Largest and Smallest State in India: All Indian States

India is now the world’s most populous country, according to UN population estimates, overtaking China. It is also the seventh-largest country in terms of area in the globe (after China). There are 8 Union Territories and 28 States. It occupies a 32,872,63 square foot area. km (1,269,346 sq mi), from the snow-capped Himalayan peaks to the southern tropical rain forests. This page will give you all the information regarding the largest and smallest state in India in terms of area and population. The current population is estimated to be around 1.43 billion (1,425,775,850) with a near equal split between males (approximately 743 million) and females (approximately 698 million).

From 2001 through 2011, the average yearly exponential growth rate was 1.64 percent. Since 1947, India has conducted a census once every 10 years, with the first after Independence being taken in 1951. The first census was taken during British rule in 1872. The complete state list of India’s most populous and largest and smallest state in India is available here.

The Largest and Smallest State in India by Size 2024

Rajasthan, which has a total size of 342,239 km², is the largest state in India out of the 28 that are present. Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh are next. The population of Rajasthan is 68,548,437 as of the 2011 Census. According to information from the 2011 Census, the complete list of all Indian states and their capital has been presented below.

Largest and Smallest State in India and Capitals

• Andhra Pradesh (Amaravati)
• Arunachal Pradesh (Itanagar)
• Assam (Dispur)
• Bihar (Patna)
• Chhattisgarh (Raipur)
• Goa (Panaji)
• Gujarat (Gandhinagar)
• Haryana (Chandigarh)
• Himachal Pradesh (Shimla)
• Jharkhand (Ranchi)
• Karnataka (Bengaluru)
• Kerala (Thiruvananthapuram)
• Madhya Pradesh (Bhopal)
• Maharashtra (Mumbai)
• Manipur (Imphal)
• Meghalaya (Shillong)
• Mizoram (Aizawl)
• Nagaland (Kohima)
• Odisha (Bhubaneswar)
• Punjab (Chandigarh)
• Rajasthan (Jaipur)
• Sikkim (Gangtok)
• Tamil Nadu (Chennai)
• Telangana (Hyderabad)
• Tripura (Agartala)
• Uttar Pradesh (Lucknow)
• Uttarakhand (Dehradun)
• West Bengal (Kolkata)

The Largest and Smallest State in India by area

The Top 5 biggest states of India

Rajasthan – The Largest State in India

• Area: 342,000 sq. km (10.4% of India’s total land area).
• Location: Western India, sharing borders with Pakistan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, and Punjab.
• Capital: Jaipur
• Key Features:
  • Famous for its Thar Desert, forts, and palaces.
  • Major cities include Jaipur, Udaipur, Jodhpur, and Jaisalmer.
  • Houses Ranthambore National Park, home to Bengal tigers.

Madhya Pradesh – The Second Largest State

• Area: 308,000 sq. km
• Location: Central India, bordered by Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, and Gujarat.
• Capital: Bhopal
• Key Features:
  • Known as the “Heart of India” due to its central location.
  • Famous for Khajuraho Temples, Sanchi Stupa, and Kanha & Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserves.
  • Major industries: agriculture, mining, and tourism

Maharashtra – The Third Largest State

• Area: 307,000 sq. km
• Location: Western India, bordered by Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Telangana, Karnataka, Goa, and the Arabian Sea.
• Capital: Mumbai (Financial Capital of India)
• Key Features:
  • Houses India’s largest city, Mumbai, and the Bollywood film industry.
  • Important pilgrimage sites like Shirdi, Trimbakeshwar, and Ajanta & Ellora caves.
  • Economy driven by IT, manufacturing, finance, and agriculture

Uttar Pradesh – The Fourth Largest State

• Area: 240,000 sq. km
• Location: Northern India, sharing borders with Nepal and multiple Indian states.
• Capital: Lucknow
• Key Features:
  • Most populous state in India.
  • Home to the Taj Mahal (Agra) and Varanasi, the world’s oldest city.
  • Plays a crucial role in Indian politics due to its high number of parliamentary seats

Gujarat – The Fifth Largest State

• Area: 196,024 sq. km
• Location: Western India, bordering Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, and the Arabian Sea.
• Capital: Gandhinagar (Ahmedabad is the largest city).
• Key Features:
  • Known for Gir National Park (home to Asiatic lions).
  • Major industrial hub with ports and India’s first Greenfield Smart City – GIFT City.
  • Houses the Statue of Unity, the world’s tallest statue

Smallest State in India by Area

Goa – The Smallest State of India

• Area: 3,702 sq. km
• Location: Western coast of India, bordering Maharashtra and Karnataka.
• Capital: Panaji
• Key Features:
  • Known for its beaches, nightlife, and Portuguese heritage.
  • Tourism is the biggest industry, followed by agriculture and fishing.
  • Famous for Dudhsagar Waterfalls, Basilica of Bom Jesus, and vibrant festivals.

