India Population 2023: India has the world’s largest democracy with a population of over 1.2 billion. According to the last official recorded census in 2011, the total Indian population was 1,21,08,54,977. India ranks first and tops the list of countries by population in 2023. The current population of India in 2023 is 1,428,627,663, a 0.81% increase from 2022.
India is geographically located in South Asia and its land area is the seventh largest in the world. India is most suitable as a human habitat as it has vast expense of plains, plateaus, and river valleys. India has one of the longest histories of more than 2000 years that traces back to an era of human civilization.
India has the largest population in the world and is the 26th country by population density.
Population in India is unevenly distributed across the area of the country. The Indian population differs in urban and rural areas, among males and females affecting the total population in states and union territories.
India’s population reached the billion mark back in 1997 and now in 2023, India is the most populated country with 1.486 billion people.
Current Population of India | |
Present Population in India | 1,440,839,149 (Friday, June 7 , 2024) |
Indian population is equivalent to the world population | 17.76% |
Urban population in India | 36.3% |
Current Male Population in India | 743,169,314 (51.6%) |
Current Female Population in India | 696,170,822 (48.4%) |
The Indian population has the world’s largest youth population, with over 908 million people under the age of 35. This represents 66% of India’s total population. In the 15-24 age group, India has the highest youth population in the world, with over 255 million people.
The following table distributes the estimated population of India on the basis of gender i.e. males and Females.
Estimated Population | Percentage | Males | Females |
Population under 15 – 423,069,186 people | 29.7% | 224,744,366 | 198,324,820 |
Population between 15 and 64 years old – 924,969,280 people | 64.9 | 478,089,709 | 446,879,571 |
Population 65+ – 77,733,064 persons | 5.5 | 36,970,256 | 40,762,808 |
The table indicates the jump in population over the years and its percentage of increase in India’s Population from the year 2019-2023.
Year | Population | % Increase |
2023 | 1,428,627,663 | 0.81 |
2022 | 1,417,173,173 | 0.68 |
2021 | 1,407,563,842 | 0.08 |
2020 | 1,396,387,127 | 0.96 |
2019 | 1,369,305,113 | 0.80 |
Current stats analyzed based on the data provided by the Minister of Electronics and Information Technology, show the most populous state in India where the most populous is Uttar Pradesh with an estimated population of 199,581,477. Maharashtra comes second with approx. 112,372,972 residents. Bihar accommodates 103,804,637 people and ranks third. West Bengal is the fourth state that hosts 91,347,736 people. The fifth state is Madhya Pradesh with 72,597,565 inhabitants. The least populated state in India is Sikkim with a population of 610,577.
India is politically and demographically divided into 28 States and 8 Union Territories at present. The Largest State in India by population is Uttar Pradesh and the lowest is Sikkim.
India’s largest state in terms of population is Uttar Pradesh with a population of 199,581,477.
State/ Union Territory | Population (2011 Census) |
Uttar Pradesh | 199,581,477 |
Maharashtra | 112,372,972 |
Bihar | 103,804,637 |
West Bengal | 91,347,736 |
Andhra Pradesh | 84,665,533 |
Madhya Pradesh | 72,597,565 |
Tamil Nadu | 72,138,958 |
Rajasthan | 68,621,012 |
S.No | City | Population |
1 | Mumbai | 12,691,836 |
2 | Delhi | 10,927,986 |
3 | Bangalore | 5,104,047 |
4 | Kolkata | 4,631,392 |
5 | Chennai | 4,328,063 |
6 | Ahmedabad | 3,719,710 |
7 | Hyderabad | 3,597,816 |
8 | Pune | 2,935,744 |
9 | Surat | 2,894,504 |
10 | Kanpur | 2,823,249 |
12 | Jaipur | 2,711,758 |
13 | Lucknow | 2,472,011 |
India’s smallest state in terms of population is Lakshadweep with a population of 64,000 (Density 2149).
S.No | City | Density per SQKM | Population |
1 | Lakshadweep | 2149 | 64,000 |
2 | Daman and Diu | 2191 | 243,000 |
3 | Dadra and Nagar Haveli | 700 | 344,000 |
4 | Andaman and Nicobar Islands | 46 | 381,000 |
5 | Sikkim | 86 | 611,000 |
6 | Chandigarh | 9258 | 1,055,000 |
7 | Mizoram | 52 | 1,097,000 |
8 | Puducherry | 2547 | 1,248,000 |
9 | Arunachal Pradesh | 17 | 1,384,000 |
10 | Goa | 394 | 1,459,000 |
Different bodies and organizations classify Indian cities and tiers based on population. The Pay Commission categorises Indian cities into X cities as Tier 1, Y cities as Tier 2 and Z cities as Tier 3. The Reserve Bank of India categorises Indian cities into six tiers based on the population. Tier 1 cities have a population of over 1,00,000 while Tier 6 has the least population below 5,000 people.
The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in collaboration with the International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS) released a report in 2023 – the India Ageing Report highlighting the significant demographic shifts in India due to the rapidly increasing elderly population.
The Key Findings of the report suggest –
The Report recommends quality collection of credible data by the National Sample Survey and Census of India which will help in informed policymaking. Further, the report suggests promoting the awareness of existing schemes for older people encouraging the setting up of elderly self-help groups. Additionally, the implementation of policies to facilitate and support the living arrangements of elderly people.
The growing elderly population is expected to capture a substantial portion of the total population by 2050 in India. Thus, there is an urgent and dire need to address and develop policies to regulate the ageing population.
There are four phases of India’s population growth, Phase 1(1901-1921) was stagnant for many years and the population declined for a period. Phase 2(1921-1951) saw steady growth in the Indian population mainly due to improvements in health. Phase 3(1951-1981) again the Indian population spiked and was the period of population explosion. Phase 4(1981-2023) has seen an absolute high increment with a slowing decadal growth rate.
The population of India over the Years | |||
Year | Population | % Change Yearly | India Global Rank |
2023 | 1,431,995,213 | 0.81% | 1 |
2022 | 1,417,173,173 | 0.68% | 2 |
2021 | 1,407,563,842 | 0.80% | 2 |
2020 | 1,396,387,127 | 0.96% | 2 |
2019 | 1,383,112,050 | 1.03% | 2 |
2018 | 1,369,003,306 | 1.09% | 2 |
2017 | 1,354,195,680 | 1.16% | 2 |
2016 | 1,338,636,340 | 1.19% | 2 |
2015 | 1,322,866,505 | 1.29% | 2 |
2010 | 1,240,613,620 | 1.45% | 2 |
2005 | 1,154,638,713 | 1.73 | 2 |
2000 | 1,059,633,675 | 1.90 | 2 |
1999 | 1,040,500,054 | 1.87% | 2 |
1995 | 964,279,129 | 2.07 | 2 |
It is predicted that by the year 2025, the Indian population will be 1,454,606,724 with an urban population of 542,742,539. In the year 2030, 1,514,994,080 and by the year 2050, 1,670,490,596 likely to be the Indian population.
Uttar Pradesh is the most populated state in India with 199,581,477 inhabitants.
Sikkim is the least populated state in India with 610,577 residents.
The Indian government reports that the overall area is 3,287,263 km^2 (1,269,219 sq mi) with a total land area of 3,060,500 km^2 (1,181,700 sq mi).
India is the world's most populous nation with 1.43 billion people according to projections by the United Nations and is still growing.
India's population in 2023 has risen to a staggering figure of 142.86 crore and is still growing.
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