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Christian Population in India 2026
At the 2011 census, out of the 1.21 billion population, little over 27.8 million or 2.78 crore (2.3% of India’s population) are Christians. It’s the third-largest religion in India, besides Hinduism and Islam. Christianity has emerged as the major religion in three Northeastern states, namely, Nagaland, Mizoram, and Meghalaya. It also has a good percentage in Manipur, Goa, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Kerala, and Arunachal Pradesh.
In 2026, approximately 3.7 crores or 33 million people are Christians in India.
Source: Census 2011
also read about the Top countries by the Christian population
Christianity is a major religion in Nagaland, Mizoram, and Meghalaya. Manipur (41.29%), Goa (25.10%), Andaman & Nicobar Islands (21.28%), Kerala (18.38%), and Arunachal Pradesh (30.26%) have a considerable percentage of the Christian population.
Christianity by Indian States and UTs (Census 2011)
| # | State | Total Population | Christian Population | % of Total |
| 1 | Nagaland | 1,978,502 | 1,739,651 | 87.93% |
| 2 | Mizoram | 1,097,206 | 956,331 | 87.16% |
| 3 | Meghalaya | 2,966,889 | 2,213,027 | 74.59% |
| 4 | Manipur | 2,855,794 | 1,179,043 | 41.29% |
| 5 | Arunachal Pradesh | 1,383,727 | 418,732 | 30.26% |
| 6 | Goa | 1,458,545 | 366,130 | 25.10% |
| 7 | Andaman and Nicobar Islands | 380,581 | 80,984 | 21.28% |
| 8 | Kerala | 33,406,061 | 6,141,269 | 18.38% |
| 9 | Sikkim | 610,577 | 60,522 | 9.91% |
| 10 | Puducherry | 1,247,953 | 78,550 | 6.29% |
| 11 | Tamil Nadu | 72,147,030 | 4,418,331 | 6.12% |
| 12 | Tripura | 3,673,917 | 159,882 | 4.35% |
| 13 | Jharkhand | 32,988,134 | 1,418,608 | 4.30% |
| 14 | Assam | 31,205,576 | 1,165,867 | 3.74% |
| 15 | Orissa | 41,974,218 | 1,161,708 | 2.77% |
| 16 | Chhattisgarh | 25,545,198 | 490,542 | 1.92% |
| 17 | Karnataka | 61,095,297 | 1,142,647 | 1.87% |
| 18 | Dadra and Nagar Haveli | 343,709 | 5,113 | 1.49% |
| 19 | Andhra Pradesh / Telangana | 84,580,777 | 1,129,784 | 1.34% |
| 20 | Punjab | 27,743,338 | 348,230 | 1.26% |
| 21 | Daman and Diu | 243,247 | 2,820 | 1.16% |
| 22 | Maharashtra | 112,374,333 | 1,080,073 | 0.96% |
| 23 | Delhi | 16,787,941 | 146,093 | 0.87% |
| 24 | Chandigarh | 1,055,450 | 8,720 | 0.83% |
| 25 | West Bengal | 91,276,115 | 658,618 | 0.72% |
| 26 | Gujarat | 60,439,692 | 316,178 | 0.52% |
| 27 | Lakshadweep | 64,473 | 317 | 0.49% |
| 28 | Uttarakhand | 10,086,292 | 37,781 | 0.37% |
| 29 | Madhya Pradesh | 72,626,809 | 213,282 | 0.29% |
| 30 | Jammu and Kashmir | 12,541,302 | 35,631 | 0.28% |
| 31 | Haryana | 25,351,462 | 50,353 | 0.20% |
| 32 | Himachal Pradesh | 6,864,602 | 12,646 | 0.18% |
| 33 | Uttar Pradesh | 199,812,341 | 356,448 | 0.18% |
| 34 | Rajasthan | 68,548,437 | 96,430 | 0.14% |
| 35 | Bihar | 104,099,452 | 129,247 | 0.12% |
Source: Census 2011
Top 10 States by Christian Population
Kerala (6.2 million) has the largest Christian population in India followed by Tamil Nadu (4.4 million) & Meghalaya (2.2 million). Let’s look at the top 10 states in India with the largest Christianity followers.
