Odisha
District-Level Data & Statistics
- PopulationCensus 2011, the latest complete count; Census 2027 results are expected from 2028
- 4.2 Crore
- 3.5% of India
- Projected 2026: 4.5 CroreOfficial projection for 1 March 2026, not a count: Technical Group on Population Projections, National Commission on Population, MoHFW (2020)
- Districts
- 30
- Avg 14 Lakh each
- AreaDensity uses the Census 2011 population
- 1,55,707 km²
- 270 people /km²
- Literacy RateCensus 2011: literates as a share of people aged 7 and above
- 72.9%
- India: 72.9%
- Sex RatioCensus 2011: females per 1,000 males
- 979
- India: 943
- RankBy Census 2011 population
- 11th
- of 36 by population
Odisha is India's 11th most populous state with a population of 4.2 Crore (Census 2011) spread across 30 districts covering 1,55,707 sq km. The state's literacy rate stands at 72.9%, below the national average of 72.9%. With a sex ratio of 979 females per 1,000 males, it is above the national figure of 943.
Credit Growth (5-Year) in Odisha · district average 127.5%, 4th of 36 states
All 30 on the map →MSME Density in Odisha · population-weighted average 33.6 per 1,000 people, 25th of 36 states
Women Literacy in Odisha · population-weighted average 69.6%, 29th of 36 states
All 30 on the map →Health Insurance in Odisha · population-weighted average 82.6%, 7th of 34 states
All 30 on the map →Demographics
What changed in Odisha, 2019–21 to 2023–24
NFHS-5 → NFHS-6, changes of 5 points or more. Same districts in both rounds.
Health & Development
NFHS-6 (2023–24, provisional)
State and National are population-weighted averages of districts, not official NFHS figures.
Women & Gender
Economy & Infrastructure
Governance
Safety & Crime
Climate Vulnerability
Odisha districts ranked
Population (Census 2011)
- 1Ganjam 35.2 Lakh
- 2Cuttack 26.2 Lakh
- 3Mayurbhanj 25.2 Lakh
- 4Balasore 23.2 Lakh
- 5Khordha 22.5 Lakh
- 1Deogarh 3.1 Lakh
- 2Boudh 4.4 Lakh
- 3Jharsuguda 5.8 Lakh
- 4Gajapati 5.9 Lakh
- 5Subarnapur 6.1 Lakh
Population Density (per km²)
- 1Khordha 809
- 2Cuttack 705
- 3Jagatsinghpur 679
- 4Jajapur 654
- 5Balasore 647
- 1Kandhamal 95
- 2Malkangiri 109
- 3Deogarh 110
- 4Rayagarha 136
- 5Boudh 147
Literacy Rate
- 1Khordha 86.9%
- 2Jagatsinghpur 86.6%
- 3Cuttack 85.5%
- 4Kendrapara 85.2%
- 5Puri 84.7%
- 1Nabarangapur 46.4%
- 2Malkangiri 48.5%
- 3Koraput 49.2%
- 4Rayagarha 49.8%
- 5Gajapati 53.1%
Sex Ratio (females per 1,000 males)
Underweight Children
- 1Rayagarha 46.8%
- 2Malkangiri 46.1%
- 3Keonjhar (kendujhar) 45.2%
- 4Mayurbhanj 44.3%
- 5Koraput 42.7%
- 1Puri 15.2%
- 2Ganjam 16.3%
- 3Khordha 16.5%
- 4Jagatsinghpur 17.3%
- 5Nayagarh 17.4%
Electricity Access
- 1Mayurbhanj 94.0%
- 2Rayagarha 94.5%
- 3Malkangiri 94.7%
- 4Keonjhar (kendujhar) 95.1%
- 5Gajapati 95.3%
Small Business Density
- 1Khordha 68.9
- 2Puri 45.8
- 3Cuttack 44.8
- 4Bhadrak 38.7
- 5Jharsuguda 38.4
- 1Nabarangapur 16.0
- 2Gajapati 20.6
- 3Rayagarha 21.1
- 4Kandhamal 21.9
- 5Kalahandi 22.1
All Districts
30 districts| District | Population (2011) | Literacy % | Sex Ratio | Density /km² |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ganjam | 35,16,045 | 71.2% | 983 | 433 |
| Cuttack | 26,24,470 | 85.5% | 940 | 705 |
| Mayurbhanj | 25,19,738 | 63.2% | 1,006 | 251 |
| Balasore | 23,20,529 | 79.8% | 957 | 647 |
| Khordha | 22,51,673 | 86.9% | 929 | 809 |
| Sundargarh | 20,93,437 | 73.3% | 973 | 224 |
| Jajapur | 18,27,192 | 80.1% | 973 | 654 |
| Keonjhar (kendujhar) | 18,01,733 | 68.2% | 988 | 225 |
| Puri | 16,98,730 | 84.7% | 963 | 506 |
| Balangir | 16,48,997 | 64.7% | 987 | 261 |
