | 13,195 |
| 25-29 | 10,792 | 10,745 |
| 30-34 | 7,929 | 7,732 |
| 35-39 | 7,181 | 6,982 |
| 40-44 | 5,669 | 5,558 |
| 45-49 | 4,553 | 4,637 |
| 50-54 | 3,143 | 3,243 |
| 55-59 | 2,014 | 2,266 |
| 60-64 | 1,677 | 2,100 |
| 65-69 | 1,039 | 1,343 |
| 70-74 | 772 | 1,084 |
| 75-79 | 362 | 618 |
| 80+ | 469 | 786 |
- Children (0–14)
- 45.4%
- Meghalaya 39.8%
- Working age (15–59)
- 50.9%
- Meghalaya 55.5%
- Older people (60+)
- 3.8%
- Meghalaya 4.7%
- Median age
- 17.1years
- Meghalaya 19.6
- Dependency ratio
- 91.3
- children and 65+ per 100 aged 15–64
- Meghalaya 74.7
Languages spoken in West Jaintia Hills
Share of people by mother tongue, grouped into languages as the Census does. 48 languages recorded. Reconstructed Census 2011, added up on today’s boundaries from village, town or sub-district records. How this is made →
- Khasi 97.1%
- Bengali 0.5%
- Others 0.5%
- Hindi 0.4%
- Karbi/Mikir 0.3%
- Nepali 0.2%
- Odia 0.1%
- Assamese 0.1%
- All other languages 0.6%
Largest mother tongues
- Pnar/Synteng77.6%
- War12.5%
- Khasi6.6%
- Bengali0.5%
- Karbi/Mikir0.3%
- Hindi0.3%
- Nepali0.2%
- Odia0.1%
Housing and amenities in West Jaintia Hills
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 61.6%
Meghalaya 61.0%
- Tap water 25.0%
Meghalaya 39.3%
- Water source within premises 13.7%
Meghalaya 24.1%
- Toilet within premises 49.6%
Meghalaya 62.9%
- Open defecation (no latrine) (Lower is better for this one.) 46.3%
Meghalaya 34.3%
- Bathing area within premises 69.6%
Meghalaya 39.7%
- Closed drainage 5.8%
Meghalaya 5.7%
- Cooking with LPG/PNG 11.9%
Meghalaya 11.8%
- Cooking with wood, crop waste or dung (Lower is better for this one.) 84.5%
Meghalaya 80.1%
What households own
- Mobile phone 44.8%
Meghalaya 41.5%
- Television 24.4%
Meghalaya 33.7%
- Scooter or motorcycle 1.4%
Meghalaya 5.4%
- Computer or laptop 5.8%
Meghalaya 7.6%
- Car, jeep or van 5.4%
Meghalaya 5.4%
- Use banking services 36.1%
Meghalaya 37.5%
- None of the listed assets (Lower is better for this one.) 42.8%
Meghalaya 35.8%
The home itself
- Own their home 88.0%
Meghalaya 81.9%
- Rent their home 10.1%
Meghalaya 15.6%
- Permanent (pucca) house 31.1%
Meghalaya 30.0%
- House in good condition 47.5%
Meghalaya 48.1%
- Concrete roof 10.8%
Meghalaya 10.3%
- Cement or tiled floor 37.3%
Meghalaya 31.0%
- One room or less (Lower is better for this one.) 12.3%
Meghalaya 23.7%
Meghalaya
What the numbers say
- West Jaintia Hills district held 9.2% of Meghalaya's population in 2011, 3rd of 12 districts.
- Literacy is 63.1%, 11.3 points below the Meghalaya average of 74.4%.
- The sex ratio of 1015 females per 1,000 males is higher than the state's 989.
- 10.5% of residents lived in towns in 2011, more rural than Meghalaya as a whole (20.1%).
- The population grew 32.1% in 2001–11, faster than Meghalaya's 28.0% (on today’s boundaries).
- Our 2026 estimate, ≈3.23 lakh, implies growth of about 19% since 2011; it is tied to the official Meghalaya projection.
How this district was formed
West Jaintia Hills covers land that was part of these districts in Census 2011:
- Jaintia Hills (2011) 100.0% of this district
68.9% of the 2011 district
Compare with
All districts of Meghalaya →Census 2027 status
Results pending-
Phase I: houselisting
Done (16 May 2026 – 14 June 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 West Jaintia Hills, they will appear on this page, at this address. Census 2027 explained →
Population by religion in West Jaintia Hills (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 →
| Religion | Persons | Share | Meghalaya |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hindu | ≈ 9,500 | 3.5% | 11.5% |
| Muslim | ≈ 1,100 | 0.4% | 4.4% |
| Christian | ≈ 1,82,700 | 67.1% | 74.6% |
| Sikh | ≈ 0 | 0.0% | 0.1% |
| Buddhist | ≈ 200 | 0.1% | 0.3% |
| Jain | ≈ 0 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Other religions and persuasions | ≈ 77,300 | 28.4% | 8.7% |
| Religion not stated | ≈ 1,300 | 0.5% | 0.3% |
| Total | 2,72,185 | 100% |
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of West Jaintia Hills district in 2026?
What was the population of West Jaintia Hills district in Census 2011?
What is the literacy rate and sex ratio of West Jaintia Hills?
Which is the largest town in West Jaintia Hills district?
How many villages and towns are in West Jaintia Hills district?
⤓ Download Meghalaya district data (CSV)
Sources and method
- Census of India 2011, Primary Census Abstract (ORGI)
- Census 2011 village and town population figures (ORGI)
- How 2011 figures are rebuilt on today’s district boundaries
- Report of the Technical Group on Population Projections 2011–2036 (July 2020)
- Our estimation method M1 (formulas and checks)
- Census 2011 Table C-14: population in five-year age groups
- Census 2011 Table C-16: population by mother tongue
- Census 2011 Houselisting Table HH-14: households by amenities and assets
- Census 2011 Table C-01: population by religious community
- Local Government Directory (current district boundaries)
Data updated: · Report a correction