Gadchiroli district overview
The Gadchiroli district of Maharashtra had a population of about 10.73 lakh in 2011 and it is expected to grow steadily to reach a population of around 13.01 lakh by 2036. It has an area of 14,412 sq km and population density of 74 persons per sq km. The sex ratio is close to 983 females per 1000 males and the literacy rate is around 74.36. The child sex ratio is 962 girls per 1000 boys. The major religion is Hindu with about 86.44% and Marathi is the main language spoken by large share of people. The district population is about 11.00% urban and 89.00% rural, and villages account for most of the total population. There are a total of about 2.50 lakh households in the district.
Quick Overview of District Census 2021
| Indicator | Value (2011) |
| Total population 2011 | 10,72,942 |
| Male population 2011 | 5,41,328 |
| Female population 2011 | 5,31,614 |
| Sex ratio 2011 | 983 |
| Child sex ratio 0–6 | 962 |
| Average literacy 2011 | 74.36% |
| Male literacy 2011 | 82.31% |
| Female literacy 2011 | 66.27% |
| Area (sq km) | 14,412 |
| Population density (2011) | 74 per sq km |
Population and projections up to 2036
| Year | Estimated population | Growth since 2011 |
| 2011 | 10,72,942 | – |
| 2026 | 12,31,121 | 14.74% |
| 2027 | 12,38,985 | 15.48% |
| 2028 | 12,46,848 | 16.21% |
| 2029 | 12,54,702 | 16.94% |
| 2030 | 12,62,565 | 17.67% |
| 2031 | 12,69,499 | 18.32% |
| 2032 | 12,75,788 | 18.91% |
| 2033 | 12,82,077 | 19.49% |
| 2034 | 12,88,356 | 20.08% |
| 2035 | 12,94,645 | 20.66% |
| 2036 | 13,00,924 | 21.25% |
Sex ratio and child population
| Category | Value |
| Total sex ratio (females/1000 males) | 983 |
| Urban sex ratio | 966 |
| Rural sex ratio | 985 |
| Child sex ratio 0–6 | 962 |
| Urban child sex ratio 0–6 | 917 |
| Rural child sex ratio 0–6 | 966 |
| Total child population 0–6 | 1,20,272 |
| Male child 0–6 | 61,320 |
| Female child 0–6 | 58,952 |
| Child share of total population | 11.21% |
- Sex ratio in Gadchiroli is above national average
- Child population share has reduced since 2001
- Rural child sex ratio is better than urban child sex ratio
Literacy and education levels
| Category | Average literacy | Male literacy | Female literacy |
| Total population | 74.36% | 82.31% | 66.27% |
| Urban areas | 89.00% | 93.71% | 84.16% |
| Rural areas | 72.52% | 80.87% | 64.05% |
| Religion | Average literacy | Male literacy | Female literacy |
| Hindu | 73.48% | 81.47% | 65.35% |
| Buddhist | 83.15% | 91.06% | 75.10% |
| Other religions and persuasions | 67.49% | 76.31% | 58.98% |
| Muslim | 87.30% | 92.93% | 81.77% |
- Literacy in Gadchiroli is slightly above national average
- Male literacy is higher than female literacy especially in villages
- Urban areas are much more educated than rural areas
Religion and literacy by religion
| Religion | Population | Percentage of total |
| Hindu | 9,27,411 | 86.44% |
| Buddhist | 82,695 | 7.71% |
| Other religions and persuasions | 30,047 | 2.80% |
| Muslim | 21,063 | 1.96% |
| Religion not stated | 6,719 | 0.63% |
| Christian | 3,872 | 0.36% |
| Sikh | 681 | 0.06% |
| Jain | 454 | 0.04% |
| Religion | Sex ratio |
| Hindu | 980 |
| Buddhist | 981 |
| Other religions and persuasions | 1028 |
| Muslim | 1014 |
Caste (SC/ST) data
| Caste group | Population | Share of total | Sex ratio |
| Scheduled Castes (SC) | 1,20,745 | 11.25% | 979 |
| SC male | 61,041 | – | – |
| SC female | 59,704 | – | – |
| Caste group | Population | Share of total | Sex ratio |
| Scheduled Tribes (ST) | 4,15,306 | 38.71% | 1003 |
| ST male | 2,07,377 | – | – |
| ST female | 2,07,929 | – | – |
- ST families form about two‑fifths of total population
- SC share is also sizeable in Gadchiroli district
- Both SC and ST groups have sex ratios close to or above 1000
Urban–rural population and households
| Region | Population | Share of total |
| Urban population | 1,18,033 | 11.00% |
| Rural population | 9,54,909 | 89.00% |
| Region | Male | Female | Sex ratio |
| Urban | 60,038 | 57,995 | 966 |
| Rural | 4,81,290 | 4,73,619 | 985 |
| Indicator | Value |
| Total area (sq km) | 14,412 |
| Population density | 74 per sq km |
| Total households | 2,50,435 |
| Total towns | 6 |
| Total villages | 1,675 |
| Houseless families | 430 |
| Houseless population | 1,760 |
- Most people still live in rural Gadchiroli
- Only about one in nine live in urban areas
- Very small number of families live without roof
Workforce and employment profile
| Indicator | Value |
| Total workers | 5,84,237 |
| Male workers | 3,23,338 |
| Female workers | 2,60,899 |
| Workers as % of total population | 54.45% |
- More than half of people are working in some job
- Male workers are more than female workers
- Many families depend on forest‑based work and agriculture
Historic census growth 1901–2011
| Census year | Population | Variation % |
| 1901 | 1,77,244 | – |
| 1911 | 2,25,000 | 26.99% |
| 1921 | 2,21,000 | –1.78% |
| 1931 | 2,52,000 | 13.97% |
| 1941 | 2,77,000 | 9.92% |
| 1951 | 3,24,000 | 16.97% |
| 1961 | 4,11,000 | 26.85% |
| 1971 | 5,49,000 | 33.58% |
| 1981 | 7,18,000 | 30.78% |
| 1991 | 8,93,000 | 24.37% |
| 2001 | 9,95,000 | 11.42% |
| 2011 | 10,72,942 | 7.83% |
- Population has grown steadily over last hundred years
- 1961 and 1971 show very fast growth decades
- Growth slowed after 2001 but remained positive
Frequently Asked Questions
- Question: What is the total population of Gadchiroli district in 2026? Answer: About 12.31 lakh.
- Question: What is the literacy rate of Gadchiroli district in 2011? Answer: Around 74.36%.
- Question: What is the sex ratio in Gadchiroli district? Answer: About 983 females per 1000 males.
- Question: Which religion has the largest share in Gadchiroli district? Answer: Hindu with about 86.44%.
- Question: What is the rural–urban split in Gadchiroli district? Answer: About 89% rural and 11% urban.