Demographics of Punjab, India

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Punjab is home to 2.3% of India's population; with a density of 551 persons per km2. According to the provisional results of the 2011 national census, Punjab has a population of 27,743,338, making it the 16th most populated state in India. Of which male and female are 14,639,465 and 13,103,873 respectively. 32% of Punjab's population consists of Dalits. In the state, the rate of population growth is 13.9% (2011), lower than national average. Out of total population, 37.5% people live in urban regions. The total figure of population living in urban areas is 10,399,146 of which 5,545,989 are males and while remaining 4,853,157 are females. The urban population in the last 10 years has increased by 37.5%. According to the 2011 Census of India, Punjab has a population of around 27.7 million.

More information Year, Pop. ...
Population Growth
YearPop.±%
19017,679,645[a]    
19116,830,507[b]−11.1%
19217,262,881[c]+6.3%
19318,123,076[d]+11.8%
19419,757,161[e]+20.1%
19519,160,500−6.1%
196111,135,069+21.6%
197113,551,060+21.7%
198116,788,915+23.9%
199120,281,969+20.8%
200124,358,999+20.1%
201127,743,338+13.9%
Source: Census of India[1][2]
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Population density

The table below gives the population density (population per square kilometre) of Punjab throughout the years.[3]

More information Year, Density (/km2) ...
YearDensity (/km2)
2011551
2001484
1991403
1981333
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The table below shows the population density by district in Punjab, according to the 2011 census.[3]

More information Sr. No., District ...
Sr. No.DistrictDensity (/km2) District Density (/km2)
1Ludhiana978 Hoshiarpur 469
2Amritsar928 Tarn Taran 464
3SAS Nagar909 Sangrur 457
4Jalandhar836 Moga 444
5Gurdaspur647 Faridkot 424
6Patiala570 Bathinda 414
7Fatehgarh Sahib509 Barnala 402
8Rupnagar505 Ferozepur 382
9Kapurthala499 Mansa 350
10SBS Nagar478 Sri Muktsar Sahib 348
Punjab 551
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Gender

The table below shows the sex ratio of Punjab through the years.[4]

Decadal sex ratio of Punjab by census years[4]
19111921193119411951196119711981199120012011
870799815836844854865879882876895
More information Sr. No., District ...
Sex Ratio and Urban Population of Punjab by District – Census 2011[4][5][6]
Sr. No.DistrictSex RatioUrban MalesUrban Females
1Hoshiarpur9611,74,5871,60,382
2SBS Nagar95475,17360,243
3Rupnagar91593,39684,411
4Jalandhar9156,16,4215,44,750
5Kapurthala9121,50,3791,32,083
6Gurdaspur9071,92,5901,68,563
7Tarn Taran90075,04766,748
8Sri Muktsar Sahib8961,33,4201,18,771
9Fazilka8941,41,9961,25,093
10Moga8931,20,2161,07,030
11Ferozepur8931,53,4331,32,034
12Patiala8914,03,7223,59,558
13Faridkot8901,15,8891,01,162
14Amritsar8897,11,1426,23,469
15Sangrur8852,73,3762,42,589
16Mansa88386,54877,056
17SAS Nagar8792,88,2692,56,342
18Barnala8761,02,31288,373
19Ludhiana87311,14,3729,55,336
20Fatehgarh Sahib8711,00,74584,737
21Pathankot8691,64,2431,33,923
22Bathinda8682,68,7132,30,504
Punjab (Total)89555,45,98948,53,157
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Fertility rate

More information Year, Total ...

The table below shows the birth rate per 1000 persons in Punjab through the years.[7]

Birth rate per 1000 in Punjab through the years
Year Total Urban Rural
201714.914.115.6
201614.914.215.6
201515.214.215.9
201415.514.516.2
201315.714.716.3
201215.914.816.5
201116.215.216.8
201016.615.617.2
200917.015.817.7
200817.316.118
200717.616.418.3
200617.816.818.4
200518.117.018.8
200418.717.619.3

According to the National Family Health Survey of 2015–16, the percentage of women age 15-19 who have begun childbearing (teenage pregnancy) was 2.6%.[8]

The table below shows the variation in fertility rate (children per woman) according to the education of a woman in Punjab, as of 2019–21.

