With various areas and populations, India's major states and Union Territories represent the country's wide and varied landscape. With a total area of 342,239 square kilometers (10.4% of India's land area), Rajasthan is the largest state by area as of 2024. The most populous state in India is Uttar Pradesh, which is home to an estimated 241 million people, or 17% of the total population.
India is made up of eight union territories and 28 states. As per the 2011 census, there were 1.2 billion people living in India. India is home to 17.5% of the world's population and makes up 2.4% of the planet's land area. The census is meant to be conducted every 10 years. However, due to the COVID pandemic in 2020-21, the population census was delayed. The central government has ordered the population census to be conducted by the year 2027
Top 10 Most Populated States of India
With an anticipated population of 199.81 million as of 2024 (census 2011), Uttar Pradesh is the most populated state in India, followed by Maharashtra and Bihar. The list of India's top 10 most populous states is provided below:
| Rank | State | 2011 Census Population |
| 1 | Uttar Pradesh | 19,98,12,341 |
| 2 | Maharashtra | 11,23,74,333 |
| 3 | Bihar | 10,40,99,452 |
| 4 | West Bengal | 9,12,76,115 |
| 5 | Madhya Pradesh | 7,26,26,809 |
| 6 | Tamil Nadu | 7,21,47,030 |
| 7 | Rajasthan | 6,85,48,437 |
| 8 | Karnataka | 6,10,95,297 |
| 9 | Gujarat | 6,04,39,692 |
| 10 | Andhra Pradesh | 49,386,799 |
Note: The data is based on the 2011 Population Census. The real population data will be a bit different, when the 2027 Population Census is conducted..
Which is the Most Populated State of India?
As per the 2011 Population Census, Uttar Pradesh is the most populated state of India. With a population of 199,812,34, Uttar Pradesh accounts for 16.51% of India's total population. About 77.73% of the population lives in rural areas, while 22.27% are residents of cities. With 828 inhabitants per square kilometer, the state is extremely densely populated.
Maharashtra: 2nd Most Populated State
Maharashtra is the second most populous state of India. According to the 2011 Census, Maharashtra is home to 112,374,333 people, or 9.28% of India's total population. In Maharashtra, 45.22% of people live in cities, whilst 54.78% of people live in rural areas. The population density of the state is 365 persons per square kilometer.
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