Largest and Smallest State in India: All Indian States

Published on April 16, 2025
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5 Min read time

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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.
Largest and Smallest State in India

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.StatesRegionArea (in Km2)
1RajasthanNorthern3,42,239
2Madhya PradeshCentral3,08,252
3MaharashtraWestern3,07,713
4Uttar PradeshNorthern2,40,928
5GujaratWestern1,96,024
6KarnatakaSouthern1,91,791
7Andhra PradeshSouthern1,60,205
8OdishaEastern1,55,707
9ChhattisgarhCentral1,35,191
10Tamil NaduSouthern1,30,058
11TelanganaSouthern1,12,077
12BiharEastern94,163
13West BengalEastern88,752
14Arunachal PradeshNortheastern83,743
15JharkhandEastern79,714
16AssamNortheastern78,438
17Himachal PradeshNorthern55,673
18UttarakhandNorthern53,483
19PunjabNorthern50,362
20HaryanaNorthern44,212
21KeralaSouthern38,863
22MeghalayaNortheastern22,429
23ManipurNortheastern22,327
24MizoramNortheastern21,081
25NagalandNortheastern16,579
26TripuraNortheastern10,486
27SikkimNortheastern7,096
28GoaWestern3,702

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

Sl. No.StatesRegionPopulation
1Uttar PradeshNorthern19,98,12,341
2MaharashtraWestern11,23,74,333
3BiharEastern10,40,99,452
4West BengalEastern9,12,76,115
5Madhya PradeshCentral7,26,26,809
6Tamil NaduSouthern7,21,47,030
7RajasthanNorthern6,85,48,437
8KarnatakaSouthern6,10,95,297
9GujaratWestern6,04,39,692
10Andhra PradeshSouthern4,95,77,103
11OdishaEastern4,19,74,219
12TelanganaSouthern3,50,03,674
13KeralaSouthern3,34,06,061
14JharkhandEastern3,29,88,134
15AssamNortheastern3,12,05,576
16PunjabNorthern2,77,43,338
17ChhattisgarhCentral2,55,45,198
18HaryanaNorthern2,53,51,462
19UttarakhandNorthern1,00,86,292
20Himachal PradeshNorthern68,64,602
21TripuraNortheastern36,73,917
22MeghalayaNortheastern29,66,889
23ManipurNortheastern25,70,390
24NagalandNortheastern19,78,502
25GoaWestern14,58,545
26Arunachal PradeshNortheastern13,83,727
27MizoramNortheastern10,97,206
28SikkimNortheastern6,10,577

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.

Frequently asked questions :

Which is the largest Indian state?

Rajasthan is the largest Indian state. Rajasthan’s area is 342,239 sq km making it the largest state in India.

Name the Smallest State in India.

Goa is the smallest state in India. Goa’s area is 3,702 sq km making it the smallest state of India by area.

Which is the largest state in India in terms of area?

Regarding area, the largest Indian state is Rajasthan with a total of 342,239 sq km.

Which is the most populous Indian State?

In terms of population, Uttar Pradesh is the largest state in India. According to information from the 2011 Census, Uttar Pradesh has a total population of 199,812,341. The total area of Uttar Pradesh is 240,928 km2.

Which are the 2 smallest Indian states?

Goa is the smallest by area, followed by the second smallest state Sikkim.

Authored by, Amay Mathur | Senior Editor

Amay Mathur is a business news reporter at Chegg.com. He previously worked for PCMag, Business Insider, The Messenger, and ZDNET as a reporter and copyeditor. His areas of coverage encompass tech, business, strategy, finance, and even space. He is a Columbia University graduate.

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