Largest and Smallest State in India by Area & Population

Largest and Smallest State in India: India, celebrated for its cultural diversity and rich heritage, consists of 28 states and eight union territories. It is the 7th largest country by land area and the 2nd most populous globally, with New Delhi as its capital. Rajasthan is the largest state by area, spanning 342,239 km², while Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra follow. In terms of population, Uttar Pradesh is the most populous state, followed by Maharashtra and Bihar. This article also presents a detailed list of all Indian states and union territories with their area and population data.

Largest State in India (Area-wise)

Rajasthan is the largest state in India by area, spanning 342,239 km². According to the 2011 Census, it has a population of 68,548,437. Located in the northwestern region of India, its capital is Jaipur, famously known as the “Pink City”. In contrast, Goa is the smallest state, covering an area of just 3,702 km². Below is a detailed list of Indian states ranked by area.

S. No.	State Name	Area (km²)
1	Rajasthan	342,239
2	Madhya Pradesh	308,245
3	Maharashtra	307,713
4	Uttar Pradesh	240,928
5	Gujarat	196,024
6	Karnataka	191,791
7	Andhra Pradesh	162,968
8	Odisha	155,707
9	Chhattisgarh	135,191
10	Tamil Nadu	130,058
11	Telangana	112,077
12	Bihar	94,163
13	West Bengal	88,752
14	Arunachal Pradesh	83,743
15	Jharkhand	79,714
16	Assam	78,438
17	Himachal Pradesh	55,673
18	Uttarakhand	53,483
19	Punjab	50,362
20	Haryana	44,212
21	Kerala	38,863
22	Meghalaya	22,429
23	Manipur	22,327
24	Mizoram	21,081
25	Nagaland	16,579
26	Tripura	10,486
27	Sikkim	7,096
28	Goa	3,702

Largest Union Territory in India (Area-wise)

Jammu and Kashmir is the largest Union Territory in India by area, covering 125,535 km². Below is a detailed list of all Union Territories ranked by their respective land area.

S. No.	Union Territory Name	Area (km²)
1	Jammu and Kashmir	125,535
2	Ladakh	96,701
3	Andaman and Nicobar Islands	8,249
4	Delhi	1,484
5	Dadra and Nagar Haveli & Daman and Diu	603
6	Puducherry	479
7	Chandigarh	114
8	Lakshadweep	32.62

Largest State in India by Population

Uttar Pradesh is the most populous state in India, with a total population of 199,812,341 according to the 2011 Census. It spans an area of 240,928 km². Bihar, on the other hand, has the highest population density in the country. Sikkim is the least populated state in India. Below is a detailed list of states ranked by population.

S. No.	State Name	Population (2011 Census)
1	Uttar Pradesh	199,812,341
2	Maharashtra	112,374,333
3	Bihar	104,099,452
4	West Bengal	91,276,115
5	Andhra Pradesh	84,580,777
6	Madhya Pradesh	72,626,809
7	Tamil Nadu	72,147,030
8	Rajasthan	68,548,437
9	Karnataka	61,095,297
10	Gujarat	60,439,692
11	Odisha	41,974,218
12	Kerala	33,406,061
13	Jharkhand	32,988,134
14	Assam	31,205,576
15	Punjab	27,743,338
16	Chhattisgarh	25,545,198
17	Haryana	25,351,462
20	Uttarakhand	10,086,292
21	Himachal Pradesh	6,864,602
22	Tripura	3,673,917
23	Meghalaya	2,966,889
24	Manipur	2,855,794
25	Nagaland	1,978,502
26	Goa	1,458,545
27	Arunachal Pradesh	1,383,727
29	Mizoram	1,097,206
31	Sikkim	610,577

Largest Union Territory in India by Population

Delhi, the capital city of India, is the most populous union territory in the country. According to the 2011 Census, Delhi has a total population of 16,787,941. Below is a list of union territories ranked by population.

S. No.	Union Territory	Population (2011 Census)
1	Delhi	16,787,941
2, 3	Jammu and Kashmir + Ladakh	12,541,302
4	Puducherry	1,247,953
5	Chandigarh	1,055,450
6	Dadra and Nagar Haveli & Daman and Diu	586,956
7	Andaman and Nicobar Islands	380,581
8	Lakshadweep	64,473

The Top 5 biggest states of India

Rajasthan – The Largest State in India

• Area: 342,000 sq. km (10.4% of India’s total land area).
• Location: Western India, sharing borders with Pakistan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, and Punjab.
• Capital: Jaipur
• Key Features:
  • Famous for its Thar Desert, forts, and palaces.
  • Major cities include Jaipur, Udaipur, Jodhpur, and Jaisalmer.
  • Houses Ranthambore National Park, home to Bengal tigers.

