As per the report of the Technical Group by the National Commission, the population of Puducherry is projected to be 1,732,000, or 1.73 million, or 17.32 lakh, as of July 1, 2025. Puducherry is the third-most populous UT in India and is in 27th position among all states and UTs. Puducherry’s population is projected to reach 26.73 lakh in 2036.

The size of the population of Puducherry is equivalent to that of Kosovo, the 153rd most populous country in the world.

In 2025, the sex ratio of the total population in Puducherry will be 89.704 males per 100 females. There are 819,000, or 819k, or 8.19 lakh, males and 913,000, or 913k, or 9.13 lakh, females in Puducherry. Puducherry has 94,000, or 94k, more females than males.

Puducherry accounts for 0.12 percent of the Indian population, the highest since 1901. The population growth rate in 2025 is projected at 2.18%, which is the 2nd highest among all states and UTs. Puducherry will add 37k more people in 2025.

According to the Census of India 2011, the population of Puducherry was 12.48 lakh, increasing from 9.74 lakh in 2001. There were 612,511 males and 635,442 females, with a sex ratio of 96.391 males per 100 females. The percentage of decadal growth during 2001–2011 was 28.08%, 7.46% higher than the 1991–2001 period. The population of Puducherry increased by 274k during the decade 2001–2011.

The population of Puducherry, which at the turn of the twentieth century was around 246k, increased by approximately seven times in 124 years to reach 1.73 million in 2025. In 1901, Puducherry was in 26th place among all states and UTs, but as of 2025, it has overtaken Goa and been surpassed by Tripura and Nagaland.

Puducherry Population (2011-2036)

Year Population Growth Share (%)
TotalMaleFemaleNet Changerate (%)India
20111,258,000617,000641,000--0.10
20121,289,000631,000658,00031,0002.4640.10
20131,320,000644,000676,00031,0002.4050.11
20141,351,000658,000693,00031,0002.3480.11
20151,381,000671,000710,00030,0002.2210.11
20161,413,000685,000728,00032,0002.3170.11
20171,447,000700,000747,00034,0002.4060.11
20181,481,000714,000767,00034,0002.3500.11
20191,515,000729,000786,00034,0002.2960.11
20201,549,000743,000806,00034,0002.2440.11
20211,584,000758,000826,00035,0002.2600.12
20221,621,000773,000848,00037,0002.3360.12
20231,658,000788,000870,00037,0002.2830.12
20241,695,000804,000891,00037,0002.2320.12
20251,732,000819,000913,00037,0002.1830.12
20261,771,000835,000936,00039,0002.2520.12
20271,811,000851,000961,00040,0002.2590.13
20281,852,000867,000985,00041,0002.2640.13
20291,893,000883,0001,010,00041,0002.2140.13
20301,934,000899,0001,034,00041,0002.1660.13
20311,976,000916,0001,060,00042,0002.1720.13
20322,020,000933,0001,087,00044,0002.2270.14
20332,065,000950,0001,115,00045,0002.2280.14
20342,109,000967,0001,143,00044,0002.1310.14
20352,154,000984,0001,170,00045,0002.1340.14
20362,198,0001,001,0001,198,00044,0002.0430.14
  • Population
  • Growth rate
  • Net change

Puducherry Population (1901-2011)

Year Population Growth Share (%)
Net Changerate (%)to India
1901246,354--0.10
1911257,17910,8254.390.10
1921244,156-13,023-5.060.10
1931258,62814,4725.930.09
1941285,01126,38310.200.09
1951317,25332,24211.310.09
1961369,07951,82616.340.08
1971471,707102,62827.810.09
1981604,471132,76428.150.09
1991807,785203,31433.640.10
2001974,345166,56020.620.09
20111,247,953273,60828.080.10

Puducherry population by Age Group (2011)

Age group Male Female Total M per 100 F
PersonsShare (%)
00-04 47,703 46,246 93,949 7.53 103.151
05-09 50,327 48,390 98,717 7.91 104.003
10-14 53,936 51,790 105,726 8.47 104.144
15-19 52,231 50,085 102,316 8.20 104.285
20-24 51,287 57,532 108,819 8.72 89.145
25-29 55,052 63,192 118,244 9.48 87.119
30-34 53,761 57,309 111,070 8.90 93.809
35-39 52,655 54,804 107,459 8.61 96.079
40-44 45,482 44,297 89,779 7.19 102.675
45-49 40,625 38,680 79,305 6.35 105.028
50-54 30,858 30,065 60,923 4.88 102.638
55-59 24,615 25,494 50,109 4.02 96.552
60-64 20,498 23,330 43,828 3.51 87.861
65-69 12,154 15,829 27,983 2.24 76.783
70-74 9,861 12,660 22,521 1.80 77.891
75-79 5,494 7,295 12,789 1.02 75.312
80-84 3,151 4,787 7,938 0.64 65.824
85-89 1,416 1,967 3,383 0.27 71.988
90-94 577 808 1,385 0.11 71.411
95-99 193 244 437 0.04 79.098
100+ 75 97 172 0.01 77.320
Age not stated 560 541 1,101 0.09 103.512
Total 612,511 635,442 1,247,953 96.391
  • Population pyramid
  • Gender ratio

Population of Puducherry districts 2011

District Rank Population Rural (%) Urban (%) Sex ratio
MaleFemaleTotalShare (%)F per 1000 MM per 100 F
Yanam327,30128,32555,6264.460.00100.001,03896.385
Puducherry1468,258482,031950,28976.1530.8469.161,02997.143
Mahe419,14322,67341,8163.350.00100.001,18484.431
Karaikal297,809102,413200,22216.0451.0049.001,04795.504