The statistic displays the main states and union territories with the highest number of people living in urban areas in India in 2011. In that year, the state of Maharashtra had the highest population with over 50 million people living in urban areas. The population density in India from 2004 to 2014 can be seen here.

In 2022, the union territory of Delhi had the highest urban population density of over 18 thousand persons per square kilometer. While the rural population density was highest in union territory of Puducherry, followed by the state of Bihar.

In 2022, India overtook China as the world's most populous country and now has almost 1.46 billion people. China now has the second-largest population in the world, still with just over 1.4 billion inhabitants, however, its population went into decline in 2023. Global population As of 2025, the world's population stands at almost 8.2 billion people and is expected to reach around 10.3 billion people in the 2080s, when it will then go into decline. Due to improved healthcare, sanitation, and general living conditions, the global population continues to increase; mortality rates (particularly among infants and children) are decreasing and the median age of the world population has steadily increased for decades. As for the average life expectancy in industrial and developing countries, the gap has narrowed significantly since the mid-20th century. Asia is the most populous continent on Earth; 11 of the 20 largest countries are located there. It leads the ranking of the global population by continent by far, reporting four times as many inhabitants as Africa. The Demographic Transition The population explosion over the past two centuries is part of a phenomenon known as the demographic transition. Simply put, this transition results from a drastic reduction in mortality, which then leads to a reduction in fertility, and increase in life expectancy; this interim period where death rates are low and birth rates are high is where this population explosion occurs, and population growth can remain high as the population ages. In today's most-developed countries, the transition generally began with industrialization in the 1800s, and growth has now stabilized as birth and mortality rates have re-balanced. Across less-developed countries, the stage of this transition varies; for example, China is at a later stage than India, which accounts for the change in which country is more populous - understanding the demographic transition can help understand the reason why China's population is now going into decline. The least-developed region is Sub-Saharan Africa, where fertility rates remain close to pre-industrial levels in some countries. As these countries transition, they will undergo significant rates of population growth

The statistic shows the Hindu population in India in 2011, by state and union territory. The region with the highest Hindu population was Uttar Pradesh, followed by the state of Maharashtra, with close to ** million Hindus. The region with the least Hindu population was Lakshadweep in that year. The countries with the largest number of Hindus in 2010 can be found here.

The statistic gives the share of aging population in India across selected states and union territories in India in 2011. The regions with the highest share of elderly people were in the state of Kerala, with some 12.6 percent of the population living there were 60 years or older, followed by the state of Goa with 11.2 percent. The share of aging population in the whole country that year was 8.6 percent.

The Northern Indian state of Bihar had over three million people per high court judge as of December 2022. By contrast, the eastern state of Sikkim had over 227.67 thousand people per judge that year.

In 2011, the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh had the highest number of rural inhabitants. Bihar stood second in line with approximately 92 million people living in the rural areas during the same time period.

With almost all major religions being practiced throughout the country, India is known for its religious diversity. Hinduism made up for the highest share of faith followed by people in the country. According to the Indian census of 2011, Himachal Pradesh had the highest share of Hindu population in the country.

In 2021, Kerala reflected the highest share of its population belonging to the elderly age group with 16.5 percent as opposed to only 10.5 percent in 2001. This was an increase in six percent in two decades.

The statistic shows the total population of India from 2019 to 2029. In 2023, the estimated total population in India amounted to approximately 1.43 billion people.

Total population in India

India currently has the second-largest population in the world and is projected to overtake top-ranking China within forty years. Its residents comprise more than one-seventh of the entire world’s population, and despite a slowly decreasing fertility rate (which still exceeds the replacement rate and keeps the median age of the population relatively low), an increasing life expectancy adds to an expanding population. In comparison with other countries whose populations are decreasing, such as Japan, India has a relatively small share of aged population, which indicates the probability of lower death rates and higher retention of the existing population.

With a land mass of less than half that of the United States and a population almost four times greater, India has recognized potential problems of its growing population. Government attempts to implement family planning programs have achieved varying degrees of success. Initiatives such as sterilization programs in the 1970s have been blamed for creating general antipathy to family planning, but the combined efforts of various family planning and contraception programs have helped halve fertility rates since the 1960s. The population growth rate has correspondingly shrunk as well, but has not yet reached less than one percent growth per year.