Madhya Pradesh – The Second Largest State

• Area: 308,000 sq. km
• Location: Central India, bordered by Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, and Gujarat.
• Capital: Bhopal
• Key Features:
  • Known as the “Heart of India” due to its central location.
  • Famous for Khajuraho Temples, Sanchi Stupa, and Kanha & Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserves.
  • Major industries: agriculture, mining, and tourism

Maharashtra – The Third Largest State

• Area: 307,000 sq. km
• Location: Western India, bordered by Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Telangana, Karnataka, Goa, and the Arabian Sea.
• Capital: Mumbai (Financial Capital of India)
• Key Features:
  • Houses India’s largest city, Mumbai, and the Bollywood film industry.
  • Essential pilgrimage sites like Shirdi, Trimbakeshwar, and Ajanta & Ellora caves.
  • Economy driven by IT, manufacturing, finance, and agriculture

Uttar Pradesh – The Fourth Largest State

• Area: 240,000 sq. km
• Location: Northern India, sharing borders with Nepal and multiple Indian states.
• Capital: Lucknow
• Key Features:
  • Most populous state in India.
  • Home to the Taj Mahal (Agra) and Varanasi, the world’s oldest city.
  • Plays a crucial role in Indian politics due to its high number of parliamentary seats

Gujarat – The Fifth Largest State

• Area: 196,024 sq. km
• Location: Western India, bordering Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, and the Arabian Sea.
• Capital: Gandhinagar (Ahmedabad is the largest city).
• Key Features:
  • Known for Gir National Park (home to Asiatic lions).
  • Major industrial hub with ports and India’s first Greenfield Smart City – GIFT City.
  • Houses the Statue of Unity, the world’s tallest statue

Smallest State in India by Area

Goa – The Smallest State of India

• Area: 3,702 sq. km
• Location: Western coast of India, bordering Maharashtra and Karnataka.
• Capital: Panaji
• Key Features:
  • Known for its beaches, nightlife, and Portuguese heritage.
  • Tourism is the biggest industry, followed by agriculture and fishing.
  • Famous for Dudhsagar Waterfalls, Basilica of Bom Jesus, and vibrant festivals.

The Top 5 largest states of India

Uttar Pradesh – The Most Populous State

• Population: Over 200 million
• Capital: Lucknow
• Key Facts:
  • The most populous state in India and among the largest in the world.
  • Known for its historical and religious significance (Taj Mahal, Varanasi, Ayodhya).
  • Plays a major role in Indian politics, with the highest number of parliamentary seats

Maharashtra – Second Most Populated State

• Population: Over 120 million
• Capital: Mumbai (Financial capital of India)
• Key Facts:
  • Home to Mumbai, India’s largest city and economic hub.
  • Major industries: Bollywood, finance, IT, manufacturing, and tourism.
  • Diverse geography, including coastlines, mountains, and forests.

Bihar – The Third Most Populous State

• Population: Over 100 million
• Capital: Patna
• Key Facts:
  • Located in eastern India, known for its fertile land and historical sites.
  • Birthplace of Buddhism (Bodh Gaya) and home to Nalanda University.
  • The economy is driven by agriculture and small-scale industries.

West Bengal – The Fourth Largest by Population

• Population: Over 90 million
• Capital: Kolkata
• Key Facts:
  • Geographically diverse, extending from the Himalayas to the Bay of Bengal.
  • Famous for its cultural heritage, including Rabindranath Tagore, Satyajit Ray, and Durga Puja.
  • Economy based on agriculture, ports, and industrial hubs.

Madhya Pradesh – The Fifth Largest by Population

• Population: Over 80 million
• Capital: Bhopal
• Key Facts:
  • Located in central India, it is known as the “Heart of India”.
  • Rich in wildlife and forests, with reserves like Kanha & Bandhavgarh.
  • Strong presence in agriculture, tourism, and mining sectors.

List of the Largest States in India by Population 2024:

Sl. No.	State	Region	Population
1	Uttar Pradesh	Northern	199,812,341
2	Maharashtra	Western	112,374,333
3	Bihar	Eastern	104,099,452
4	West Bengal	Eastern	91,276,115
5	Madhya Pradesh	Central	72,626,809
6	Tamil Nadu	Southern	72,147,030
7	Rajasthan	Northern	68,548,437
8	Karnataka	Southern	61,095,297
9	Gujarat	Western	60,439,692
10	Andhra Pradesh	Southern	49,577,103
11	Odisha	Eastern	41,974,219
12	Telangana	Southern	35,003,674
13	Kerala	Southern	33,406,061
14	Jharkhand	Eastern	32,988,134
15	Assam	Northeastern	31,205,576
16	Punjab	Northern	27,743,338
17	Chhattisgarh	Central	25,545,198
18	Haryana	Northern	25,351,462
19	Uttarakhand	Northern	10,086,292
20	Himachal Pradesh	Northern	6,864,602
21	Tripura	Northeastern	3,673,917
22	Meghalaya	Northeastern	2,966,889
23	Manipur	Northeastern	2,570,390
24	Nagaland	Northeastern	1,978,502
25	Goa	Western	1,458,545
26	Arunachal Pradesh	Northeastern	1,383,727
27	Mizoram	Northeastern	1,097,206
28	Sikkim	Northeastern	610,577

