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State · Census 2011

Punjab population.
Census 2011.

Punjab recorded 2,77,43,338 people in the final, revised Census 2011 population table. That is 2.29% of India’s census population. Explore the counts and their context below.

Compare
2,77,43,338
Population
2.77 crore
551
Population density
People per square kilometre
895
Sex ratio
Females per 1,000 males
2011
Census reference
Final / revised published totals

Households, literacy, children and work

The Primary Census Abstract adds a detailed view of the same Census 2011 geography. Literacy rates use people aged 7 and above; work participation uses all residents.

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Indicator · Census 2011TotalRuralUrban
Populationpeople27,743,33817,344,19210,399,146
Households recorded in the PCAhouseholds5,513,0713,358,1132,154,958
Children aged 0–6people aged 0–63,076,2191,945,5021,130,717
Children aged 0–6 as a share of population%11.09%11.22%10.87%
Sex ratiofemales per 1,000 males895907875
Child sex ratiogirls per 1,000 boys aged 0–6846844852
Literate populationliterate people aged 7+18,707,13710,997,6577,709,480
Literacy rate%75.84%71.42%83.18%
Male literacy rate%80.44%76.62%86.67%
Female literacy rate%70.73%65.74%79.21%
Scheduled Castes populationpeople8,860,1796,496,9862,363,193
Scheduled Tribes populationpeople000
Total workersCensus workers9,897,3626,179,1993,718,163
Work participation rate%35.67%35.63%35.75%
Main workersworked at least 6 months8,450,9365,107,0243,343,912
Marginal workersworked less than 6 months1,446,4261,072,175374,251
Non-workerspeople17,845,97611,164,9936,680,983

Census of India · original Primary Census Abstract
Sheet1! rows 113, 114, 115; original PCA field codes are documented in field-definitions.json.
Source access notes and archived workbooks

Worker categories

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Economic activityMain workersMarginal workers
Cultivators1,803,860130,651
Agricultural labourers1,168,021420,434
Household industry workers300,66085,300
Other workers5,178,395810,041
Definitions, calculation methods and source access

Literacy uses people aged 7 and above; work participation uses all residents. Main workers worked at least six months. Households are the PCA household count, not houses. Rates with zero denominators are unavailable. Names and boundaries belong to Census 2011.

Read the full definitions and research guidance

Download the field definitions

20 historical districts in this state/UT have detailed profiles.

Explore these districts
Compare these indicators across statesDownload the detailed table

Religious composition · Census 2011

Reported religious communities within the same historical state/UT boundary. These are 2011 counts and shares.

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Published categoryPeopleShare of this state / UT
Hindu10,678,13838.49%
Muslim535,4891.93%
Christian348,2301.26%
Sikh16,004,75457.69%
Buddhist33,2370.12%
Jain45,0400.16%
Other religions and persuasions10,8860.04%
Religion not stated87,5640.32%

Religion not stated is retained separately; it is not a count of atheists. Rounded shares may not sum exactly to 100%. Aggregate place composition does not identify the religion of a person.

Census C-01 · original religious-community table. C01!H17:AH17; Punjab, Total

Compare the 35 historical state / UT profiles

The census snapshot

This profile uses final, revised Census 2011 population totals reproduced in the Ministry of Home Affairs’ July 2014 table. These are historical counts. The reference year and the geographic boundaries remain 2011.

Punjab Census 2011 key figures
Total population2,77,43,338
Published male column¹1,46,39,465
Female population1,31,03,873
Population density551 people / km²
Sex ratio895 females / 1,000 males
Census code03
Population rank15 of 35 census-era states / UTs
Share of India2.29%

¹ The source includes people recorded as “Others” within its published male column. We retain that official table convention. Read the definitions.

Putting Punjab in perspective

With 2.77 crore residents, Punjab ranked 15 among the 35 states and union territories in this 2011 dataset. Its published density of 551 people per square kilometre was higher than the national figure of 382.

Density relates the number of people to the geographic area used in the source. It does not show how evenly people are distributed within Punjab. The sex ratio is a separate measure: this table reports 895 females for every 1,000 males.

Using these figures today

For a current-year population question, start with our India after 2011 data guide. It brings together official projections, surveys, birth and death statistics, and administrative data, with a reference period for each. Relabelling this census count with a newer year would give it a meaning it does not have.

For comparisons over time, check whether boundaries, definitions or the data release have changed. Our guide to counts and estimates explains how to choose a suitable measure.

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PopulationIndia · https://www.populationindia.com/census/2011/states/punjab/ · Census 2011 · Sources checked 11 October 2026