Indian States and UTs by Area
India is a federal union comprising 28 states and 8 union territories, totaling 36 entities. According to the Census Population Projection Report, India’s population in 2023 is estimated to be 1,388,163,000 (1.39 billion or 139 crore).
Uttar Pradesh is the most populous state in India, while Sikkim is the least populous state. Among the Union Territories, Delhi has the highest population, while Lakshadweep is the least populous Union Territory.
read more about the Population of India
Uttar Pradesh is the most populous state in India, followed by Maharashtra and Bihar. Projections indicate that by the year 2024, Bihar’s population will surpass Maharashtra’s, elevating Bihar to the second position in terms of population. Likewise, Rajasthan, which previously held the 7th rank, has now overtaken Tamil Nadu to secure the 6th position. Furthermore, Gujarat, originally ranked 9th in the 2011 census, has now surpassed Karnataka to attain the 8th rank.
On the other end of the spectrum, Sikkim retains its status as the least populated state, with Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh following suit.
Let’s have a look at the population of States and Union Territories.
| Rank | States | 2011 Census | 2024 estimates |
| 1 | Uttar Pradesh | 19,98,12,341 | 2,35,687,000 |
| 2 | Maharashtra | 11,23,74,333 | 1,26,385,000 |
| 3 | Bihar | 10,40,99,452 | 1,26,756,000 |
| 4 | West Bengal | 9,12,76,115 | 99,084,000 |
| 5 | Madhya Pradesh | 7,26,26,809 | 86,579,000 |
| 6 | Tamil Nadu | 7,21,47,030 | 76,860,000 |
| 7 | Rajasthan | 6,85,48,437 | 81,025,000 |
| 8 | Karnataka | 6,10,95,297 | 67,692,000 |
| 9 | Gujarat | 6,04,39,692 | 71,507,000 |
| 10 | Andhra Pradesh | 49,386,799 | 53,156,000 |
| 11 | Odisha | 4,19,74,218 | 46,276,000 |
| 12 | Telangana | 35,193,978 | 38,090,000 |
| 13 | Kerala | 3,34,06,061 | 35,776,000 |
| 14 | Jharkhand | 3,29,88,134 | 39,466,000 |
| 15 | Assam | 3,12,05,576 | 35,713,000 |
| 16 | Punjab | 2,77,43,338 | 30,730,000 |
| 17 | Chhattisgarh | 2,55,45,198 | 30,180,000 |
| 18 | Haryana | 2,53,51,462 | 30,209,000 |
| UT1 | Delhi | 1,67,87,941 | 21,359,000 |
| UT2 | Jammu & Kashmir | 1,22,58,433 | 13,603,000 |
| 19 | Uttarakhand | 1,00,86,292 | 11,637,000 |
| 20 | Himachal Pradesh | 68,64,602 | 7,468,000 |
| 21 | Tripura | 36,73,917 | 4,147,000 |
| 22 | Meghalaya | 29,66,889 | 3,349,000 |
| 23 | Manipur | 28,55,794 | 3,223,000 |
| 24 | Nagaland | 19,78,502 | 2,233,000 |
| 25 | Goa | 14,58,545 | 1,575,000 |
| 26 | Arunachal Pradesh | 13,83,727 | 1,562,000 |
| UT3 | Puducherry | 12,47,953 | 1,646,000 |
| 27 | Mizoram | 10,97,206 | 1,238,000 |
| UT4 | Chandigarh | 10,55,450 | 1,231,000 |
| 28 | Sikkim | 6,10,577 | 689,000 |
| UT5 | Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu | 5,86,956 | 1,263,000 |
| UT6 | Andaman & Nicobar | 3,80,581 | 403,000 |
| UT7 | Ladakh | 274,289 | 300,000 |
| UT8 | Lakshadweep | 64,473 | 69,000 |
Source: Census 2011 & Census Population Projection report
Highest Population State in India
Uttar Pradesh stands as the most populated state in India. According to the 2011 Census, the top 5 most populous states are Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Bihar, West Bengal, and Madhya Pradesh. Although in 2011, Maharashtra held the 2nd position, Bihar’s notably higher growth rate of approximately 20% brings it close to surpassing Maharashtra by 2023-24, securing the second spot.
