Quick Overview: Population Density Census 2011
- Average population density of India (2011): 382 persons per km²
- State with highest density: Bihar — 1,106 persons per km²
- UT with highest density: Delhi — 11,320 persons per km²
- State with lowest density: Arunachal Pradesh — 17 persons per km²
- UT with lowest density: Andaman & Nicobar Islands — 46 persons per km²
- District with highest density: Mumbai City
- District with lowest density: Lahaul and Spiti
All States & UTs: Population Density Complete Table (2011 Census Data)
| S.No. | State / UT | Population | Density (per km²) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Andaman & Nicobar Islands | 380,581 | 46 |
| 2 | Andhra Pradesh | 84,580,777 | 308 |
| 3 | Arunachal Pradesh | 1,383,727 | 17 |
| 4 | Assam | 31,205,576 | 398 |
| 5 | Bihar | 104,099,452 | 1,106 |
| 6 | Chandigarh | 1,055,450 | 9,258 |
| 7 | Chhattisgarh | 25,545,198 | 189 |
| 8 | Dadra & Nagar Haveli | 343,709 | 700 |
| 9 | Daman & Diu | 243,247 | 2,191 |
| 10 | Delhi (NCT) | 16,787,941 | 11,320 |
| 11 | Goa | 1,458,545 | 394 |
| 12 | Gujarat | 60,439,692 | 308 |
| 13 | Haryana | 25,351,462 | 573 |
| 14 | Himachal Pradesh | 6,864,602 | 123 |
| 15 | Jammu & Kashmir | 12,541,302 | 56 |
| 16 | Jharkhand | 32,988,134 | 414 |
| 17 | Karnataka | 61,095,297 | 319 |
| 18 | Kerala | 33,406,061 | 860 |
| 19 | Lakshadweep | 64,473 | 2,149 |
| 20 | Madhya Pradesh | 72,626,809 | 236 |
| 21 | Maharashtra | 112,374,333 | 365 |
| 22 | Manipur | 2,855,794 | 128 |
| 23 | Meghalaya | 2,966,889 | 132 |
| 24 | Mizoram | 1,097,206 | 52 |
| 25 | Nagaland | 1,978,502 | 119 |
| 26 | Odisha | 41,974,218 | 270 |
| 27 | Puducherry | 1,247,953 | 2,547 |
| 28 | Punjab | 27,743,338 | 551 |
| 29 | Rajasthan | 68,548,437 | 200 |
| 30 | Sikkim | 610,577 | 86 |
| 31 | Tamil Nadu | 72,147,030 | 555 |
| 32 | Telangana | 35,193,978 | 307 |
| 33 | Tripura | 3,673,917 | 350 |
| 34 | Uttar Pradesh | 199,812,341 | 829 |
| 35 | Uttarakhand | 10,086,292 | 189 |
| 36 | West Bengal | 91,276,115 | 1,028 |
States / UTs With Highest Population Density
- Delhi (UT): 11,320 persons/km²
- Chandigarh (UT): 9,258 persons/km²
- Lakshadweep (UT): 2,149 persons/km²
- Daman & Diu (UT): 2,191 persons/km²
- West Bengal (State): 1,028 persons/km²
- Bihar (State): 1,106 persons/km²
States / UTs With Lowest Population Density
- Arunachal Pradesh (State): 17 persons/km²
- Andaman & Nicobar Islands (UT): 46 persons/km²
- Mizoram (State): 52 persons/km²
- Jammu & Kashmir (State): 56 persons/km²
- Sikkim (State): 86 persons/km²
Districts with Highest and Lowest Density
- Highest: Mumbai City
- Lowest: Lahaul and Spiti
District & City Wise Population Density (Highlights)
- India's Average Density (2011): 382 persons/km² (much higher in urban metro districts and cities)
- States like Bihar, West Bengal, Kerala, Uttar Pradesh have extremely high-density districts
- UTs such as Delhi, Chandigarh, and Puducherry are urbanized and extremely dense
Top Densely Populated Districts (2011)
| Rank | District | State/UT | Area (Km²) | Density (per km²) | Population |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North East Delhi | Delhi | 62 | 36,155 | 2,241,624 |
| 2 | Central Delhi | Delhi | 21 | 27,730 | 582,320 |
| 3 | East Delhi | Delhi | 63 | 27,132 | 1,709,346 |
| 4 | Chennai | Tamil Nadu | 175 | 26,553 | 4,646,732 |
| 5 | Kolkata | West Bengal | 185 | 24,306 | 4,496,694 |
| 6 | Mumbai Suburban | Maharashtra | 446 | 20,980 | 9,356,962 |
| 7 | Mumbai City | Maharashtra | 157 | 19,652 | 3,085,411 |
| 8 | West Delhi | Delhi | 130 | 19,563 | 2,543,243 |
| 9 | Hyderabad | Telangana | 217 | 18,172 | 3,943,323 |
| 10 | North Delhi | Delhi | 61 | 14,557 | 887,978 |