Fertility rate by number of years of schooling completed by women in Punjab as of year 2019–21, NFHS-5[9]
Years of schoolingFertility rate
No schooling2.5
<5 years2.5
5–9 years2.0
10–11 years1.9
12 or more years1.5
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Family planning

According to the National Family Health Survey 2020–21, the unmet need for family planning increased from 6.2% in 2015–16 to 9.9% in 2020–21. In the same time period, the unmet need for child spacing increased from 2.4 to 3.7 percent.[10]

More information Indicator, Urban (2020–21) ...
Current Use of Family Planning Methods (currently married women age 15–49 years)[10]
IndicatorUrban (2020–21)Rural (2020–21)Total (2020–21)Total (2015–16)
Any method
68.4%
65.4%
66.6%
75.8%
Any modern method
49.4%
51.1%
50.5%
66.3%
Female sterilization
18.0%
25.6%
22.8%
37.5%
Male sterilization
0.5%
0.4%
0.5%
0.6%
IUD/PPIUD
2.8%
3.2%
3.1%
6.8%
Pill
1.1%
1.7%
1.5%
2.5%
Condom
26.6%
19.7%
22.2%
18.9%
Injectables
0.1%
0.1%
0.1%
0.1%
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Mortality

More information Year, Total ...

Infant mortality

The list below shows the infant mortality rate per 1000 in Punjab, through the years.[7]

Infant mortality rate per 1000 live births per year, in Punjab through the years
Year Total Urban Rural
2017211922
2016211823
2015232024
2014242126
2013262328
2012302533
2011302533
2010343137
2009383842
2008413345
2007433547

Maternal mortality

The table below shows the maternal mortality rate per one lakh (1,00,000) per year, through the years.[7]

Maternal mortality rate per one lakh (1,00,000) per year, in Punjab through the years[7]
YearRate
2017122
2016122
2015122
2014122
2013141
2012141
2011141
2006192
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Literacy rate

According to the 2011 census, the literacy rate of Punjab was 75.84%. The male literacy was 80.44% and the female literacy was 70.72%.[11] The median number of years of schooling completed in the state was 6.5 for females and 7.8 for males, as of 2011.[12] According to the NSC survey (2017), Punjab's literacy rate was 83.7% (88.5% for males and 78.5% for females).[13][14] As per the PLFS report (2024), Punjab's literacy rate was 83.4% (87.0% for males and 79.8% for females).[15]

Census data

District-wise

Below is a combined table showing the total, rural, and urban literacy rates for each district of Punjab according to the 2011 Census of India.[16][17][18]

More information District, Total Literacy (%) ...
Literacy Rate by District – Punjab (2011 Census)
DistrictTotal Literacy (%)Rural Literacy (%)Urban Literacy (%)
Hoshiarpur84.5974.7778.77
Sahibzada Ajit Singh Nagar (Mohali)83.8069.6877.67
Jalandhar82.4870.5377.03
Ludhiana82.2070.1275.28
Rupnagar82.1972.0077.50
Gurdaspur79.9568.1278.59
Shahid Bhagat Singh Nagar79.7870.9874.04
Fatehgarh Sahib79.3569.5374.24
Kapurthala79.0767.7376.40
Amritsar76.2759.6474.58
Patiala75.2860.8375.72
Moga70.6860.9070.36
Faridkot69.5557.3869.79
Firozpur68.9256.9569.98
Bathinda68.2855.4670.45
Sangrur67.9957.8366.52
Barnala67.8257.9065.78
Tarn Taran67.8158.3067.74
Muktsar65.8154.6667.29
Mansa61.8351.6867.43
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Religion

The table below shows the literacy rate by religion in Punjab, according to 2001 census.[19]

More information Sr. No., Religion ...
Literacy rate by religion in Punjab - Census 2001
Sr. No. Religion Percentage
1Jains95.9%
2Hindus74.6%
3Buddhists72.7%
4Sikhs67.3%
5Christians54.6%
6Muslims51.2%
All religious groups69.7%
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Caste

The table below gives the literacy rate of Scheduled castes by district, according to the 2011 census.[20][21][22][23]

