Kolkata, India Population 2024

Kolkata's 2024 population is now estimated at 15,570,800In 1950, the population of Kolkata was 4,604,140Kolkata has grown by 238,000 in the last year, which represents a 1.55% annual change.These population estimates and projections come from the latest revision of the UN World Urbanization Prospects. These estimates represent the Urban agglomeration of Kolkata, which typically includes Kolkata's population in addition to adjacent suburban areas.

Kolkata -- or Calcutta in English -- is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal and located on the Hooghly river. Kolkata is the commercial and educational center of East India and one of the oldest operating ports in the country. In 2014, it had an estimated population of 4.6 million, which made it the 7th most populous city in India.

Kolkata has an estimated population of 4.6 million. The largest urban area that includes the suburbs has a population of more than 14.3 million, which makes it India's 3rd most populous metropolitan area.

City Size and Population Density

The city has a very high population density of 24,000 people per square kilometer or 63,000 per square mile. This is one of the world's highest densities. The city itself qualifies as a megacity and covers an incredible amount of surface area that comes to a total of 205.00 square kilometers (79.150 square miles).

Kolkata Demographics

Kolkata's population demographics has a lower sex ratio than India as a whole at 899 females for every 1,000 males. This is due in part to the high number of workers from the rural areas, West Bengal and neighboring states, as men often leave families behind to work in the city. Kolkata has a literacy rate of 87%, which is higher than the Indian average of 74%.

Bengali people represent the majority of Kolkatans, while Biharis and Marwaris represent large minorities. The foreign-born population of Kolkata has dropped through the 20th century, but there are still many small communities of the following groups: Chinese, Tamils, Nepalis, Telugus, Oriyas, Gujaratis, Anglo-Indians, Greeks, Armenians, Tibetans, Konkanis, Maharashtrians, Punjabis, and Parsis.

During World War II, Kolkata had a Jewish population of 5,000, which fell after India gained independence and Isreal was established. Today, there are just about 25 Jews left in the city. Kolkata has a single Chinatown with a population of 2,000 ethnic Chinese people, down from 20,000.

Hinduism represents the largest religion at 78%, followed by Islam (20%), Christianity (0.9%) and Jain (0.5%).

At least one-third of the population lives in 5,500 unregistered and registered slums. Authorized slums have access to essential services like water, but the majority of slums do not. There are two types of slums in the city: bustees, in which dwellers have a long-term tenancy agreement with landowners and udbastu colonies, which are leased to refugees from Bangladesh by the government.

Kolkata Population Growth

Kolkata is no longer the fastest-growing urban area in Bengal, as Asansol has now taken this title. Kolkata recently saw a dip in its population as the surrounding suburbs continue growing. People have stopped migrating to the city in part because of reduced opportunities. By 2025, the Kolkata urban area will have an estimated population of 20.1 million.

Country
India
Growth Rate
1.55%

86 Rows

Year
Population
203519,564,200
203419,161,400
203318,760,900
203218,363,500
203117,970,700
203017,583,600
202917,204,500
202816,836,500
202716,483,800
202616,151,400
202515,845,200
202415,570,800
202315,332,800
202215,133,900
202114,974,100
202014,850,100
201914,755,200
201814,680,600
201714,594,100
201614,508,100
201514,422,700
201414,337,700
201314,253,200
201214,169,300
201114,085,800
201014,002,800
200913,920,300
200813,838,400
200713,756,800
200613,675,700
200513,595,200
200413,515,200
200313,435,400
200213,356,300
200113,277,600
200013,097,200
199912,868,100
199812,643,300
199712,422,400
199612,205,700
199511,992,200
199411,782,700
199311,576,900
199211,374,900
199111,176,000
199010,974,200
198910,772,800
198810,575,400
198710,381,100
198610,190,600
198510,003,700
19849,820,360
19839,639,930
19829,463,060
19819,289,420
19809,100,170
19798,904,860
19788,714,000
19778,527,240
19768,344,720
19758,165,630
19747,990,620
19737,819,360
19727,651,990
19717,487,770
19707,329,370
19697,175,010
19687,024,100
19676,875,960
19666,731,150
19656,589,380
19646,450,790
19636,314,750
19626,181,750
19616,051,560
19605,910,210
19595,764,870
19585,623,290
19575,485,190
19565,350,670
19555,219,090
19545,090,910
19534,965,890
19524,844,100
19514,724,980
19504,604,140

