Wardha district overview
The Wardha district of Maharashtra had a population of about 13.01 lakh in 2011 and it is expected to grow steadily to reach a population of around 14.93 lakh by 2026. It has an area of 6,309 sq km and population density of 206 persons per sq km. The sex ratio is close to 947 females per 1000 males and the literacy rate is around 86.99. The child sex ratio is 919 girls per 1000 boys. The major religion is Hindu with about 81.27% and Marathi is the main language spoken by large share of people. The district population is about 32.54% urban and 67.46% rural, and villages account for most of the total population. There are a total of about 3.10 lakh households in the district.
Quick Overview of District Census 2021
| Indicator | Value (2011) |
| Total population 2011 | 13,00,774 |
| Male population 2011 | 6,68,385 |
| Female population 2011 | 6,32,389 |
| Sex ratio 2011 | 947 |
| Child sex ratio 0–6 | 919 |
| Average literacy 2011 | 86.99% |
| Male literacy 2011 | 91.92% |
| Female literacy 2011 | 81.81% |
| Area (sq km) | 6,309 |
| Population density (2011) | 206 per sq km |
Population and projections up to 2036
| Year | Estimated population | Growth since 2011 |
| 2011 | 13,00,774 | – |
| 2026 | 14,92,541 | 14.74% |
| 2027 | 15,02,074 | 15.48% |
| 2028 | 15,11,608 | 16.21% |
| 2029 | 15,21,129 | 16.94% |
| 2030 | 15,30,662 | 17.67% |
| 2031 | 15,39,069 | 18.32% |
| 2032 | 15,46,693 | 18.91% |
| 2033 | 15,54,317 | 19.49% |
| 2034 | 15,61,930 | 20.08% |
| 2035 | 15,69,554 | 20.66% |
| 2036 | 15,77,167 | 21.25% |
Sex ratio and child population
| Category | Value |
| Total sex ratio (females/1000 males) | 947 |
| Urban sex ratio | 956 |
| Rural sex ratio | 942 |
| Child sex ratio 0–6 | 919 |
| Urban child sex ratio 0–6 | 902 |
| Rural child sex ratio 0–6 | 926 |
| Total child population 0–6 | 1,28,901 |
| Male child 0–6 | 67,187 |
| Female child 0–6 | 61,714 |
| Child share of total population | 9.91% |
- Sex ratio in Wardha is slightly better than national average
- Urban areas have higher sex ratio than rural areas
- Child population share has reduced since 2001
Literacy and education levels
| Category | Average literacy | Male literacy | Female literacy |
| Total population | 86.99% | 91.92% | 81.81% |
| Urban areas | 92.62% | 96.05% | 89.04% |
| Rural areas | 84.27% | 89.93% | 78.26% |
| Religion | Average literacy | Male literacy | Female literacy |
| Hindu | 86.69% | 91.60% | 81.50% |
| Buddhist | 87.79% | 93.35% | 81.97% |
| Muslim | 89.55% | 93.08% | 85.85% |
| Jain | 98.49% | 99.06% | 97.89% |
- Literacy in Wardha is clearly above national average
- Male literacy is higher than female literacy at all levels
- Urban areas are much more educated than rural areas
Religion and literacy by religion
| Religion | Population | Percentage of total |
| Hindu | 10,57,096 | 81.27% |
| Buddhist | 1,75,417 | 13.49% |
| Muslim | 53,854 | 4.14% |
| Jain | 5,663 | 0.44% |
| Christian | 2,696 | 0.21% |
| Other religions and persuasions | 2,254 | 0.17% |
| Sikh | 2,147 | 0.17% |
| Religion not stated | 1,647 | 0.13% |
| Religion | Sex ratio |
| Hindu | 945 |
| Buddhist | 953 |
| Muslim | 953 |
| Jain | 959 |
Caste (SC/ST) data
| Caste group | Population | Share of total | Sex ratio |
| Scheduled Castes (SC) | 1,88,830 | 14.52% | 956 |
| SC male | 96,569 | – | – |
| SC female | 92,261 | – | – |
| Caste group | Population | Share of total | Sex ratio |
| Scheduled Tribes (ST) | 1,49,507 | 11.49% | 950 |
| ST male | 76,698 | – | – |
| ST female | 72,809 | – | – |
- SC families form about one seventh of total population
- ST share is also sizeable in Wardha district
- Both SC and ST groups have sex ratios above 950
Urban–rural population and households
| Region | Population | Share of total |
| Urban population | 4,23,300 | 32.54% |
| Rural population | 8,77,474 | 67.46% |
| Region | Male | Female | Sex ratio |
| Urban | 2,16,511 | 2,06,789 | 956 |
| Rural | 4,51,874 | 4,25,600 | 942 |
| Indicator | Value |
| Total area (sq km) | 6,309 |
| Population density | 206 per sq km |
| Total households | 3,09,846 |
| Total towns | 13 |
| Total villages | 1,376 |
| Houseless families | 1,189 |
| Houseless population | 4,071 |
- About one in three people live in urban Wardha
- Remaining two in three live in rural parts
- Very small number of families live without roof
Workforce and employment profile
| Indicator | Value |
| Total workers | 6,08,235 |
| Male workers | 3,92,316 |
| Female workers | 2,15,919 |
| Workers as % of total population | 46.76% |
- Nearly half of people are working in some job
- Male workers are more than female workers
- Many families depend on agriculture and small‑town trade
Historic census growth 1901–2011
| Census year | Population | Variation % |
| 1901 | 3,86,012 | 0.00% |
| 1911 | 4,61,000 | 19.37% |
| 1921 | 4,64,000 |
0.59% |
| 1931 | 5,37,000 | 15.66% |
| 1941 | 5,75,000 | 6.99% |
| 1951 | 6,11,000 | 6.23% |
| 1961 | 7,54,000 | 23.32% |
| 1971 | 9,10,000 | 20.63% |
| 1981 | 10,63,000 | 16.81% |
| 1991 | 11,85,000 | 11.47% |
| 2001 | 12,16,000 | 2.61% |
| 2011 | 13,00,774 | 6.97% |
- Population has grown steadily over last hundred years
- 1961 and 1971 show very fast growth decades
- Growth slowed after 2001 but still positive
Frequently Asked Questions
- Question: What is the total population of Wardha district in 2026? Answer: About 14.93 lakh.
- Question: What is the literacy rate of Wardha district in 2011? Answer: Around 86.99%.
- Question: What is the sex ratio in Wardha district? Answer: About 947 females per 1000 males.
- Question: Which religion has the largest share in Wardha district? Answer: Hindu with about 81.27%.
- Question: What is the rural–urban split in Wardha district? Answer: About 67% rural and 33% urban.