The list of the Largest and Smallest State in India states by area is given below:

• Rajasthan
• Madhya Pradesh
• Maharashtra
• Uttar Pradesh
• Karnataka
• Andhra Pradesh
• Odisha
• Chhattisgarh
• Tamil Nadu
• Telangana
• Bihar
• West Bengal
• Arunachal Pradesh
• Jharkhand
• Assam
• Himachal Pradesh
• Uttarakhand
• Punjab
• Haryana
• Kerala
• Meghalaya
• Manipur
• Mizoram
• Nagaland
• Tripura
• Sikkim
• Goa

Union Territory in India in terms of Area

In terms of area, Jammu and Kashmir is the largest union territory in India, with a total land area of 125,535 km². The southern half of the broader Kashmir area makes up the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir, which is administered by India. Following is a list of union territories organized by size:

• Jammu and Kashmir
• Ladakh
• Andaman and Nicobar Islands
• Delhi
• Dadra and Nagar Haveli & Daman and Diu
• Puducherry
• Chandigarh
• Lakshadweep

The Largest and Smallest State in India by population:

The Top 5 largest states of India

Uttar Pradesh – The Most Populous State

• Population: Over 200 million
• Capital: Lucknow
• Key Facts:
  • The most populous state in India and among the largest in the world.
  • Known for its historical and religious significance (Taj Mahal, Varanasi, Ayodhya).
  • Plays a major role in Indian politics, with the highest number of parliamentary seats

Maharashtra – Second Most Populated State

• Population: Over 120 million
• Capital: Mumbai (Financial capital of India)
• Key Facts:
  • Home to Mumbai, India’s largest city and economic hub.
  • Major industries: Bollywood, finance, IT, manufacturing, and tourism.
  • Diverse geography, including coastlines, mountains, and forests.

Bihar – The Third Most Populous State

• Population: Over 100 million
• Capital: Patna
• Key Facts:
  • Located in eastern India, known for its fertile land and historical sites.
  • Birthplace of Buddhism (Bodh Gaya) and home to Nalanda University.
  • The economy is driven by agriculture and small-scale industries.

West Bengal – The Fourth Largest by Population

• Population: Over 90 million
• Capital: Kolkata
• Key Facts:
  • Geographically diverse, extending from the Himalayas to the Bay of Bengal.
  • Famous for cultural heritage, including Rabindranath Tagore, Satyajit Ray, and Durga Puja.
  • Economy based on agriculture, ports, and industrial hubs.

Madhya Pradesh – The Fifth Largest by Population

• Population: Over 80 million
• Capital: Bhopal
• Key Facts:
  • Located in central India, is known as the “Heart of India”.
  • Rich in wildlife and forests, with reserves like Kanha & Bandhavgarh.
  • Strong presence in agriculture, tourism, and mining sectors.

The Largest and Smallest State in India by Area in 2023:

Sl. No.	States	Region	Area (in Km2)
1	Rajasthan	Northern	3,42,239
2	Madhya Pradesh	Central	3,08,252
3	Maharashtra	Western	3,07,713
4	Uttar Pradesh	Northern	2,40,928
5	Gujarat	Western	1,96,024
6	Karnataka	Southern	1,91,791
7	Andhra Pradesh	Southern	1,60,205
8	Odisha	Eastern	1,55,707
9	Chhattisgarh	Central	1,35,191
10	Tamil Nadu	Southern	1,30,058
11	Telangana	Southern	1,12,077
12	Bihar	Eastern	94,163
13	West Bengal	Eastern	88,752
14	Arunachal Pradesh	Northeastern	83,743
15	Jharkhand	Eastern	79,714
16	Assam	Northeastern	78,438
17	Himachal Pradesh	Northern	55,673
18	Uttarakhand	Northern	53,483
19	Punjab	Northern	50,362
20	Haryana	Northern	44,212
21	Kerala	Southern	38,863
22	Meghalaya	Northeastern	22,429
23	Manipur	Northeastern	22,327
24	Mizoram	Northeastern	21,081
25	Nagaland	Northeastern	16,579
26	Tripura	Northeastern	10,486
27	Sikkim	Northeastern	7,096
28	Goa	Western	3,702

The Largest and Smallest State in India by population in 2023:

Sl. No.	States	Region	Population
1	Uttar Pradesh	Northern	19,98,12,341
2	Maharashtra	Western	11,23,74,333
3	Bihar	Eastern	10,40,99,452
4	West Bengal	Eastern	9,12,76,115
5	Madhya Pradesh	Central	7,26,26,809
6	Tamil Nadu	Southern	7,21,47,030
7	Rajasthan	Northern	6,85,48,437
8	Karnataka	Southern	6,10,95,297
9	Gujarat	Western	6,04,39,692
10	Andhra Pradesh	Southern	4,95,77,103
11	Odisha	Eastern	4,19,74,219
12	Telangana	Southern	3,50,03,674
13	Kerala	Southern	3,34,06,061
14	Jharkhand	Eastern	3,29,88,134
15	Assam	Northeastern	3,12,05,576
16	Punjab	Northern	2,77,43,338
17	Chhattisgarh	Central	2,55,45,198
18	Haryana	Northern	2,53,51,462
19	Uttarakhand	Northern	1,00,86,292
20	Himachal Pradesh	Northern	68,64,602
21	Tripura	Northeastern	36,73,917
22	Meghalaya	Northeastern	29,66,889
23	Manipur	Northeastern	25,70,390
24	Nagaland	Northeastern	19,78,502
25	Goa	Western	14,58,545
26	Arunachal Pradesh	Northeastern	13,83,727
27	Mizoram	Northeastern	10,97,206
28	Sikkim	Northeastern	6,10,577

Conclusion: Largest and Smallest State in India

India’s geography is vast and diverse, with states differing significantly in size and population. Rajasthan, the Largest State in India, spans over 342,000 square kilometers, making up 10.4% of the country’s total land area. On the other hand, Goa, the Smallest State of India, covers just 3,702 square kilometers but holds immense cultural and economic importance due to its tourism and coastal beauty.

Understanding the Largest and Smallest State in India helps in appreciating the country’s geographical contrasts, from Rajasthan’s vast deserts and historical sites to Goa’s stunning beaches and vibrant tourism industry. These differences showcase India’s unique blend of landscapes, cultures, and regional characteristics. The Largest and Smallest State in India play crucial roles in shaping the nation’s economy, tourism, and heritage.

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