| Kalahandi | 15,76,869 | 59.2% | 1,003 | 207 |
| Bhadrak | 15,06,337 | 82.8% | 981 | 623 |
| Bargarh | 14,81,255 | 74.6% | 977 | 263 |
| Kendrapara | 14,40,361 | 85.2% | 1,007 | 589 |
| Koraput | 13,79,647 | 49.2% | 1,032 | 170 |
| Anugul | 12,72,723 | 77.5% | 943 | 207 |
| Nabarangapur | 12,20,946 | 46.4% | 1,019 | 231 |
| Dhenkanal | 11,93,909 | 78.8% | 947 | 278 |
| Jagatsinghpur | 11,36,971 | 86.6% | 968 | 679 |
| Sambalpur | 10,41,099 | 76.2% | 976 | 164 |
| Rayagarha | 9,67,911 | 49.8% | 1,051 | 136 |
| Nayagarh | 9,62,789 | 80.4% | 915 | 256 |
| Kandhamal | 7,33,110 | 64.1% | 1,037 | 95 |
| Malkangiri | 6,13,192 | 48.5% | 1,020 | 109 |
| Nuaparha | 6,10,382 | 57.3% | 1,021 | 164 |
| Subarnapur | 6,10,183 | 74.4% | 960 | 268 |
| Gajapati | 5,90,803 | 53.1% | 1,041 | 148 |
| Jharsuguda | 5,79,505 | 78.9% | 953 | 280 |
| Boudh | 4,41,162 | 71.6% | 991 | 147 |
| Deogarh | 3,12,520 | 72.6% | 975 | 110 |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the population of Odisha in crore?
Odisha has a population of 4.2 Crore (4,19,74,218) according to the Census 2011, making it India's 11th most populous state, across 30 districts.
What is the total area of Odisha in sq km?
Odisha covers a total area of 1,55,707 sq km, divided into 30 districts.
What is the literacy rate of Odisha?
Odisha's literacy rate is 72.9% (Census 2011), below the national average of 72.9%. Khordha has the highest literacy rate (86.9%) and Nabarangapur the lowest (46.4%). Female literacy is lowest in Nabarangapur (35.8%).
What is the population density of Odisha?
Odisha has 270 people per sq km, against a national average of 366. Khordha has the highest population density and Kandhamal the lowest.
What is the sex ratio of Odisha?
Odisha has a sex ratio of 979 females per 1,000 males, above the national average of 943. Rayagarha has the highest sex ratio (1,051) and Nayagarh the lowest (915).
Which district of Odisha has the highest and lowest population?
Ganjam has the highest population in Odisha (35.2 Lakh) and Deogarh the lowest (3.1 Lakh), per the Census 2011.
Which is the largest district of Odisha by area?
Mayurbhanj is the largest district of Odisha by area, and Jagatsinghpur the smallest.
How many children in Odisha are stunted or underweight?
In Odisha, 25.4% of children under 5 are stunted, 21.6% wasted and 29.9% underweight (NFHS-6, 2023–24, provisional). Stunting compares with an India average of 28.0%.
How many households in Odisha have health insurance?
82.6% of households in Odisha have at least one member covered by a health insurance or financing scheme (NFHS-6, 2023–24, provisional). The India average is 58.1%.
What changed in Odisha between NFHS-5 and NFHS-6?
Between NFHS-5 (2019–21) and NFHS-6 (2023–24), Odisha improved most in health insurance (48% to 84%), women internet use (23% to 51%), women owning a mobile phone (48% to 61%), and got worse in male diabetes (17% to 26%), modern contraception (49% to 40%), women diabetes (14% to 21%). Changes under 5 percentage points are not counted.
Is there newer population data for Odisha than the Census 2011?
Not yet. The Census 2011 is the latest complete count. Census 2027 is under way: the population count uses a reference date of 1 March 2027, with provisional results expected by late 2028. Until then, the official projection for Odisha on 1 March 2026 is 4.5 Crore (Technical Group on Population Projections, National Commission on Population, MoHFW, 2020); it is a projection, not a count. Census 2027 timeline
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.