Karnal District Census 2021–2025: Population, Literacy, Sex Ratio, ST/SC, Urban/Rural, Religion, City/Taluka
Karnal District Haryana Census 2025/2011 – Population, Growth, Religion, Sex Ratio, Literacy, SC/ST, Rural/Urban, Language, Tehsil/Taluk Data
Quick Overview: Karnal District Census 2021
- Estimated Population (2025): 1,716,069 to 1,831,771 (approx. 18.3 lakh)
- 2011 Census Population: 1,505,324
- Area: 2,520 sq km
- Density (2011): 597 people per sq km
- Sex Ratio (2011): 887 women/1000 men (total)
- Literacy Rate (2011): 74.73% (Male: 81.82%, Female: 66.82%)
- SC Population (2011): 339,604 (22.56%)
- ST Population: 0
- Child Population (0–6): 196,610 (13.06%)
- Households: 292,084
- Villages: 434
- Towns: 8
- Major Languages: Hindi, Haryanvi, Punjabi
Historic Population Growth (1901–2036)
| Year |
Population |
Growth (%) |
Male |
Female |
| 1901 | 230,386 | – | 125,000 | 106,000 |
| 1911 | 208,536 | −9.5 | 114,000 | 94,460 |
| 1921 | 215,872 | +3.5 | 118,000 | 97,760 |
| 1931 | 221,887 | +2.8 | 122,000 | 99,650 |
| 1941 | 258,969 | +16.7 | 141,000 | 118,000 |
| 1951 | 353,764 | +36.6 | 190,000 | 164,000 |
| 1961 | 474,722 | +34.2 | 256,000 | 218,000 |
| 1971 | 619,533 | +30.5 | 334,000 | 286,000 |
| 1981 | 829,927 | +34.0 | 447,000 | 383,000 |
| 1991 | 1,035,390 | +24.8 | 555,000 | 480,000 |
| 2001 | 1,274,183 | +23.1 | 683,368 | 590,815 |
| 2011 | 1,505,324 | +18.1 | 797,712 | 707,612 |
| 2025 | 1,831,771 | +21.7 | 964,000 | 867,000 |
| 2036 | 2,037,484 | +35.4 | 1,063,000 | 975,000 |
Religion-wise Population (2011 & 2025)
| Religion |
Population 2011 |
% 2011 |
Estimated 2025 |
| Hindu | 1,341,002 | 89.08 | 1,528,742 |
| Sikh | 126,207 | 8.38 | 143,876 |
| Muslim | 31,650 | 2.10 | 36,081 |
| Christian | 2,049 | 0.14 | 2,336 |
| Jain | 1,516 | 0.10 | 1,728 |
| Buddhist | 532 | 0.04 | 606 |
| Religion not stated | 2,319 | 0.15 | 2,644 |
| Others | 49 | 0.00 | 56 |
Urban/Rural Population & Literacy (2011)
| Description |
Rural |
Urban |
| Population (%) | 69.79 | 30.21 |
| Total Population | 1,050,514 | 454,810 |
| Male Population | 557,110 | 240,602 |
| Female Population | 493,404 | 214,208 |
| Sex Ratio | 886 | 891 |
| Child Sex Ratio (0-6) | 829 | 810 |
| Child Population (0-6) | 142,691 | 53,919 |
| Male Child (0-6) | 78,011 | 29,786 |
| Female Child (0-6) | 64,680 | 24,133 |
| Average Literacy (%) | 71.37 | 82.35 |
| Male Literacy (%) | 79.50 | 87.10 |
| Female Literacy (%) | 62.28 | 77.07 |
Literacy Rate by Religion (2011)
| Religion |
Average (%) |
Male (%) |
Female (%) |
| Hindu | 74.88 | 82.24 | 66.65 |
| Sikh | 77.11 | 81.32 | 72.52 |
| Muslim | 56.13 | 64.52 | 46.68 |
| Religion Not Stated | 79.08 | 85.84 | 71.93 |
Sex Ratio by Area & Religion (2011)
| Category |
Sex Ratio |
| Total | 888 |
| Urban | 891 |
| Rural | 886 |
| Hindu | 886 |
| Sikh | 905 |
| Muslim | 881 |
| Religion Not Stated | 894 |
SC & ST Population (2011)
- Scheduled Caste (SC): 339,604 (22.56%), Male: 179,681, Female: 159,923, Sex Ratio: 891
- Scheduled Tribe (ST): 0
Child Population (0–6 Years, 2011)
- Total: 196,610 (13.06%)
- Boys: 107,797 (13.51% of boys)
- Girls: 88,813 (12.55% of girls)
- Child Sex Ratio: 824 girls/1000 boys
Workforce Profile (2011)
- Total Workers: 516,062 (34.28%)
- Male Workers: 411,646
- Female Workers: 104,416
City & Town List and Stats
| City/Town Name |
Population (2011) |
Male |
Female |
Estimated (2025) |
| Karnal (Municipal Council) | 286,827 | 151,287 | 135,540 | 326,983 |
| Karnal (Urban Agglomeration) | 302,140 | 159,653 | 142,487 | --- |
Subdistrict/Taluk/Tehsil List
- Karnal
- Indri
- Nilokheri
- Gharaunda
- Assandh
- Sub-tehsils: Nigdhu, Nissing, Kaimla
Village List
- Total Villages: 434
- Largest Village: Kaimla
Languages Spoken (2011)
- Hindi: 54.28%
- Haryanvi: 32.04%
- Punjabi: 10.86%
- Western Punjabi: 1.06%
Population Projection (2025–2036)
| Year |
Projected Population |
Total Growth % Since 2011 |
Annual Growth |
| 2025 | 1,831,771 | 21.69% | ↑ |
| 2026 | 1,851,942 | 23.03% | 1.34% ↑ |
| 2027 | 1,871,349 | 24.32% | 1.29% ↑ |
| 2028 | 1,890,697 | 25.6% | 1.28% ↑ |
| 2029 | 1,910,045 | 26.89% | 1.29% ↑ |
| 2030 | 1,929,452 | 28.18% | 1.29% ↑ |
| 2036 | 2,037,484 | 35.35% | 1.19% ↑ |
FAQ on Karnal Census
- What is the population of Karnal in Census 2011?
15,05,324
- What is the projected population for 2025?
~1,716,069–1,831,771 (approx. 18.3 lakh)
- What is the Hindu population in Karnal?
1,341,002 (2011, 89.08%)
- What is the Sikh population in Karnal?
1,26,207 (2011, 8.38%)
- What is the religion-wise population?
See Religion-wise table above (all groups listed)
- What is the SC population?
3,39,604 (22.56%)
- How is urban/rural population distributed?
Urban: 4,54,810 (30.21%), Rural: 10,50,514 (69.79%) (2011)
- Younger child population (0–6)?
1,96,610 (13.06%)
- How many cities/towns & villages?
8 towns, 434 villages
- What are the main languages spoken?
Hindi, Haryanvi, Punjabi (see table above)
- Who are some notable people from Karnal?
Kalpana Chawla (astronaut), Nawabzada Liaquat Ali Khan (Pak PM), Manohar Lal Khattar (ex-CM), Navdeep Saini (cricketer)