As home to thousands of ethnic groups, hundreds of languages, and numerous religions, a cohesive and broadly-supported effort to reduce population growth is difficult to create. Despite that, India is one country to watch in coming years. It is also a growing economic power; among other measures, its GDP per capita was expected to triple between 2003 and 2013 and was listed as the third-ranked country for its share of the global gross domestic product.

According to the latest census data, Lakshadweep, the island union territory had the highest share of Muslim population in the country, where 97 percent of its population identified as followers of the Islamic faith. Jammu & Kashmir ranked second at 68 percent during the same time period. With almost all major religions being practiced throughout the country, India is known for its religious diversity. Islam makes up the highest share among minority faiths in the country.

The statistic gives the Christian population in India in 2011, with a breakdown by state and union territory. The region with the highest Christian population was Kerala, followed by the state of Tamil Nadu with almost *** million Christians. The region with the least Christian population was the union territory of Lakshadweep in that year. The countries with the largest number of Christians in 2010 can be found here.

The statistic gives the Jain population in India in 2011, by state and union territory. In that year, the region with the highest Jain population was Maharashtra, followed by the state of Rajasthan with over 622,000 Jains. The region with the least Jain population was the union territory of Lakshadweep.

The projected median age of population in India, at national level, was expected to go up to more than 34 years by 2036 versus almost 25 years in 2011. At state level, Tamil Nadu reflected the highest projected median age with over 40 years in 2036 versus nearly 30 years in 2011.

The projected median age of population of a country is contingent upon several health metrics such as the fertility rate, birth rate, and mortality rate. For instance, if a country or state sees a lower fertility and mortality rate, the geriatric population is expected to increase proportionally.

Himachal Pradesh had over 37 percent of intra-state migrant population, the highest among all states in India between 2020 and 2021. Telangana and Tamil Nadu followed it with 33 and over 31 percent respectively.

With almost all major religions being practiced throughout the country, India is known for its religious diversity. Islam makes up the highest share among minority faiths in the country. According to the Indian census of 2011, the Muslim population in Uttar Pradesh more than ** million, making it the state with the most Muslims.

Socio-economic conditions of Muslims
Muslims seem to lag behind every other religious community in India in terms of living standards, financial stability, education and other aspects, thereby showing poor performance in most of the fields. According to a national survey, 17 percent of the Muslims were categorized under the lowest wealth index, which indicates poor socio-economic conditions.

Growth of Muslim population in India
Islam is one of the fastest-growing religions worldwide. According to India’s census, the Muslim population has witnessed a negative decadal growth of more than ** percent from 1951 to 1960, presumably due to the partitions forming Pakistan and Bangladesh. The population showed a positive and steady growth since 1961, making up ** percent of the total population of India . Even though people following Islam were estimated to grow significantly, they would still remain a minority in India compared to *** billion Hindus by 2050.

The share of projected population increase in Uttar Pradesh, India from 2011 until 2036 is expected to grow by nearly ** percent. By contrast, the estimated population increase in Uttarakhand is expected to be less than *** percent during the same time period.

Why project population?
Population projections for a country are becoming increasingly important now than ever before. They are used primarily by government policy makers and planners to better understand and gauge future demand for basic services that predominantly include water, food and energy. In addition, they also support in indicating major movements that may affect economic development and in turn, employment and labour productivity. Consequently, this leads to amending policies in order to better adapt to the needs of society and to various circumstances.

Demographic projections and health interventions Demographic figures serve the foremost purpose of improving health and health related services among the population. Some of the government interventions include antenatal and neonatal care with the aim of reducing maternal and neonatal mortality and morbidity rates. In addition, it also focuses on improving immunization coverage across the country. Further, demographic estimates help in better preempting the needs of growing populations, such as the geriatric population within a country.

The statistic illustrates the Buddhist population in India in 2011, with a breakdown by state and union territory. The region with the highest Buddhist population was Maharashtra, followed by the state of West Bengal with close to 283,000 Buddhists. The region with the least Buddhist population was the union territory of Lakshadweep in that year. The countries with the largest number of Buddhists in 2010 can be found here.

During 2011, Uttar Pradesh had the highest number of senior citizens with around 15.4 million people. Lakshadweep had one of the lowest senior citizen populations with around ten thousand people.

The statistic displays the Sikh population in India in 2011, by state and union territory. The region with the highest Sikh population was the state of Punjab, followed by the state of Haryana with up to *** million Sikhs. The region with the least Sikh population was the union territory of Lakshadweep in that year.