Kargil

District in Ladakh

PopulationCensus 2011, the latest complete count; Census 2027 results are expected from 2028
1.4 Lakh
State: 2.7 Lakh
Area
14,085 km²
8.4% of state
Literacy RateCensus 2011: literates as a share of people aged 7 and above
71.3%
State: 74.3%
Sex RatioCensus 2011: females per 1,000 males
810
State: 750
DensityCensus 2011 population per km²
10 /km²
State: 2 /km²
Population RankBy Census 2011 population
1st of 2
In Ladakh

Credit Growth (5-Year) in Kargil: 102.0%, lowest of 2 districts in Ladakh

MSME Density in Kargil: 39.1 per 1,000 people, lowest of 2 districts in Ladakh

Women Literacy in Kargil: 77.2%, highest of 2 districts in Ladakh

Health Insurance in Kargil: 97.6%, highest of 2 districts in Ladakh

LehKargil
60%85%110%140%200%+No data
RBI Bank Credit (BSR-1) · 2026
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5204080150+No data
Udyam Registration (MSME) · 2026
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40%55%65%80%90%+No data
National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5) · 2019–21
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5%20%40%60%85%+No data
National Family Health Survey (NFHS-6) · 2023–24
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Kargil is a district in Ladakh with a population of 1.4 Lakh (Census 2011) spread across 14,085 sq km. Its literacy rate of 71.3% is below the state average of 74.3% and below the national average of 72.9%. The district has a sex ratio of 810 females per 1,000 males, above the state average of 750.


Demographics

IndicatorDistrictState AvgNational
Population Density10 /km²▲2 /km²366 /km²
Sex Ratio810▲750943
Literacy Rate71.3%▼74.3%72.9%
SC Population0.0%▼0.2%16.6%
ST Population86.9%▲79.5%8.7%
Worker Participation36.8%▼46.3%39.8%

What changed in Kargil, 2019–21 to 2023–24

NFHS-5 → NFHS-6, changes of 5 points or more.

Health & Development

NFHS-6 (2023–24, provisional) · “was”: the 2019–21 value, where it moved 5 points or more

IndicatorDistrictState AvgNational
Child StuntingHighest of 227.1%was 36.5%▲25.5%28.0%
Child WastingHighest of 211.3%was 17.7%▲10.4%18.7%
Underweight ChildrenHighest of 215.1%was 21.8%▲14.3%30.5%
Child AnaemiaLowest of 287.9%2019–21▼91.6%66.9%
Women AnaemiaLowest of 292.0%2019–21▼92.7%56.9%
Full VaccinationLowest of 287.5%2019–21▼88.2%77.6%
Improved SanitationLowest of 242.3%2019–21—42.3%70.2%
Clean Cooking FuelLowest of 258.1%2019–21▼75.3%56.8%
Health InsuranceHighest of 297.6%was 16.3%▲96.1%58.1%
Safe Drinking WaterHighest of 297.0%was 90.2%▲95.1%96.5%
Child OverweightLowest of 26.2%was 14.0%▼6.5%1.4%
Women Overweight or ObeseLowest of 217.4%was 26.3%▼23.1%30.6%
Women HypertensionLowest of 213.5%was 18.7%▼16.2%19.4%
Modern ContraceptionLowest of 255.4%was 41.6%▼57.2%52.0%
Pre-school AttendanceHighest of 251.7%was 21.7%▲44.5%49.3%

State Avg and National are population-weighted averages, not official NFHS figures. “Was” is NFHS-5 as reprinted on the NFHS-6 sheet, which can differ from the NFHS-5 layer. Small districts can swing on sampling noise.

Women & Gender

IndicatorDistrictState AvgNational
Women with a Bank AccountLowest of 295.0%was 88.3%▼95.6%88.9%
Female Literacy GapHighest of 226.9 pts▲24.9 pts16.5 pts
Female Work GapHighest of 232.1 pts▲29.8 pts27.9 pts

Economy & Infrastructure

IndicatorDistrictState AvgNational
MSME DensityLowest of 239.1 per 1k pop▼53.6 per 1k pop39.8 per 1k pop
Women Internet UseLowest of 270.3%was 49.5%▼79.7%64.4%

Governance

IndicatorDistrictState AvgNational
Pending CasesLowest of 2507 per lakh▼560 per lakh4025 per lakh

Safety & Crime

IndicatorDistrictState AvgNational
Child Abuse (POCSO)1.4 per lakh▲0.7 per lakh5.3 per lakh
Cyber Crime (IT Act cases)2.1 per lakh▲1.1 per lakh2.7 per lakh

Climate Vulnerability

IndicatorDistrictState AvgNational
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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the population of Kargil district?

Kargil has a population of 1.4 Lakh according to the Census 2011, with a density of 10 people per sq km across 14,085 sq km.

What is the population of Kargil in 2026?

There is no official count or district estimate after 2011. The latest figure is the Census 2011 count of 1.4 Lakh. Census 2027 enumeration takes place in February 2027, with results expected from 2028.

What is the literacy rate of Kargil?

Kargil has a literacy rate of 71.3% (Census 2011), which is below the Ladakh average of 74.3% and below the national average of 72.9%.

How does Kargil compare to Ladakh?

Kargil is the 1st most populous of 2 districts in Ladakh. Its sex ratio of 810 females per 1,000 males is above the state average of 750 (Census 2011).

How many children in Kargil are stunted or underweight?

In Kargil, 27.1% of children under 5 are stunted, 11.3% wasted and 15.1% underweight (NFHS-6, 2023–24, provisional). Stunting compares with a Ladakh average of 25.5% and an India average of 28.0%.

How many households in Kargil have health insurance?

97.6% of households in Kargil have at least one member covered by a health insurance or financing scheme (NFHS-6, 2023–24, provisional), up from 16.3% in 2019–21. The Ladakh average is 96.1% and India's 58.1%.

What changed in Kargil between NFHS-5 and NFHS-6?

Between NFHS-5 (2019–21) and NFHS-6 (2023–24), Kargil improved most in health insurance (16% to 98%), pre-school attendance (22% to 52%), women internet use (50% to 70%). Changes under 5 percentage points are not counted.

What data sources are used for Kargil?

Data comes from Census 2011, NFHS-5 (2019–21), NFHS-6 (2023–24), NJDG (2024), Udyam/MSME (2026), NCRB SLL (2022), CVI (2021), Ag Census 2015–16, RBI BSR (2026), and other official sources.

Data Sources

Each indicator keeps its own source and vintage. How they are crosswalked onto one district geography is on the methodology page, with the per-source limits on the caveats page.