Largest State and Union Territory in India– India, known for its diverse cultures and rich heritage, consists of 28 states and 8 union territories. This article explores the largest Indian states and union territories by area and population, providing essential information on India’s vast geographical and demographic diversity.
Largest State in India by Area
Rajasthan holds the title of the largest state in India by area, covering 342,239 km². Situated in northwestern India, Rajasthan’s capital, Jaipur, is famously known as the “Pink City.” Following Rajasthan in size are Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra. On the other end, Goa is the smallest Indian state, with an area of only 3,702 km².
Indian States by Area (Largest to Smallest)
| S. No. | State Name | Area (km²) |
| 1 | Rajasthan | 342,239 |
| 2 | Madhya Pradesh | 308,245 |
| 3 | Maharashtra | 307,713 |
| 4 | Uttar Pradesh | 240,928 |
| 5 | Gujarat | 196,024 |
| 6 | Karnataka | 191,791 |
| 7 | Andhra Pradesh | 162,968 |
| 8 | Odisha | 155,707 |
| 9 | Chhattisgarh | 135,191 |
| 10 | Tamil Nadu | 130,058 |
| 11 | Telangana | 112,077 |
| 12 | Bihar | 94,163 |
| 13 | West Bengal | 88,752 |
| 14 | Arunachal Pradesh | 83,743 |
| 15 | Jharkhand | 79,714 |
| 16 | Assam | 78,438 |
| 17 | Himachal Pradesh | 55,673 |
| 18 | Uttarakhand | 53,483 |
| 19 | Punjab | 50,362 |
| 20 | Haryana | 44,212 |
| 21 | Kerala | 38,863 |
| 22 | Meghalaya | 22,429 |
| 23 | Manipur | 22,327 |
| 24 | Mizoram | 21,081 |
| 25 | Nagaland | 16,579 |
| 26 | Tripura | 10,486 |
| 27 | Sikkim | 7,096 |
| 28 | Goa | 3,702 |
Largest Union Territory in India by Area
Among the union territories, Jammu and Kashmir ranks as the largest by area, covering 125,535 km², with Ladakh following closely behind at 96,701 km². In contrast, Lakshadweep is the smallest, spanning just 32.62 km².
Union Territories by Area (Largest to Smallest)
| S. No. | Union Territory Name | Area (km²) |
| 1 | Jammu and Kashmir | 125,535 |
| 2 | Ladakh | 96,701 |
| 3 | Andaman and Nicobar Islands | 8,249 |
| 4 | Delhi | 1,484 |
| 5 | Dadra and Nagar Haveli & Daman and Diu | 603 |
| 6 | Puducherry | 479 |
| 7 | Chandigarh | 114 |
| 8 | Lakshadweep | 32.62 |
Largest State in India by Population
Uttar Pradesh is the most populated state in India, with a population of 199,812,341. It is followed by Maharashtra and Bihar. On the other hand, Sikkim has the smallest population among Indian states. The following list ranks Indian states by population based on the 2011 Census.
Indian States by Population (Largest to Smallest)
| S. No. | State Name | Population (2011 Census) |
| 1 | Uttar Pradesh | 199,812,341 |
| 2 | Maharashtra | 112,374,333 |
| 3 | Bihar | 104,099,452 |
| 4 | West Bengal | 91,276,115 |
| 5 | Andhra Pradesh | 84,580,777 |
| 6 | Madhya Pradesh | 72,626,809 |
| 7 | Tamil Nadu | 72,147,030 |
| 8 | Rajasthan | 68,548,437 |
| 9 | Karnataka | 61,095,297 |
| 10 | Gujarat | 60,439,692 |
| 11 | Odisha | 41,974,218 |
| 12 | Kerala | 33,406,061 |
| 13 | Jharkhand | 32,988,134 |
| 14 | Assam | 31,205,576 |
| 15 | Punjab | 27,743,338 |
| 16 | Chhattisgarh | 25,545,198 |
| 17 | Haryana | 25,351,462 |
| 18 | Jammu and Kashmir | 12,541,302 |
| 19 | Uttarakhand | 10,086,292 |
| 20 | Himachal Pradesh | 6,864,602 |
| 21 | Tripura | 3,673,917 |
| 22 | Meghalaya | 2,966,889 |
| 23 | Manipur | 2,855,794 |
| 24 | Nagaland | 1,978,502 |
| 25 | Goa | 1,458,545 |
| 26 | Arunachal Pradesh | 1,383,727 |
| 27 | Mizoram | 1,097,206 |
| 28 | Sikkim | 610,577 |
Largest Union Territory in India by Population
Delhi ranks as the largest union territory in India by population, housing 16,787,941 people as of the 2011 Census. Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, combined, come next in population count, followed by Puducherry.
Union Territories by Population (Largest to Smallest)
| S. No. | Union Territory Name | Population (2011 Census) |
| 1 | Delhi | 16,787,941 |
| 2 | Jammu and Kashmir + Ladakh | 12,541,302 |
| 3 | Puducherry | 1,247,953 |
| 4 | Chandigarh | 1,055,450 |
| 5 | Dadra and Nagar Haveli & Daman and Diu | 586,956 |
| 6 | Andaman and Nicobar Islands | 380,581 |
| 7 | Lakshadweep | 64,473 |
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FAQs: Largest States and Union Territories in India
Rajasthan, covering 342,239 km².
Uttar Pradesh, with 199,812,341 people.
Jammu and Kashmir at 125,535 km².
Delhi with 16,787,941 people.
Goa, covering 3,702 km².
Sikkim with 610,577 people.
Lakshadweep with 64,473 people.
Maharashtra has a population of 112,374,333 as per the 2011 Census.
Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Maharashtra.
Jaipur, also known as the “Pink City.”
Bihar, with the highest density.
Madhya Pradesh covers 308,245 km².
104,099,452 according to the 2011 Census.
Maharashtra.
Maharashtra, with 307,713 km².
Delhi is a union territory.
India has 28 states.
There are 8 union territories.
Jaipur, the capital of Rajasthan.
Sikkim.