It’s noteworthy that nearly half of the country’s population resides in these top five most populous states, and collectively, the ten most populous states contribute to 74% of India’s total population. Over the course of this decade, Bihar records the highest population growth rate, followed by Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan.
The Top 10 population state in India is as follows
| Rank | States | 2023 estimates |
| 1 | Uttar Pradesh | 2,35,687,000 |
| 2 | Bihar | 1,26,756,000 |
| 3 | Maharashtra | 1,26,385,000 |
| 4 | West Bengal | 99,084,000 |
| 5 | Madhya Pradesh | 86,579,000 |
| 6 | Rajasthan | 81,025,000 |
| 7 | Tamil Nadu | 76,860,000 |
| 8 | Gujarat | 71,507,000 |
| 9 | Karnataka | 67,692,000 |
| 10 | Andhra Pradesh | 53,156,000 |
Source: Census 2011 & Census Estimates 2022
Lowest population state in India
Sikkim is the least populated state, with Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh at Number 2 and 3 places. As per census figures, the 12 least populous states and union territories together account for a mere 1% of India’s overall population. Extending this observation, the 21 states and union territories with the lowest populations collectively contribute only 10% to the nation’s total populace.
| Rank | States | 2023 estimates |
| 1 | Sikkim | 689,000 |
| 2 | Mizoram | 1,238,000 |
| 3 | Arunachal Pradesh | 1,562,000 |
| 4 | Goa | 1,575,000 |
| 5 | Nagaland | 2,233,000 |
| 6 | Manipur | 3,223,000 |
| 7 | Meghalaya | 3,349,000 |
| 8 | Tripura | 4,147,000 |
| 9 | Himachal Pradesh | 7,468,000 |
| 10 | Uttarakhand | 11,637,000 |
Source: Census 2011 and Census Estimates 2022
Indian Union Territories by Population
India comprises a total of 8 union territories, with Delhi having the highest population among them, nearing 21 million residents. On the other hand, Lakshadweep is the least populated union territory, housing a mere 69,000 individuals. Notably, Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh are the recently established union territories.
| Rank | States | 2023 estimates |
| 1 | Delhi | 21,359,000 |
| 2 | Jammu & Kashmir | 13,603,000 |
| 3 | Puducherry | 1,646,000 |
| 4 | Chandigarh | 1,231,000 |
| 5 | Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu | 1,263,000 |
| 6 | Andaman & Nicobar | 403,000 |
| 7 | Ladakh | 300,000 |
| 8 | Lakshadweep | 69,000 |
Indian States by Population Growth Rate
According to Census estimates, India’s growth rate is approximately 12.56% for the period of 2011 to 2021. Bihar stands out with the highest population growth rate during this timeframe, registering a significant increase of 18.16%. Following Bihar are the states of Jharkhand and Haryana, which also experienced notable population growth rates.
States with Highest Growth Rate
| Rank | States | Growth Rate |
| 1 | Bihar | 18.16% |
| 2 | Jharkhand | 16.71% |
| 3 | Haryana | 16.36% |
| 4 | Madhya Pradesh | 16.35% |
| 5 | Rajasthan | 15.54% |
| 6 | Gujarat | 15.49% |
| 7 | Chhattisgarh | 15.48% |
| 8 | Uttar Pradesh | 15.11% |
| 9 | Uttarakhand | 13.02% |
| 10 | Assam | 12.16% |
States with the Lowest Growth Rate
In the 2011 census, the majority of South and Western Indian states exhibited growth rates below the national average. This trend has persisted in recent studies. Additionally, the northern Indian states of Punjab and Himachal Pradesh also display growth rates below the national average. The Eastern states, such as West Bengal and Odisha, are also included in the list of regions with low growth rates. According to Census estimates, ten states have experienced growth rates below 10%. Among these, Tamil Nadu has the lowest growth rate, followed by Kerala and Andhra Pradesh.
