Total Population of India 2026 (Top States & Cities)

The total population of India is about 148 crore which represents over 17.7% of the world population. India has about 65% of the total population under the age of 35 years and comprises the world's largest youth workforce. India has a total fertility rate or TFR has reduced below the replacement level of about 1.9. It shows that the population growth will stabilize in about half a century. The population pattern varies from region to region. For example, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar are youthful and fast-growing states whereas Kerala and Tamil Nadu are ageing fastly. According to the United Nations, India will rise up to 170 crore population (approx.) by 2060 before it gradually declines.

Timeline of Population of India

S.No.	Year	Population (crores)
1	2026	147.7 Cr
2	2020	140.3 Cr
3	2010	124.3 Cr
4	2000	105.7 Cr
5	1975	62.3 Cr
6	1947	34 Cr

Population of India Statewise 2026

Rank	State or Union Territory	Estimated Population	Population
1	Uttar Pradesh	24,34,66,000	24.34 Cr
2	Bihar	13,28,50,310	13.28 Cr
3	Maharashtra	12,95,84,000	12.95 Cr
4	West Bengal	10,06,31,000	10.06 Cr
5	Madhya Pradesh	8,99,65,000	8.99 Cr
6	Rajasthan	8,38,79,000	8.38 Cr
7	Tamil Nadu	7,90,20,000	7.90 Cr
8	Gujarat	7,43,43,000	7.43 Cr
9	Karnataka	7,07,80,000	7.07 Cr
10	Andhra Pradesh	5,37,40,000	5.37 Cr
11	Odisha	4,74,70,000	4.74 Cr
12	Jharkhand	4,11,08,000	4.11 Cr
13	Telangana	3,86,65,000	3.86 Cr
14	Kerala	3,62,39,000	3.62 Cr
15	Assam	3,59,60,000	3.59 Cr
16	Haryana	3,14,10,000	3.14 Cr
17	Punjab	3,13,70,000	3.13 Cr
18	Chhattisgarh	2,88,70,000	2.88 Cr
19	Delhi (NCT)	2,23,00,000	2.23 Cr
20	Jammu and Kashmir	1,40,10,000	1.40 Cr
21	Uttarakhand	1,20,30,000	1.20 Cr
22	Himachal Pradesh	75,90,000	75.9 Lakhs
23	Tripura	42,70,000	42.7 Lakhs
24	Meghalaya	34,60,000	34.6 Lakhs
25	Manipur	33,20,000	33.2 Lakhs
26	Nagaland	23,10,000	23.1 Lakhs
27	Chandigarh	12,40,000	12.4 Lakhs
28	Goa	16,00,000	16.0 Lakhs
29	Arunachal Pradesh	14,60,000	14.6 Lakhs
30	Mizoram	12,80,000	12.8 Lakhs
31	Puducherry	16,90,000	16.9 Lakhs
32	Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu	12,90,000	12.9 Lakhs
33	Sikkim	7,10,000	7.1 Lakhs
34	Andaman and Nicobar Islands	4,30,000	4.3 Lakhs
35	Ladakh	3,00,000	3.0 Lakhs
36	Lakshadweep	80,000	80 Thousand

Uttar Pradesh is the highest populated state in India. The state comprises an estimated population of 24.35 crore which is about 17% of India’s total population. Interestingly, if we consider Uttar Pradesh as a country, it will rank at 6th position in the world which means it will surpass many countries such as Brazil, Nigeria, and Russia. It is situated parallel to the fertile gangetic plain and comprises a population density of about 829 persons per square kilometre. The state has an extensive river-fed agriculture with Prayag as its most populous city.

The population growth rate of India has reduced in recent years due to decrease in fertility. However, the total population will increase in future decades because the majority of population in India lies in the reproductive ages. The urban population in India is about 37.6% whereas rural India is substantial. The population distribution is highly uneven.

For example, the Indo-gangetic plain or alluvial plains in north India is densely populated whereas the Himalaya, desert and forest areas are sparsely populated.