Population of MP — Census 2011 figures, patterns and trends

Madhya Pradesh had about 7.26 crore people at the last Census. Averages hide the real story, though. Bhopal district packs in several times the state's average density, while Dindori has fewer than a hundred people per sq km. Balaghat has more women than men, while Bhind has the lowest sex ratio in the state. Jabalpur's literacy is above 80%, while Alirajpur's is barely above a third.

Prelims tests these numbers and the district extremes directly. Mains asks why the patterns look like this and what policy should do. This guide covers both, and shows you how to derive the headline ratios so they stick.

Census 2011 at a glance

The rank question

Many books call MP the "fifth most populous state", which is true only for today's map. In Census 2011, undivided Andhra Pradesh was larger than MP, so MP ranked sixth (after UP, Maharashtra, Bihar, West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh). After Telangana was carved out in 2014, neither successor state is as large as MP, so MP is fifth among present-day states. Read rank options carefully.

The tribal question

MP has the largest Scheduled Tribe population in absolute numbers of any state, about one in seven of India's tribal people (Census 2011). It does not have the highest tribal percentage. Several north-eastern states and Lakshadweep are far above 21%. The largest tribe in MP is the Bhil (including Bhilala), followed by the Gond. For the tribal regions and their cultures, see tribes of MP.

Work the numbers yourself

Deriving the headline ratios once is the fastest way to remember them.

1. Density. Population ÷ area = 7,26,26,809 ÷ 3,08,252 ≈ 235.6, which rounds to 236 per sq km. India's density (382) is about 1.6 times MP's.

2. Sex ratio. MP had about 3.76 crore males and 3.50 crore females in 2011. Sex ratio = females ÷ males × 1,000 = 3.50 ÷ 3.76 × 1,000 ≈ 931.

3. Decadal growth. MP had about 6.03 crore people in 2001. Growth = (7.26 − 6.03) ÷ 6.03 × 100 = 1.23 ÷ 6.03 × 100 ≈ 20.4%. The official figure, using unrounded populations, is about 20.3%. Rounding to two decimals causes the small gap.

District extremes (Census 2011)

These refer to the 50 districts of 2011. MP had 55 districts in ten divisions as of 2025, and new districts carved from old ones have their own figures. Quote the 2011 district when the question is about the Census.

Why the patterns look the way they do

The patterns follow geography and history closely.

Density follows land and towns. The black-soil Malwa plateau and the Narmada valley support intensive farming and many towns. The forested Satpura and Maikal ranges and the tribal south-east (Dindori, Mandla) have thin soils and scattered hamlets. Bhopal and Indore are high because a big city dominates a small district.

Sex ratio is higher in tribal districts and lower in the Chambal region. Balaghat, Mandla, Dindori, Alirajpur and Jhabua have sex ratios near or above 1,000. Tribal societies generally show weaker son preference, and women's labour is central to the household economy. In Bhind, Morena, Gwalior and Datia, strong son preference, dowry and, historically, sex-selective practices have depressed the ratio. The low child sex ratio in parts of north MP is the more worrying signal, because it reflects recent behaviour.

Literacy follows cities and access. Jabalpur, Indore and Bhopal have old educational institutions and urban economies. The Bhil belt of the west (Alirajpur, Jhabua, Barwani) combines remote terrain, poverty, seasonal migration and a school language that differs from the home language. The gender gap of about 19 points (78.7% vs 59.2%) is widest in these districts.

Urbanisation is concentrated. Indore is the largest city, followed by Bhopal, Jabalpur and Gwalior. The east and the tribal south remain overwhelmingly rural.

Migration

Seasonal migration pulls children out of school and away from rations and health services at home, which is why ration portability matters for MP.

Trends since 2011

India's next Census has been delayed, so Census 2011 is still the official base. Surveys fill the gap:

• NFHS-5 (2019–21) shows fertility in MP close to replacement level, with the total fertility rate at about 2.0. It also shows institutional deliveries rising, and child stunting and anaemia in women still high.
• SRS bulletins have for years placed MP among the states with the highest infant mortality rate.
• NITI Aayog's multidimensional poverty estimates show MP among the states with the largest fall between NFHS-4 and NFHS-5.

Implications for development

For the women-and-children angle, see women and children in MP. For health and poverty indicators, see poverty and human development in MP.

For Mains: a model outline

Question: "Analyse the spatial patterns of sex ratio and literacy in Madhya Pradesh and suggest policy responses." (250 words)

1. Introduction: state figures from Census 2011 (sex ratio 931, literacy 69.3%) against India's (943, 74.0%). The averages hide sharp regional contrasts.
2. Sex ratio pattern: high in tribal districts (Balaghat about 1,021), low in the Chambal region (Bhind about 837). Causes: son preference, dowry, sex selection; women's economic role in tribal households.
3. Literacy pattern: high in Jabalpur, Indore and Bhopal; low in Alirajpur and Jhabua. Causes: remoteness, poverty, migration, language, a gender gap of about 19 points.
4. The link: the two maps are almost mirror images. Tribal districts do well on sex ratio but badly on literacy, and the Chambal region the reverse. One policy cannot fix both.
5. Responses: targeted PCPNDT enforcement and incentives in the north; schooling in the mother tongue, residential schools and seasonal hostels in the west.
6. Conclusion: plan district by district, using NFHS and the next Census to track outcomes.

Practice

1. According to Census 2011, the sex ratio of Madhya Pradesh was: (a) 918 (b) 931 (c) 943 (d) 919
Answer: (b). 918 was the child sex ratio; 943 was India's overall sex ratio.

2. Which district of MP had the highest population density in Census 2011? (a) Indore (b) Jabalpur (c) Bhopal (d) Gwalior
Answer: (c). Bhopal had about 855 per sq km. Indore had the largest population, not the highest density.

3. Consider these statements about MP (Census 2011). 1. It had the largest Scheduled Tribe population of any state. 2. It had the highest percentage of Scheduled Tribes among all states. Which is correct? (a) 1 only (b) 2 only (c) both (d) neither
Answer: (a). Several north-eastern states have a far higher tribal share.

4. The lowest literacy rate among MP's districts in 2011 was in: (a) Jhabua (b) Barwani (c) Dindori (d) Alirajpur
Answer: (d). At about 36%, Alirajpur was among the lowest in India.

5. The largest tribe of Madhya Pradesh by population is: (a) Gond (b) Bhil (c) Baiga (d) Korku
Answer: (b). The Gond are second.

6. MP's population was about 7.26 crore and its area about 3.08 lakh sq km. Its density is closest to: (a) 196 (b) 216 (c) 236 (d) 256
Answer: (c). 7,26,26,809 ÷ 3,08,252 ≈ 235.6.

Mains-style (150 words): Why does the Chambal region of MP have a low sex ratio, and what has been done about it?

Revise this

• Headline figures (Census 2011): 7.26 crore, 236, 931, 918, 69.3%, 27.6%, SC 15.6%, ST 21.1%
• Rank: sixth in 2011 (with undivided AP), fifth among today's states
• "Largest tribal population", not "highest tribal percentage"; Bhil, then Gond
• District extremes: Indore/Harda, Bhopal/Dindori, Balaghat/Bhind, Jabalpur/Alirajpur
• One reason for each pattern: land, son preference, access, cities
• Migration streams and NFHS-5 trends, with years