Chhattisgarh
Population and Census
Population and Census — Quick Revision
One-page CGPSC quick revision for Population and Census — every Census 2011 number for Chhattisgarh in tables for last-minute Prelims and Mains revision.
This one-page sheet covers Chhattisgarh’s population as recorded in Census 2011, plus the essentials of Census 2027. For explanations, read Census 2011 at a Glance, Distribution and Density, Scheduled Tribes and Scheduled Castes and Literacy and Sex Ratio.
How to use this sheet
Scan top to bottom the week before Prelims. Bold lines are the facts examiners return to most often. All figures are Census 2011 (final) unless stated otherwise.
Timeline / Key Facts
The Census Itself
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Law | Census Act, 1948; census is Entry 69 of the Union List |
| Agency | Registrar General and Census Commissioner, India (Ministry of Home Affairs) |
| First census / first synchronous census | 1872 (Lord Mayo) / 1881 (Lord Ripon) |
| Census 2011 | 15th census, 7th after Independence; reference date 1 March 2011 |
| Chhattisgarh districts at Census 2011 | 18 (27 from January 2012; 33 as of 2026) |
| Census 2027 | 16th census; first digital census; caste enumeration (first since 1931) |
| Census 2027 in Chhattisgarh | Self-enumeration 16–30 April 2026; houselisting 1–30 May 2026 |
| Census 2027 reference date | 1 March 2027 (1 October 2026 for snow-bound areas) |
Headline Numbers
| Indicator | Chhattisgarh | India |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 2,55,45,198 | 121.09 crore |
| Males / females | 1,28,32,895 / 1,27,12,303 | — |
| Share of India | 2.11% (area about 4.1%) | — |
| Rank in population | 16th among states (2011 boundaries) | — |
| Decadal growth 2001–11 | 22.61% | 17.7% |
| Density | 189 (2001: 154) | 382 |
| Urban / rural | 23.24% / 76.76% | 31.2% urban |
| Population in 2001 | 2,08,33,803 | — |
Distribution and Density
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Highest density district | Janjgir-Champa (about 420) |
| Lowest density district | Narayanpur (about 20); then Bijapur (about 39) |
| Most populous district | Raipur (undivided): 40,63,872 |
| Least populous district | Narayanpur: 1,39,820 |
| Densest belt | Central Mahanadi plains |
| Sparsest belt | Southern Bastar plateau |
| Largest urban agglomerations | Raipur, then Durg–Bhilainagar |
Scheduled Tribes and Scheduled Castes
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| ST population | 78,22,902 = 30.62% (India 8.6%); about 7.5% of India’s STs |
| SC population | 32,74,269 = 12.82% (India 16.6%) |
| ST + SC | About 43% of the state |
| High-ST districts (2011) | Bijapur 80.0%, Narayanpur 77.4% |
| Districts > 50% ST (2011) | 7 of 18 |
| Largest tribe | Gond |
| Central PVTGs (5) | Abujhmaria, Baiga, Birhor, Kamar, Pahadi Korwa |
| State-declared special backward tribes | Bhunjia, Pando |
| Largest SC community | Satnami (Guru Ghasidas, b. 1756, Giraudpuri) |
| Reserved seats | Vidhan Sabha 29 ST + 10 SC of 90; Lok Sabha 4 ST + 1 SC of 11 |
| Tribal-area framework | Fifth Schedule, PESA 1996 |
Literacy and Sex Ratio
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Literacy definition | Age 7+, read and write with understanding |
| Literacy | 70.28% (2001: 64.66%; India 72.98%) |
| Male / female literacy | 80.27% / 60.24% (gap about 20 points) |
| Provisional 2011 literacy | 71.04% (male 81.45%, female 60.59%) |
| Highest / lowest literacy district | Durg (about 79%) / Bijapur (about 41.6%) |
| Sex ratio | 991 (2001: 989; India 943); 4th among states |
| Child sex ratio (0–6) | 969 (2001: 975; India 918) |
| Low sex ratio | Industrial districts such as Korba |
| ST sex ratio | Above 1,000 |
Don’t Confuse
| This | vs | That |
|---|---|---|
| Sex ratio 991 | Child sex ratio 969 | |
| Chhattisgarh 991 | India 943 | |
| Density 189 | India 382 | |
| Literacy 70.28% (final) | 71.04% (provisional) | |
| Janjgir-Champa: highest density | Raipur: largest population | |
| Narayanpur: lowest density and population | Bijapur: lowest literacy | |
| ST 30.62% | SC 12.82% | |
| Fifth Schedule (Chhattisgarh) | Sixth Schedule (Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, Mizoram) | |
| Census 2011 = 15th | Census 2027 = 16th |
Favourite MCQ trap
Three swaps to watch: the all-India figure offered for the state figure (943 for 991, 382 for 189), the provisional literacy (71.04%) offered for the final (70.28%), and “the child sex ratio also improved”. It did not: it fell from 975 to 969 while the overall ratio rose from 989 to 991.
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