List of Largest Union Territories of India in Terms of Area 2024:

Sl. No.	Union Territory	Region	Area (km²)
1	Ladakh	Northern	59,146
2	Jammu and Kashmir	Northern	42,241
3	Andaman and Nicobar Islands	Bay of Bengal	8,249
4	National Capital Territory of Delhi	Northern	1,483
5	Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu	Western	603
6	Puducherry	Southern	479
7	Chandigarh	Northern	114
8	Lakshadweep	Arabian Sea	32

The Largest and Smallest States in India by Area in 2023:

Sl. No.	States	Region	Area (in Km2)
1	Rajasthan	Northern	3,42,239
2	Madhya Pradesh	Central	3,08,252
3	Maharashtra	Western	3,07,713
4	Uttar Pradesh	Northern	2,40,928
5	Gujarat	Western	1,96,024
6	Karnataka	Southern	1,91,791
7	Andhra Pradesh	Southern	1,60,205
8	Odisha	Eastern	1,55,707
9	Chhattisgarh	Central	1,35,191
10	Tamil Nadu	Southern	1,30,058
11	Telangana	Southern	1,12,077
12	Bihar	Eastern	94,163
13	West Bengal	Eastern	88,752
14	Arunachal Pradesh	Northeastern	83,743
15	Jharkhand	Eastern	79,714
16	Assam	Northeastern	78,438
17	Himachal Pradesh	Northern	55,673
18	Uttarakhand	Northern	53,483
19	Punjab	Northern	50,362
20	Haryana	Northern	44,212
21	Kerala	Southern	38,863
22	Meghalaya	Northeastern	22,429
23	Manipur	Northeastern	22,327
24	Mizoram	Northeastern	21,081
25	Nagaland	Northeastern	16,579
26	Tripura	Northeastern	10,486
27	Sikkim	Northeastern	7,096
28	Goa	Western	3,702

The Largest and Smallest States in India by population in 2023:

Sl. No.	States	Region	Population
1	Uttar Pradesh	Northern	19,98,12,341
2	Maharashtra	Western	11,23,74,333
3	Bihar	Eastern	10,40,99,452
4	West Bengal	Eastern	9,12,76,115
5	Madhya Pradesh	Central	7,26,26,809
6	Tamil Nadu	Southern	7,21,47,030
7	Rajasthan	Northern	6,85,48,437
8	Karnataka	Southern	6,10,95,297
9	Gujarat	Western	6,04,39,692
10	Andhra Pradesh	Southern	4,95,77,103
11	Odisha	Eastern	4,19,74,219
12	Telangana	Southern	3,50,03,674
13	Kerala	Southern	3,34,06,061
14	Jharkhand	Eastern	3,29,88,134
15	Assam	Northeastern	3,12,05,576
16	Punjab	Northern	2,77,43,338
17	Chhattisgarh	Central	2,55,45,198
18	Haryana	Northern	2,53,51,462
19	Uttarakhand	Northern	1,00,86,292
20	Himachal Pradesh	Northern	68,64,602
21	Tripura	Northeastern	36,73,917
22	Meghalaya	Northeastern	29,66,889
23	Manipur	Northeastern	25,70,390
24	Nagaland	Northeastern	19,78,502
25	Goa	Western	14,58,545
26	Arunachal Pradesh	Northeastern	13,83,727
27	Mizoram	Northeastern	10,97,206
28	Sikkim	Northeastern	6,10,577

Conclusion

India’s geography is vast and diverse, with states differing significantly in size and population. Rajasthan, the Largest State in India, spans over 342,000 square kilometers, making up 10.4% of the country’s total land area. On the other hand, Goa, the Smallest State of India, covers just 3,702 square kilometers but holds immense cultural and economic importance due to its tourism and coastal beauty.

Understanding the Largest and Smallest State in India helps appreciate the country’s geographical contrasts, from Rajasthan’s vast deserts and historical sites to Goa’s stunning beaches and vibrant tourism industry. These differences showcase India’s unique blend of landscapes, cultures, and regional characteristics. The Largest and Smallest State in India play crucial roles in shaping the nation’s economy, tourism, and heritage.

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