Most Densely Populated Cities (2011)
- Mumbai: India's largest city, 12.7 million people, density >20,000/km² in central districts
- Delhi: 10.9 million, Delhi districts all exceed 10,000/km² in population density
- Kolkata: 4.6 million, over 24,000/km² density
- Chennai: 4.3 million, >26,000/km² density, highest among India’s major cities
- Districts like Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Pune, Ahmedabad, Surat, Lucknow also have very high urban density
Lowest Density Districts & Cities
- Lahaul and Spiti (Himachal Pradesh): lowest density in India
- Dibang Valley (Arunachal Pradesh): sparsest population
- Large interior districts in northeast, central, and Himalayan states (Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Sikkim) are notably less dense (below 50/km²)
Union Territories Highlights
- Delhi: All districts above 10,000 persons/km²
- Chandigarh: 9,258 persons/km², single district
- Puducherry: 2,547 persons/km²
- Lakshadweep: 2,149 persons/km²
- Andaman & Nicobar Islands: lowest UT density (46/km²)
Population Density: State & UT-wise Highest/Lowest Districts (2011)
- Every Indian state and UT has urban centers with very high population density and rural/remote districts with very low density. Below is a highlight of the extreme districts for major states and UTs using the latest available data.
State-wise: Highest & Lowest Density Districts
| State | Highest Density District | Density (per km²) | Lowest Density District | Density (per km²) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Bengal | Kolkata | 24,306 | Darjeeling | 586 |
| Kerala | Malappuram | 1,158 | Idukki | 255 |
| Tamil Nadu | Chennai | 26,553 | The Nilgiris | 297 |
| Bihar | Patna | 1,823 | Jamui | 622 |
| Maharashtra | Mumbai City | 19,652 | Gadchiroli | 74 |
| Uttar Pradesh | Kanpur Nagar | 1,444 | Lalitpur | 342 |
| Punjab | Ludhiana | 978 | Mansa | 347 |
| Karnataka | Bengaluru Urban | 4,381 | Kodagu | 135 |
| Madhya Pradesh | Bhopal | 855 | Dindori | 94 |
| Gujarat | Ahmedabad | 983 | Dangs | 110 |
| Himachal Pradesh | Hamirpur | 407 | Lahul & Spiti | 2 |
| Jharkhand | Dhanbad | 1,284 | Simdega | 206 |
| Odisha | Khurda | 1,308 | Malkangiri | 106 |
| Chhattisgarh | Raipur | 750 | Bastar | 109 |
| Assam | Kamrup Metro | 2,013 | Karbi Anglong | 93 |
| Rajasthan | Bharatpur | 1,072 | Jaisalmer | 17 |
| Arunachal Pradesh | Papum Pare | 51 | Dibang Valley | 1 |
| Sikkim | East Sikkim | 295 | North Sikkim | 10 |
| Jammu & Kashmir | Jammu | 652 | Leh | 3 |
| Meghalaya | East Khasi Hills | 581 | South Garo Hills | 121 |
| Mizoram | Aizawl | 434 | Lawngtlai | 32 |
Union Territory-wise: Highest & Lowest Density Districts
| Union Territory | Highest Density District | Density (per km²) | Lowest Density District | Density (per km²) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delhi (NCT) | Central Delhi | 27,730 | South Delhi | 10,400 |
| Chandigarh | Chandigarh | 9,258 | Chandigarh | 9,258 |
| Lakshadweep | Kavaratti | 2,149 | Minicoy | 2,000 |
| Puducherry | Mahe | 4,659 | Yanam | 3,237 |
| Andaman & Nicobar Islands | South Andaman | 100 | Nicobar | 20 |
| Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu | Daman | 2,191 | Dadra | 700 |
| Ladakh | Kargil | 10 | Leh | 3 |
Key Observations
- Urban core districts (metro cities, capitals) almost always have the highest density in their state or UT.
- Remote northern, Himalayan, and north-eastern districts dominate the lowest density positions.
- Within the same state, highest and lowest density districts may have a 10x or even 100x difference in persons per km² (e.g. Chennai vs Nilgiris, Kolkata vs Darjeeling, Mumbai vs Gadchiroli).