More information Sr. No., District ...
Scheduled caste (SC) literacy rate by districts - Census 2011[24]
Sr. No. DistrictSC PercentageDistrict total
1Hoshiarpur82.49%84.59%
2Rupnagar78.4%82.19%
3Shahid Bhagat Singh Nagar77.72 %79.78%
4SAS Nagar76.1%83.80%
5Jalandhar76.68%82.48%
6Gurdaspur72.89%79.95%
7Ludhiana72.65%82.20%
8Fatehgarh Sahib72.19%79.35%
9Kapurthala71.29%79.07%
10Patiala62.28%75.28%
11Amritsar59.16%76.27%
12Sangrur57.60%67.99%
13Moga55.23%70.68%
14Firozpur55.38%68.92%
15Faridkot54.91%69.55%
16Barnala54.91%67.82%
17Bathinda53.09%68.28%
18Tarn Taran51.37%67.81%
19Muktsar50.46%65.81%
20Mansa48.72%61.83%
Punjab64.81%75.84%.
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Human Development Index

According UNDP, Punjab's HDI for 2023 is 0.794.[25] The table below shows the district wise human development index of Punjab through the years.[26]

More information Sr. No., District ...
Human Development index of Punjab by district[26]
Sr. No.District2017201120011991Percentage change 1991–2017
1Ludhiana0.7940.7470.7610.65022.1%
2Moga0.6950.6790.683----
3Sangrur0.6690.6660.6540.53425.2%
4Bathinda0.6590.7400.53922.2%
5Tarn Taran0.6540.646------
6SAS Nagar0.6530.701------
7Fatehgarh Sahib0.6480.690.74----
8Kapurthala0.6460.7030.7070.6037.3%
9Amritsar0.6350.6850.7000.6084.4%
10Rupnagar0.6290.6750.7510.6230.9%
11SBS Nagar0.6270.7070.707----
12Jalandhar0.6180.7380.7080.6101.3%
13Barnala0.6170.649------
14Hoshiarpur0.6150.7210.7180.6061.4%
15Patiala0.6070.6950.6970.5893.0%
16Mansa0.6010.5950.633----
17Faridkot0.5990.6420.6980.5734.5%
18Muktsar0.5720.6330.651----
19Firozpur0.5630.6060.6890.568-0.8%
20Pathankot0.538--------
21Fazilka0.505--------
22Gurdaspur0.5030.6730.7230.612-17.6%
Punjab0.6200.6430.6670.5914.9%
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Caste population

As of September 2020, the caste population data foreach Forward caste citizen in Punjab collected in Socio Economic and Caste Census 2011 has not been released to public by Government of India.[27][28] Scheduled Castes and Other Backward Classes form 63.2% of the total population of Punjab.[29]

Castes of Punjab (2011)
  1. Upper castes (Brahmin, Khatri, Arora, Baniya, Hindu Rajput, Ahluwalia, Jats) (33.0%)
  2. Scheduled Castes (Dalits) (31.9%)
  3. Other Backward Classes (OBC or BC) (31.3%)
  4. religious minorities (3.80%)
More information Caste Population data of Punjab, Constitutional categories ...
Caste Population data of Punjab
Constitutional categoriesPopulation (%)Castes
General caste 33% includes 18% Jat Sikh,[30] 15 % Ahir(in Patiala & Sangrur), Brahmin, Khatri, Arora, Rajput (includes Sikh Rajputs), Sood, Bania, Bhatia, Mahajan
Other Backward Classes (OBC) 31.3%[31][32] includes Sainis,[33]Kamboj, Labana, Tarkhan/Ramgarhia, Kumhar/Prajapati, Arain, Gujjar, Teli, Banjara, Others
Scheduled Castes (Dalits not including Rai Sikh statistics[34]) 31.9%[35] includes Mazhabi Sikh - 10%, (Ramdasia, Ravidassia, Ad-Dharmi-Chamar castes cluster - 13.1%), Balmiki/Bhanghi - 3.5%, Bazigar - 1.05% Others castes like Sansi, chimba, nai, julaha and many more - 4%[36]
religious minorities 3.8%[37] includes Muslims, Christians, Buddhists, Jains
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Below is the list of districts according to the percentage of their SC population, according to 2011 census.[11][20][38][39]