| Rank | States | Growth Rate |
| 1 | Tamil Nadu | 6.03% |
| 2 | Kerala | 6.27% |
| 3 | Andhra Pradesh | 6.30% |
| 4 | West Bengal | 7.37% |
| 5 | Himachal Pradesh | 7.80% |
| 6 | Punjab | 8.13% |
| 7 | Odisha | 8.40% |
| 8 | Telangana | 8.56% |
| 9 | Karnataka | 9.66% |
| 10 | Goa | 9.70% |
Source: Census 2011 and Census Estimates 2011-2036
India is the seventh-largest country in the world, with a total area of 3,287,263 sq. km (1,269,219 sq mi). India measures 3,214 km (1,997 mi) from north to south and 2,933 km (1,822 mi) from east to west. It has a land frontier of 15,200 km (9,445 mi) and a coastline of 7,516.6 km (4,671 mi). India consists of 28 States and 8 Union Territories.
also read about the Top States by Population
Largest and Smallest by Area
| # | State/UT | Area (sq. km) |
| Largest State | Rajasthan | 342,239 sq. km |
| Largest UT | Ladakh | 96,701 sq. km |
| Smallest State | Goa | 3,702 sq. km |
| Smallest UT | Lakshadweep | 32 sq. km |
Top Indian States by Area
India consists of 28 states. The top 5 states area-wise are Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat. The 5 Smallest states in India are Goa, Sikkim, Tripura, Nagaland and Mizoram. Bihar is the state with the highest population Density and Arunachal Pradesh is the state with the Least Population Density.
List of Indian States with Area & Density
| Rank | States/UT | Area (sq. km) | Density* (p/km2) |
| 1 | Rajasthan | 3,42,239 | 241 |
| 2 | Madhya Pradesh | 3,08,245 | 282 |
| 3 | Maharashtra | 3,07,713 | 404 |
| 4 | Uttar Pradesh | 2,40,928 | 996 |
| 5 | Gujarat | 1,96,024 | 328 |
| 6 | Karnataka | 1,91,791 | 356 |
| 7 | Andhra Pradesh | 1,62,968 | 334 |
| 8 | Chhattisgarh | 1,35,191 | 220 |
| 9 | Tamil Nadu | 1,30,051 | 604 |
| 10 | Telangana | 1,12,077 | 355 |
| 11 | Odisha | 155,707 | 842 |
| 12 | Bihar | 94,163 | 1349 |
| 13 | West Bengal | 88,752 | 1127 |
| 14 | Arunachal Pradesh | 83,743 | 19 |
| 15 | Jharkhand | 79,714 | 492 |
| 16 | Assam | 78,438 | 459 |
| 17 | Himachal Pradesh | 55,673 | 135 |
| 18 | Uttarakhand | 53,483 | 213 |
| 19 | Punjab | 50,362 | 596 |
| 20 | Haryana | 44,212 | 645 |
| 21 | Kerala | 38,863 | 926 |
| 22 | Meghalaya | 22,429 | 152 |
| 23 | Manipur | 22,327 | 143 |
| 24 | Mizoram | 21,081 | 60 |
| 25 | Nagaland | 16,579 | 139 |
| 26 | Tripura | 10,486 | 401 |
| 27 | Sikkim | 7,096 | 986 |
| 28 | Goa | 3,702 | 432 |
Source: Census 2011 & UIAI for 2021 Estimates* Density based on 2021 Estimates
Indian Union Territories by Area
India consists of 8 union territories, including the National Capital Territory of Delhi. Ladakh is Largest Union Territory by Area followed by Jammu & Kashmir & Lakshadweep is the smallest Union Territory.
List of Union Territories with Area and Density
| Rank | Union Territories | Area (sq. km) | Density* (p/km2) |
| 1 | Ladakh | 96,701 | 3 |
| 2 | Jammu & Kashmir | 42,241 | 327 |
| 3 | Andaman & Nicobar | 8,249 | 51 |
| 4 | National Capital Territory of Delhi | 1,484 | 12803 |
| 5 | Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu | 603 | 1028 |
| 6 | Puducherry | 479 | 2990 |
| 7 | Chandigarh | 114 | 10254 |
| 8 | Lakshadweep | 32 | 2317 |
Source: Census 2011 & UIAI for 2021 Estimates* Density based on 2021 Estimtes
Largest and Smallest State by Density of Population
| # | State/UT | Area (sq. km) |
| Most Densely populated State | Bihar | 1349 person/sq. km. |
| Least Densely populated State | Arunachal Pradesh | 19 person/sq. km. |
| Most Densely populated UT | Delhi | 12,803 person/sq. km. |
| Least Densely populated UT | Ladakh | 3 person/sq. km. |