Delhi, Mumbai or Kolkata?: Here are top 10 most populated Indian cities in 2024

Source: UN World Urbanisation Prospects

Key highlights:

The latest UN report indicates that India’s population has reached 1,428.6 million, making it the most populous country in the world, surpassing China. Around 68% of the population falls between the ages of 15 and 64, and 26% falls within the 10-24 age group, making India one of the youngest countries globally.

Despite the large population, India’s fertility rate has been decreasing steadily. According to the National Family Health Survey 5 (2019–21), India’s total fertility rate has dropped to 2.0, which is below the replacement level of 2.1. This marks a decline from 2.2 reported in NFHS 4 (2015–16).

Experts suggest that India’s substantial population is a consequence of population momentum from earlier decades, and anticipate that the population may begin to decline around 2050.

With the rise of megacities, globalisation, and urbanisation worldwide, the two Indian cities—Delhi and Mumbai have featured among the top 10 list of the most populated cities in the world and have accounted for a significant share of India’s total population.

• Delhi, the largest, is home to over 33.8 million people, surpassing the populations of entire countries like Malaysia and Peru. Mumbai, known as India’s financial capital, boasts 21.7 million residents, outnumbering the populations of countries such as Romania and the Netherlands.
• Kolkata, a cultural hub, is home to 15.6 million people, surpassing the populations of Greece and Portugal, while Bengaluru, the technology capital, has a population of 14 million, larger than that of Belgium.
• Chennai, a southern metropolitan centre, has a population of 12 million, surpassing that of Cuba. Hyderabad, a major IT and pharmaceutical hub, is inhabited by 11.2 million people, more than Hungary’s population.
• Other Indian cities like Ahmedabad, Surat, Pune, and Jaipur also have populations exceeding those of entire countries such as Hong Kong, Bulgaria, Switzerland, and Norway.

As India continues to urbanise, addressing infrastructure, environmental, and social challenges will be vital for ensuring sustainable and inclusive growth, as BJP’s JP Nadda writes, how the government is integrating these factors into the nation’s policies to ensure that demographic growth translates into a sustainable future and inclusive prosperity.

As we observe World Population Day 2024 on July 11, this year’s theme, “Leave No One Behind, Count Everyone,” underscores the significance of comprehensive data collection. This approach ensures that all individuals are accurately represented in population counts, irrespective of their background, nationality, geography, or socioeconomic status, emphasising the importance of investing in data collection to better understand issues, customise solutions, and foster development.