Uttarakhand Population 2011: Religion, Districts and Muslim Share

Uttarakhand Population

The Uttarakhand population stood at 10,086,292 in the last full census. That is about 1.01 crore people across 13 districts. In this guide, you will find the Uttarakhand population by religion, the Uttarakhand Muslim population, district-wise numbers, population density, sex ratio and the rural-urban split. Everything is in simple words, and all figures are from Census 2011, the latest full official count.

Quick answer: As per Census 2011, the Uttarakhand population is 10,086,292. Hindus are 82.97%, Muslims are 13.95% and Sikhs are 2.34%. Haridwar is the most populous district. Rudraprayag has the fewest people.

Uttarakhand Population at a Glance (Census 2011)

• Total population: 10,086,292
• Males: 5,137,773
• Females: 4,948,519 (963 females per 1,000 males)
• Households: 2,056,975
• Growth since 2001: about 19% (from 84.9 lakh to 1.01 crore)
• Population density: 189 people per sq km
• Rural share: 69.77%
• Children aged 0-6: about 13.4% of the state
• Literacy rate: 78.82%
• Share of India: about 0.83%

Uttarakhand is still a mostly rural state. Many hill villages are small, but the plains are crowded.

Uttarakhand Population Growth: 2001 vs 2011

The Uttarakhand population grew from about 84.9 lakh in 2001 to 1.01 crore in 2011. That is a rise of roughly 19% in ten years. Population density also went up, from 150 people per sq km in 2001 to 189 in 2011.

State Population in 2001 and 2011 (Graph)

• 2001: 84.9 lakh
• 2011: 100.9 lakh

This growth was not even across the state. The plains districts grew fast, while some hill districts lost people. You can see this in the district section below.

Uttarakhand Population by Religion

Uttarakhand is a Hindu-majority state. Hindus form the largest group in all 13 districts. Muslims are the second largest group, followed by Sikhs. Here is the full picture from Census 2011.

Religion-Wise Share of the State (Graph)

The graph below shows each religion as a share of the total population. The gap between Hindus and all others is very wide.

• Hindu: 82.97%
• Muslim: 13.95%
• Sikh: 2.34%
• Christian: 0.37%
• Buddhist: 0.15%
• Jain: 0.09%

In 2001, Hindus were 84.95% of the state. By 2011 their share was 82.97%, a fall of about two percentage points.

Uttarakhand Muslim Population

The Uttarakhand Muslim population was 1,406,825 in 2011. That is 13.95% of the state. In 2001, the share was 11.92%. So it rose by about two percentage points in ten years.

No district in the state has a Muslim majority. But the share varies a lot from place to place.

Muslim Share: Districts vs State Average (Graph)

Haridwar has the highest Muslim share in the state. Udham Singh Nagar comes next. Nainital and Dehradun are slightly below the state average, and hill districts like Uttarkashi have very small shares.

• Haridwar: 34.28%
• Udham Singh Nagar: 22.58%
• Uttarakhand (state average): 13.95%
• Nainital: 12.65%
• Dehradun: 11.91%
• Uttarkashi: 1.08%

Haridwar, Udham Singh Nagar, Nainital and Dehradun are plains or foothill districts. The hill districts have much smaller Muslim shares.

Sikh Population in Uttarakhand

The state has 236,340 Sikhs, or 2.34% of the population. Most of them live in Udham Singh Nagar, where there are 162,768 Sikhs. That is 9.87% of the district. In the same district, Hindus are 66.98% and Muslims are 22.58%.

District-Wise Population: Where Do Most People Live?

Four districts hold about 61.5% of all people. They are Haridwar, Dehradun, Udham Singh Nagar and Nainital. The hill districts have far fewer people.

All 13 Districts by Population (Graph)

Haridwar is the most populous district. Rudraprayag is the least populous. The bars below show the difference clearly.

• Haridwar: 18.9 lakh
• Dehradun: 17.0 lakh
• Udham Singh Nagar: 16.5 lakh
• Nainital: 9.5 lakh
• Pauri Garhwal: 6.9 lakh
• Almora: 6.2 lakh
• Tehri Garhwal: 6.2 lakh
• Pithoragarh: 4.8 lakh
• Chamoli: 3.9 lakh
• Uttarkashi: 3.3 lakh
• Bageshwar: 2.6 lakh
• Champawat: 2.6 lakh
• Rudraprayag: 2.4 lakh

Between 2001 and 2011, Haridwar grew by 30.63%, Dehradun by 32.33% and Udham Singh Nagar by 33.45%. In the same period, Pauri Garhwal shrank by 1.41% and Almora by 1.28%. This is often linked to people moving from hill villages to the plains and cities.

Uttarakhand Population Density

Density is the number of people living in each square kilometre. The state average is 189. But the range between districts is huge. Haridwar has about 817 people per sq km, while Uttarkashi has only 41.

Density in Selected Districts (Graph)

The values below are people per sq km.

• Haridwar: 817
• Nainital: 225
• Uttarakhand (state average): 189
• Almora: 198
• Pauri Garhwal: 129
• Chamoli: 49
• Uttarkashi: 41

In the hills, each settlement has few people and is often far from the next one. In the plains, people live much closer together.

Rural vs Urban Uttarakhand Population

About 70.4 lakh people (69.77%) live in rural areas. About 30.5 lakh (30.23%) live in urban areas. Rural areas have about 134 people per sq km, while urban areas have about 3,381.

Rural and Urban Share (Graph)

• Rural: 69.77%
• Urban: 30.23%

Uttarakhand Sex Ratio by District

The state sex ratio is 963 females per 1,000 males. That is higher than the national average of 943. But the plains and hills look very different.

Sex Ratio in Selected Districts (Graph)

Hill districts have more women than men, which is often linked to men migrating for work. Plains districts, especially Haridwar, are well below 1,000.

• Almora: 1,139
• Rudraprayag: 1,114
• Pauri Garhwal: 1,103
• Uttarakhand (state average): 963
• Nainital: 934
• Udham Singh Nagar: 920
• Dehradun: 902
• Haridwar: 880

Children and Literacy in Uttarakhand

There are 1,355,814 children aged 0-6 in the state. That is 13.44% of the Uttarakhand population. The overall literacy rate is 78.82%, which is above the national average of about 74%.

Until new census results are published, Census 2011 remains the latest official data on religion and districts. Figures labeled “2026” online are usually estimates, not a real count.

Source: All figures in this article are from Census 2011. You can check the official tables on the Census of India (ORGI) website.

Key Takeaways

• The Uttarakhand population was 1.01 crore in 2011.
• The Uttarakhand population by religion: Hindus 82.97%, Muslims 13.95%, Sikhs 2.34%.
• The Uttarakhand Muslim population was 1,406,825, and Haridwar has the highest Muslim share at 34.28%.
• Haridwar has the most people and Rudraprayag has the fewest.
• About 70% of people live in rural areas.
• Plains districts are growing fast, while some hill districts are shrinking.

Read more about Uttarakhand: Uttarakhand district map, destructive flash floods in Uttarakhand, the Monal, the Himalayan bird, what is the capital of Uttarakhand, how many districts are in Uttarakhand and the Uttarakhand slogan.