86 Rows

Year
Population
Change
Growth
19504,604,1400%0
19514,724,9802.62%120,840
19524,844,1002.52%119,120
19534,965,8902.51%121,790
19545,090,9102.52%125,020
19555,219,0902.52%128,180
19565,350,6702.52%131,580
19575,485,1902.51%134,520
19585,623,2902.52%138,100
19595,764,8702.52%141,580
19605,910,2102.52%145,340
19616,051,5602.39%141,350
19626,181,7502.15%130,190
19636,314,7502.15%133,000
19646,450,7902.15%136,040
19656,589,3802.15%138,590
19666,731,1502.15%141,770
19676,875,9602.15%144,810
19687,024,1002.15%148,140
19697,175,0102.15%150,910
19707,329,3702.15%154,360
19717,487,7702.16%158,400
19727,651,9902.19%164,220
19737,819,3602.19%167,370
19747,990,6202.19%171,260
19758,165,6302.19%175,010
19768,344,7202.19%179,090
19778,527,2402.19%182,520
19788,714,0002.19%186,760
19798,904,8602.19%190,860
19809,100,1702.19%195,310
19819,289,4202.08%189,250
19829,463,0601.87%173,640
19839,639,9301.87%176,870
19849,820,3601.87%180,430
198510,003,7001.87%183,340
198610,190,6001.87%186,900
198710,381,1001.87%190,500
198810,575,4001.87%194,300
198910,772,8001.87%197,400
199010,974,2001.87%201,400
199111,176,0001.84%201,800
199211,374,9001.78%198,900
199311,576,9001.78%202,000
199411,782,7001.78%205,800
199511,992,2001.78%209,500
199612,205,7001.78%213,500
199712,422,4001.78%216,700
199812,643,3001.78%220,900
199912,868,1001.78%224,800
200013,097,2001.78%229,100
200113,277,6001.38%180,400
200213,356,3000.59%78,700
200313,435,4000.59%79,100
200413,515,2000.59%79,800
200513,595,2000.59%80,000
200613,675,7000.59%80,500
200713,756,8000.59%81,100
200813,838,4000.59%81,600
200913,920,3000.59%81,900
201014,002,8000.59%82,500
201114,085,8000.59%83,000
201214,169,3000.59%83,500
201314,253,2000.59%83,900
201414,337,7000.59%84,500
201514,422,7000.59%85,000
201614,508,1000.59%85,400
201714,594,1000.59%86,000
201814,680,6000.59%86,500
201914,755,2000.51%74,600
202014,850,1000.64%94,900
202114,974,1000.84%124,000
202215,133,9001.07%159,800
202315,332,8001.31%198,900
202415,570,8001.55%238,000
202515,845,2001.76%274,400
202616,151,4001.93%306,200
202716,483,8002.06%332,400
202816,836,5002.14%352,700
202917,204,5002.19%368,000
203017,583,6002.2%379,100
203117,970,7002.2%387,100
203218,363,5002.19%392,800
203318,760,9002.16%397,400
203419,161,4002.13%400,500
203519,564,2002.1%402,800

Kolkata Population Data (Urban Area)

Name
2024 Pop.
2024 Growth
Delhi33,807,4002.63%
Mumbai21,673,1001.77%
Kolkata15,570,8001.55%
Bangalore14,008,3002.94%
Chennai12,053,7002.36%
Hyderabad11,068,9002.48%
Ahmedabad8,854,4402.36%
Surat8,330,5303.29%
Pune7,345,8502.5%
Jaipur4,308,5102.41%
Kozhikode4,243,9603.8%
Malappuram4,184,9204.39%
Lucknow4,038,2102.35%
Thrissur3,605,2403.53%
Kochi3,507,0502.97%
Indore3,393,3802.76%
Kanpur3,286,1401.61%
Nagpur3,106,3401.96%
Coimbatore3,083,7202.48%
Thiruvananthapuram2,984,1503.22%

Other Cities in India

  1. Census India - India population census data
  2. Census 2011 - Kolkata City Census 2011 data

Sources