Biggest Indian Cities by Decade

Can you name what were the most populous cities in India in every decade, from 1901, to 2011?

According to this list

Using modern-day names and modern-day borders of India (i.e. no cities in Pakistan and Bangladesh)

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Last updated: February 15, 2022

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First submitted	May 25, 2021
Times taken	730
Average score	84.2%
Rating	4.93
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1901
1,520,721	Kolkata
839,672	Mumbai
594,396	Chennai
448,466	Hyderabad
256,239	Lucknow
226,105	Varanasi
214,115	Delhi
204,753	Ahmedabad
202,797	Kanpur
188,022	Agra

1911
1,756,805	Kolkata
1,046,579	Mumbai
604,034	Chennai
502,104	Hyderabad
252,114	Lucknow
237,944	Delhi
233,339	Ahmedabad
217,012	Varanasi
189,485	Bengaluru
185,449	Agra

1921
1,872,737	Kolkata
1,285,402	Mumbai
627,824	Chennai
405,630	Hyderabad
304,420	Delhi
293,213	Ahmedabad
240,566	Lucknow
240,054	Bengaluru
216,436	Kanpur
210,745	Varanasi

1931
2,123,128	Kolkata
1,316,413	Mumbai
774,153	Chennai
466,894	Hyderabad
447,442	Delhi
335,842	Ahmedabad
309,785	Bengaluru
274,659	Lucknow
264,840	Amritsar
250,187	Pune

1941
3,597,595	Kolkata
1,747,234	Mumbai
930,356	Chennai
739,159	Hyderabad
695,686	Delhi
627,009	Ahmedabad
487,324	Kanpur
410,967	Bengaluru
391,010	Amritsar
387,177	Lucknow

1951
4,685,869	Kolkata
3,216,904	Mumbai
1,542,333	Chennai
1,437,134	Delhi
1,135,758	Hyderabad
924,564	Ahmedabad
786,343	Bangalore
705,383	Kanpur
608,634	Pune
496,861	Lucknow

1961
6,008,656	Kolkata
4,515,495	Mumbai
2,359,508	Delhi
1,944,502	Chennai
1,265,081	Ahmedabad
1,254,941	Hyderabad
1,206,961	Bengaluru
971,062	Kanpur
790,798	Pune
655,673	Lucknow

1971
7,447,429	Kolkata
6,596,370	Mumbai
3,647,023	Delhi
3,155,944	Chennai
1,871,006	Ahmedabad
1,815,117	Hyderabad
1,664,208	Bengaluru
1,275,242	Kanpur
1,135,034	Pune
866,976	Nagpur

1981
9,241,962	Mumbai
9,232,103	Kolkata
5,760,811	Delhi
4,273,329	Chennai
2,921,751	Bengaluru
2,733,952	Ahmedabad
2,607,770	Hyderabad
1,772,186	Pune
1,630,64	Kanpur
1,219,461	Nagpur

1991
12,596,243	Mumbai
11,110,314	Kolkata
8,471,625	Delhi
5,416,903	Chennai
4,344,437	Hyderabad
4,137,314	Bengaluru
3,631,233	Ahmedabad
2,494987	Pune
2,029,889	Kanpur
1,669,204	Lucknow

2001
16,434,386	Mumbai
13,251,339	Kolkata
12,895,547	Delhi
6,686,140	Chennai
5,756,729	Hyderabad
5,701,446	Bengaluru
4,912,912	Ahmedabad
3,768,612	Pune
2,820,373	Surat
2,715,555	Kanpur

2011
18,394,912	Mumbai
16,349,831	Delhi
14,057,991	Kolkata
8,653,521	Chennai
8,520,435	Bengaluru
7,677,018	Hyderabad
6,357,693	Ahmedabad
5,057,709	Pune
4,591,246	Surat
3,046,163	Jaipur

Level 65

Jun 4, 2021

Thanks for checking out the quiz! You might like these as well:

• Which City in South Asia?

• Lesser-Known Cities Quiz

Level 73

Jun 4, 2021

I thought this quiz might include cities in modern day Pakistan and Bangladesh too, as they were a part of India until 1947. Anyway, fantastic quiz!

Level 65

Jun 4, 2021

Thank you! I'll add a caveat about it

Level 82

Jun 4, 2021

Not bad, but biggest cities by century would be even more interesting.

Level 65

Jun 4, 2021

That was my original idea, but I wasn't sure what source to use.

That would definitely be a great quiz :)

Level 82

Jun 4, 2021

Missed Kanpur and Amritsar

Level 63

Aug 9, 2021

Great Idea! You earned a nomination :)

Level 43

Sep 15, 2021

Can you invite me to the group of learning Indian languages? If you want, I can invite you to Portuguese one :)

Level 65

Sep 15, 2021

Sure :)

Level 59

Nov 27, 2022

It would be cool if the screen names of old cities would appear as it was at the time. For example, Madras and Bombay would show up for 1900, but they would except modern names.

Level 59

Mar 14, 2023

Telugu translation.

Level 65

Mar 14, 2023

Yes. Soon.

Level 59

Mar 22, 2023

Update?

Level 65

Aug 14, 2023

how?