Balaghat, a district in the Jabalpur division of Madhya Pradesh, is stretched over 9,229 sq.km with almost half of its area being forest. The population was 1.7 million in 2011 which is projected to reach around 2 million by 2031. The district is proud of a sex ratio of 1,021 females per 1,000 males and a literacy rate of 77.09%. About 13.14% of the people are residing in urban areas, while 86.87% are in villages, which shows that the district is predominantly rural and its population is slowly increasing.
Quick Overview of Balaghat District Census 2021
- District Name: Balaghat
- State: Madhya Pradesh
- Headquarters: Balaghat town
- Geographical Region: Jabalpur division, south‑eastern Madhya Pradesh
- Area (geographical): about 9,229 sq.km
- Forest Area: about 4,921 sq.km (around half of district area)
- Population 2011 (district, standard census): 1,701,698 (17.02 lakh)
- Male Population 2011: 842,178
- Female Population 2011: 859,520
- Population 2001 (district): 1,497,968 (14.98 lakh)
- Population Growth 2001–2011: 13.56% (about 13.6%)
- Share in State Population 2011: about 2.3–2.4%
- Projected Population 2021 (district): about 1,890,000 (18.98 lakh)
- Projected Population 2025 – table 1: about 1,950,000 (19.59 lakh)
- Projected Population 2031 (district): about 2,000,000 (20.01 lakh)
- Overall Sex Ratio 2011: 1,021 females per 1000 males
- Sex Ratio 2001: about 1,022 females per 1000 males
- Child Sex Ratio (0–6, district): around 974–975 girls per 1000 boys
- Population Density 2011: about 184 persons per sq.km (using 9,229 sq.km)
- Urbanisation 2011: about 13–14% urban, 86–87% rural
- Total Literacy Rate 2011 (district): 77.09%
- Male Literacy Rate 2011: 85.36%
- Female Literacy Rate 2011: 69.04%
- Total Households 2011 (district): 391,836
Population – 2011 vs 2001 (District)
| Description |
2011 |
2001 |
| Actual Population |
1,701,698 |
1,497,968 |
| Male Population |
842,178 |
740,749 |
| Female Population |
859,520 |
757,219 |
| Population (in Lakhs) |
17.02 |
14.98 |
| Decadal Population Growth |
13.56% |
about 22–23% |
| Area (sq.km) |
9,229 |
9,229 |
| Population Density (per sq.km) |
about 184 |
about 162 |
| Sex Ratio (females per 1000 males) |
1,021 |
1,022 |
Population Projections – Balaghat District 2011–2031
| Year |
Projected Population |
Population (Lakhs) |
| 2011 (actual) |
1,701,698 |
17.02 |
| 2021 |
1,890,000 |
18.98 |
| 2022 |
1,910,000 |
19.17 |
| 2023 |
1,930,000 |
19.33 |
| 2024 |
1,940,000 |
19.47 |
| 2025 |
2,070,468 |
20.70 |
| 2026 |
1,960,000 |
19.69 |
| 2027 |
1,970,000 |
19.77 |
| 2028 |
1,980,000 |
19.85 |
| 2029 |
1,990,000 |
19.91 |
| 2030 |
1,990,000 |
19.96 |
| 2031 |
2,000,000 |
20.01 |
Urban and Rural Population – Balaghat District 2011
| Area |
Population Share |
Total Population |
Male Population |
Female Population |
Sex Ratio |
| Rural |
about 86–87% |
around 1,470,000 |
about 725,000 |
about 745,000 |
about 1,028 |
| Urban |
about 13–14% |
around 230,000 |
about 117,000 |
about 113,000 |
about 965–970 |
Child Population (0–6 years) – Balaghat District 2011
- Total children (0–6 years) in the district are a bit over 13% of the population (around 220,000–230,000 children, as reported in detailed handbook tables).
- Child sex ratio (0–6) is roughly 974–975 girls per 1000 boys at district level.
Overall Literacy – Balaghat District 2011
| Item |
Total |
Male |
Female |
| Literacy Rate |
77.09% |
85.36% |
69.04% |
| Approximate Literate Population |
about 1.12–1.13 million |
around 0.70 million |
around 0.43 million |
Religion-wise Population – Balaghat District 2011
| Religion |
Population |
Percent of Total |
| Hindu |
1,519,384 |
89.29% |
| Buddhist |
72,162 |
4.24% |
| Other religions and persuasions |
58,064 |
3.41% |
| Muslim |
38,542 |
2.26% |
| Others (Christian, Sikh, Jain, not stated) |
small remainder |
about 1% |
Literacy Rate by Religion – Balaghat District 2011
| Religion |
Average Literacy Rate (%) |
Male Literacy Rate (%) |
Female Literacy Rate (%) |
| Hindu |
76.70 |
85.00 |
68.61 |
| Buddhist |
84.64 |
93.12 |
76.61 |
| Other religions and persuasions |
67.85 |
78.10 |
58.21 |
| Muslim |
87.95 |
93.12 |
82.68 |
SC / ST Population – Balaghat District 2011
- In Balaghat tehsil, Scheduled Castes number 22,609 (11,103 males; 11,506 females) and Scheduled Tribes number 38,967 (19,033 males; 19,934 females), giving a sense of strong ST presence.