More information Sr. No., District ...
Scheduled Caste population by district (2011)[20]
Sr. No. District Percentage
1Shahid Bhagat Singh Nagar42.51%
2Muktsar42.31%
3Fazilka42.27%
4Firozpur42.07%
5Jalandhar38.95%
6Faridkot38.92%
7Moga36.50%
8Hoshiarpur35.14%
9Kapurthala33.94%
10Tarn Taran33.71%
11Mansa33.63%
12Bathinda32.44%
13Barnala32.24%
14Fatehgarh Sahib32.07%
15Amritsar30.95%
16Pathankot30.60%
17Sangrur27.89%
18Ludhiana26.39%
19Rupnagar25.42%
20Patiala24.55%
21Gurdaspur23.03%
22SAS Nagar21.74%
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Scheduled caste (SC) population among different religions in Punjab - Census 2011[40]

More information Religion, Total Population ...
Religion Total Population Scheduled Caste Population Scheduled Caste Population %
Sikh 16,004,754 5,390,484 33.68%
Hindu 10,678,138 3,442,305 32.23%
Buddhist 33,237 27,390 82.40%
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More information Sr. No., District ...
District wise Scheduled Caste Percentage (For each caste separately) (2011)[41]
Sr. No. District Ravidassia/Addharmi Caste % Mazhabi/Valmiki Caste % Rai-Sikh Caste % Julaha Caste % Sansi Caste %
1SBS Nagar34.88%2.72%0.02%0.2%0.32%
2Hoshiarpur26.34%3.62%0.02%0.55%0.17%
3Jalandhar21.43%11.07%0.87%2.03%0.45%
4Fatehgarh Sahib19.2%7.61%0.01%0.16%0.34%
5Rupnagar16.85%4.36%0%0.84%0.06%
6Sangrur15.77%10.51%0.01%0.04%0.64%
7Barnala15.18%13.22%0%0.05%0.36%
8Ludhiana14.94%6.4%0.52%0.34%0.32%
9SAS Nagar11.65%5.82%0.02%0.23%0.16%
10Mansa11.33%16.1%1.48%0.04%0.15%
11Kapurthala11.04%17.21%2.53%0.31%0.25%
12Patiala10.18%7.56%0.15%0.08%0.3%
13Bathinda7.83%17.84%0.23%0.19%0.16%
14Gurdaspur5.79%6.6%0.1%2.11%0.79%
15Muktsar5.54%25.9%0.75%1.57%0.33%
16Faridkot4.35%26.57%0.02%0.05%0.27%
17Moga3.14%25.39%1.43%0.04%0.14%
18Firozpur1.56%14.5%18.44%2.33%0.51%
19Amritsar1.28%22.84%1.72%1.28%0.77%
20Tarn Taran0.32%28.17%0.03%0.01%1.57
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Crimes against SC/STs

The table below shows the number of recorded crimes against scheduled caste and scheduled tribe people from 2010 to 2018.[42]

More information Year, Murder ...
Crimes against scheduled caste and scheduled tribe people in Punjab[42]
YearMurderRapePOA ActHurtKidnappingMiscellaneous
20181330326482
2017717313258
2016716411364
2015814235394
2014419162379
20137221337839
2012412821224
2011592427222
20104185013030
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Urbanization

The table below shows the percentage of rural population in each district of Punjab in ascending order, according to the 2011 census.[43]

More information Sr. No., District ...
Percentage of rural population by district - Census 2011[43]
Sr. No.DistrictRural percentage
1Ludhiana40.84%
2SAS Nagar45.24%
3Amritsar46.42%
4Jalandhar47.07%
5Pathankot55.93%
6Patiala59.74%
7Bathinda64.05%
8Faridkot64.85%
9Kapurthala65.35%
10Barnala67.98%
11Sangrur68.83%
12Fatehgarh Sahib69.02%
13Ferozepur71.54%
14Sri Muktsar Sahib72.04%
15Fazilka73.97%
16Rupnagar74.03%
17Moga77.18%
18Gurdaspur77.73%
19Mansa78.75%
20Hoshiarpur78.89%
21SBS Nagar79.52%
22Tarn Taran87.34%
Punjab (whole)62.52%
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Languages spoken

Languages of Punjab (2011)[44][45]
  1. Punjabi (official) (89.8%)
  2. Hindi (7.85%)
  3. Others (2.83%)