Top 10 States with Christian Population
| # | State | Christian Population | Pop. in million |
| 1 | Kerala | 6,141,269 | 6.2 million |
| 2 | Tamil Nadu | 4,418,331 | 4.4 million |
| 3 | Meghalaya | 2,213,027 | 2.2 million |
| 4 | Nagaland | 1,739,651 | 1.8 million |
| 5 | Jharkhand | 1,418,608 | 1.4 million |
| 6 | Manipur | 1,179,043 | 1.17 million |
| 7 | Assam | 1,165,867 | 1.16 million |
| 8 | Orissa | 1,161,708 | 1.16 million |
| 9 | Karnataka | 1,142,647 | 1.15 million |
| 10 | Maharashtra | 1,080,073 | 1 million |
| 11 | Mizoram | 956,331 | 0.95 million |
Source: Census 2011
Christianity in India by Affilations
As per the estimates among Christians in India, Protestantism has the largest number of adherents followed by Catholics, Orthodox, and other Christians.
| # | Affiliations | Estimated Population |
| 1 | Protestants | 18,860,000 |
| 2 | Catholics | 10,570,000 |
| 3 | Orthodox | 2,370,000 |
| 4 | Other Christians | 50,000 |
The largest denomination is the Roman Catholic Church (10 million), Anglicans within the United Church of North India and Church of South India, constitute the second largest group at over 5 million.
Christian Churches in India
| Roman Catholics | Traditions |
| Roman Catholic Church | Catholic |
| Syro-Malabar Catholic Church | Catholic |
| Syro-Malankara Catholic Church | Catholic |
| Chaldean Syrian Church | Eastern Christianity |
| Orthodox Churches | |
| Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church | Oriental Orthodox |
| Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Church | Oriental Orthodox |
| Malabar Independent Syrian Church | Oriental Orthodox |
| Protestants | |
| Lutheran | Protestant |
| Baptist | Protestant |
| New Apostolic Church | Protestant |
| The Pentecostal Mission | Protestant |
| Methodist Church in India | Protestant |
| New Life Fellowship Association | Protestant |
| Manna Full Gospel Churches | Protestant |
| Evangelical Church | Protestant |
| Philadelphia Fellowship Church of India | Protestant |
| Sharon Fellowship Church | Protestant |
| Hindustani Covenant Church | Protestant |
| Pentecostal Maranatha Gospel Church | Protestant |
| Indian Brethren | Protestant |
| Presbyterian Church of India | Protestant – Reformed |
| Council of Reformed Churches of India | Protestant – Reformed |
| Mennonite Brethren Church | Protestant – Reformed |
| Evangelical Church of Maraland | Protestant – Reformed |
| Reformed Presbyterian Church North East India | Protestant – Reformed |
| Reformed Presbyterian Church of India | Protestant – Reformed |
| Congregational Church in India | Protestant – Reformed |
| Assemblies Jehovah Shammah | Protestant (Plymouth Brethren) |
| Orissa Baptist Evangelistic Crusade (OBEC) | Protestant Baptist |
| Assemblies of God in India | Protestant Evangelical Pentecostal |
| India Pentecostal Church of God | Protestant Evangelical Pentecostal |
| Jeypore Evangelical Lutheran Church (JELC) | Protestant Lutheran |
| Seventh-day Adventist Church | Protestant/Restorationism |
| Jehovah’s Witnesses | Restorationism |
| Unitarian Union of Northeast India | Unitarian |
| Christian Revival Church | Pentecostal |
| Malankara Mar Thoma Syrian Church | Eastern Protestant Christian |
| Church of South India | Episcopal Protestant |
| Church of North India | Episcopal Protestant |
| St. Thomas Evangelical Church of India | Episcopalian Protestant |
| Mormons | |
| Community of Christ | Latter Day Saints |
| The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints | Latter Day Saints |
Source: Pew Research Center