Highest population state in india – Lowest Population state in india : As of 2024–2026, Uttar Pradesh being the highest populated state with over 200 million people and Sikkim being the lowest populated state in India with around 700000 inhabitants. Uttar Pradesh has over 17% of the population in India, while Sikkim’s topography is a factor for its lower population density.
The Most & Least Populous States (Estimates 2025-2026)
Most Populous State: Uttar Pradesh (241 million)
State with the least number of population: Sikkim (703,000 to 705,000)
Key Population Data:
Most Populous: Uttar Pradesh’s population is about equal to that of Nigeria.
Least Populous: Sikkim is the least populous state, followed by Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh.
The smallest population for a Union Territory: Lakshadweep (64000–69000)
Key Bihari and Mahrashtra: After Uttar Pradesh, the next two most populated states are Bihar and Maharashtra.
The population gap between India’s most populous state, Uttar Pradesh, and least populous state, Sikkim, is still enormous — with some 239 million more people in Uttar Pradesh than in tiny Sikkim as of 2026. Uttar Pradesh ranks high as the largest population state, and Sikkim exhibits a low population among Indian states.
Here is how that looks with the latest 2026 projections from the National Commission on Population.
| Category | State | Estimated Population (2026) | Quick Fact |
| Highest Population | Uttar Pradesh | 24.35 Crore | Roughly the size of Brazil’s entire population. |
| Lowest Population | Sikkim | 7.09 Lakh | Less than the population of many individual Indian cities (like Gurgaon). |
A Closer Look: Top 3 vs. Bottom 3 States
The demographic spread can help provide context to these numbers. The top three states alone host more than 50 crore people, while the last three don’t even reach a total of 50 lakh.
Highest Population States
Uttar Pradesh: 243.5 million (17% of India’s total)
Bihar: 13.28 Crore (Recently surpassed Maharashtra for the No. 2 spot)
Maharashtra: 12.96 Crore
Lowest Population States
Sikkim: 7.09 Lakh
Mizoram: 12.75 Lakh
Goa: 16.01 Lakh
Union Territory (UT) Comparison
If you factor in Union Territories, the diversity is even starker:
UT with Highest Population: Delhi (22.6 million)
Least Populated UT: Lakshadweep (70,000)
Key Takeaway for 2026
The 2026-27 India Census officially commenced its Phase 1 (House Listing) in April, 2026. Representing the first official headcount since 2011, this massive exercise will reveal whether current estimates of dramatic northern migration hold true, as well as rapid growth in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, stabilization in Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
India All population state in India List
| Rank | State / Union Territory | Estimated Population (2026) | Share of India (%) |
| 1 | Uttar Pradesh | 24,34,66,000 | 17.03% |
| 2 | Bihar | 13,28,50,000 | 9.29% |
| 3 | Maharashtra | 12,95,84,000 | 9.07% |
| 4 | West Bengal | 10,06,31,000 | 7.04% |
| 5 | Madhya Pradesh | 8,99,65,000 | 6.29% |
| 6 | Rajasthan | 8,38,79,000 | 5.87% |
| 7 | Tamil Nadu | 7,75,82,000 | 5.43% |
| 8 | Gujarat | 7,43,43,000 | 5.20% |
| 9 | Karnataka | 6,90,74,000 | 4.83% |
| 10 | Andhra Pradesh | 5,37,40,000 | 3.76% |
| 11 | Odisha | 4,72,21,000 | 3.30% |
| 12 | Jharkhand | 4,11,08,000 | 2.88% |
| 13 | Telangana | 3,86,65,000 | 2.70% |
| 14 | Assam | 3,68,15,000 | 2.58% |
| 15 | Kerala | 3,62,39,000 | 2.54% |
| 16 | Haryana | 3,14,09,000 | 2.20% |
| 17 | Punjab | 3,13,70,000 | 2.19% |
| 18 | Chhattisgarh | 3,13,11,000 | 2.19% |
| UT1 | Delhi (NCT) | 2,26,74,000 | 1.59% |
| UT2 | Jammu & Kashmir | 1,39,27,000 | 0.97% |
| 19 | Uttarakhand | 1,20,28,000 | 0.84% |
| 20 | Himachal Pradesh | 75,88,000 | 0.53% |
| 21 | Tripura | 42,68,000 | 0.30% |
| 22 | Meghalaya | 34,47,000 | 0.24% |
| 23 | Manipur | 33,18,000 | 0.23% |
| 24 | Nagaland | 22,99,000 | 0.16% |
| UT3 | Puducherry | 17,71,000 | 0.12% |
| 25 | Arunachal Pradesh | 16,08,000 | 0.11% |
| 26 | Goa | 16,01,000 | 0.11% |
| UT4 | Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu | 15,93,000 | 0.11% |
| 27 | Mizoram | 12,75,000 | 0.09% |
| UT5 | Chandigarh | 12,70,000 | 0.09% |
| 28 | Sikkim | 7,09,000 | 0.05% |
| UT6 | Andaman & Nicobar Islands | 4,06,000 | 0.03% |
| UT7 | Ladakh | 3,06,000 | 0.02% |
| UT8 | Lakshadweep | 70,000 | 0.00% |
| TOTAL INDIA | 1,42,94,04,000 | 100% |