Languages Spoken – Balaghat District 2011
| Language (First Language) |
Share of Speakers (%) |
| Hindi (including related varieties) |
40.85% (plus another 9.55% classified as other Hindi varieties) |
| Marathi |
16.41% |
| Powari |
9.64% |
| Gondi |
9.35% |
| Chhattisgarhi |
5.33% |
| Lodhi |
5.22% |
| Kalari |
1.18% |
| Other minor languages |
small remainder |
Administrative Units – Tehsils and Villages (District)
- Balaghat district is divided into multiple tehsils and blocks; one tehsil‑focused table lists these tehsils along with their population details.
| # |
Tehsil Name |
District |
| 1 | Baihar | Balaghat |
| 2 | Balaghat | Balaghat |
| 3 | Khairlanji | Balaghat |
| 4 | Katangi | Balaghat |
| 5 | Lanji | Balaghat |
| 6 | Lalbarra | Balaghat |
| 7 | Kirnapur | Balaghat |
| 8 | Paraswada | Balaghat |
| 9 | Waraseoni | Balaghat |
Balaghat Tehsil – Detailed Census 2011 Snapshot
| Item |
Total |
Urban |
Rural |
| Population |
269,352 |
109,903 |
159,449 |
| Children (0–6 years) |
31,488 |
11,099 |
20,389 |
| Scheduled Caste Population |
22,609 |
12,224 |
10,385 |
| Scheduled Tribe Population |
38,967 |
8,013 |
30,954 |
| Literacy Rate |
82.35% |
89.60% |
77.19% |
| Sex Ratio |
1,015 |
991 |
1,031 |
Balaghat Tehsil – Religion-wise Population 2011
| Religion |
Count |
Percentage (Tehsil) |
| Hindu |
230,250 |
85.48% |
| Muslim |
13,174 |
4.89% |
| Buddhist |
12,736 |
4.73% |
| Other religions and persuasions |
8,108 |
3.01% |
Balaghat Tehsil – Literacy Rate by Religion 2011
| Religion |
Average Literacy Rate (%) |
Male Literacy Rate (%) |
Female Literacy Rate (%) |
| Hindu |
81.81 |
88.71 |
75.05 |
| Muslim |
90.64 |
93.98 |
87.35 |
| Buddhist |
88.26 |
94.72 |
82.06 |
| Other religions and persuasions |
66.57 |
77.72 |
56.21 |
Balaghat Municipality (City) – Census 2011 & 2025
| Item |
Value |
| City Type |
Municipality |
| Total Population 2011 |
84,261 |
| Male Population 2011 |
43,644 |
| Female Population 2011 |
40,617 |
| Sex Ratio (city) |
931 females per 1000 males |
| Literacy Rate (city) |
91.38% (very high urban literacy) |
| Projected Population 2025 (city region) |
about 100,000 (city) and over 120,000 (urban region) |
Frequently Asked Questions
- Q: What is Balaghat district population in 2011?
A: 1,701,698 people (about 17.02 lakh).
- Q: What is the projected population in 2025?
A: Projections range from about 19.6 lakh to about 20.7 lakh, depending on the method.
- Q: What is the sex ratio in Balaghat?
A: About 1,021 females per 1000 males overall in 2011.
- Q: How much of the population is rural vs urban?
A: Roughly 86–87% live in rural areas and 13–14% in urban areas.
- Q: What is the literacy rate?
A: Overall literacy is 77.09%; male literacy 85.36% and female literacy 69.04%.
- Q: Which religions are most common in the district?
A: Hinduism (about 89.3%) followed by Buddhism (about 4.2%), with smaller shares of other religions.
- Q: How strong is the tribal population?
A: The district has a large Scheduled Tribe population, especially visible in tehsil data where ST shares are high.
- Q: Which languages are mainly spoken?
A: Mix of Hindi and its varieties plus Marathi, Powari, Gondi, Chhattisgarhi, Lodhi and Kalari.
- Q: What is the population of Balaghat town?
A: 84,261 people as per the 2011 census.
- Q: What are the main tehsils in Balaghat?
A: Key tehsils include Baihar, Balaghat, Khairlanji, Katangi, Lanji, Lalbarra, Kirnapur, Paraswada and Waraseoni.