The Punjabi language written in the Gurmukhi script is the official language of the state.[46] Muslims form a slight majority in the Malerkotla town and use Shahmukhi for communication.[47] Punjabi is the sole official language of Punjab and is spoken by the majority of the population numbering around 24,919,067 constituting (89.82%) of the population as of 2011 census report. Hindi is the second largest language, spoken by 2,177,853 constituting 7.85% of the population. And the remaining 646,418 spoke other Indian languages, comprising 2.83% in the Others category.[44]

Religion in Punjab

Religion in Punjab, India (2011)
  1. Sikhism (57.7%)
  2. Hinduism (38.5%)
  3. Islam (1.93%)
  4. Christianity (1.26%)
  5. Jainism (0.16%)
  6. Buddhism (0.12%)
  7. Others/not stated (0.35%)
Religion Map of Punjab as of the 2011 Census (Orange: Hindu, Yellow: Sikh). Darker shade equates to higher percentage of the respective district

2001 and 2011 census

Sikhism is the most common faith in Punjab, numbering over 16 million people representing 57.69% of the population, making it the only Sikh-majority state in India. Around 38.49% of the population (10.68 million) follow Hinduism, while Islam is followed by 1.93% of the population (535,000) and Christianity 1.26% (350,000).[48] Other faiths include Buddhism and Jainism which are followed in smaller numbers. There were also nearly 90,000 people that did not state their religion.[49]

More information Religion, 2001 Census ...
Religion 2001 Census[50] 2011 Census[51]
Number % Number %
Sikh 14,592,387 59.91% 16,004,754 57.69%
Hindu 8,997,942 36.94% 10,678,138 38.49%
Muslim 382,045 1.57% 535,489 1.93%
Christian 292,800 1.20% 348,230 1.26%
Jain 39,276 0.16% 45,040 0.16%
Buddhist 41,487 0.17% 33,237 0.12%
Others 8,594 0.03% 10,886 0.04%
Religion not stated n/a n/a 87,564 0.31%
Total 24,358,999 100.00% 27,743,338 100.00%
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Urban and rural areas

The table given below shows the religion in the urban areas of Punjab, according to 2011 census.[52]

More information Religion, Urban ...
Religion in urban vs rural areas of Punjab
Religion Urban Rural
PercentagePopulation PercentagePopulation
Hindu
60.41%
6,282,072
25.35%
4,396,066
Sikh
35.16%
3,656,299
71.20%
12,348,455
Muslim
2.47%
256,664
1.61%
278,825
Christian
1.01%
105,253
1.40%
242,977
Jain
0.39%
40,674
0.03%
4,366
Buddhist
0.09%
9,660
0.14%
23,577
Other religions and persuasions
0.04%
4,240
0.04%
6,646
Religion not stated
0.43%
44,284
0.25%
43,280
Total 10,399,146 17,344,192
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The table below shows the population of different religions in absolute numbers in the urban and rural areas of Punjab.

More information Hindu, Sikh ...
Absolute numbers of different religious groups in Punjab[53]
Hindu Sikh Christian Muslim Other religions
1991 Urban 29,81,804 15,42,623 33,503 60,395 29,432
Rural 32,18,391 86,56,518 1,51,431 1,07,699 7,119
2001 Urban 49,33,743 30,24,950 81,642 1,66,529 55,649
Rural 40,64,199 1,15,67,437 2,11,160 2,15,518 38,176
2011 Urban 62,82,072 36,56,299 1,05,253 2,56,664 98,858
Rural 43,96,066 1,23,48,455 2,42,977 2,78,825 77,869
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1971 census

Religions in contemporary Punjab State, India region (1971)[54]
  1. Sikhism (60.2%)
  2. Hinduism (37.5%)
  3. Christianity (1.20%)
  4. Islam (0.84%)
  5. Jainism (0.16%)
  6. Others[f] (0.04%)

Following the Punjab Reorganisation Act of 1966, the borders of the East Punjab region were finalized and delineated. The states that form this region at present include Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, the Union Territory of Chandigarh.

The religious demography according to the 1971 census for the contemporary state of Punjab, India is shown below, broken down by district with an overall total.

More information District, Sikhism ...
Religion in the districts that comprise the contemporary state of Punjab, India region (1971)[54]
District Sikhism Hinduism Christianity Islam Jainism Others[f] Total
Pop. % Pop. % Pop. % Pop. % Pop. % Pop. % Pop. %
Firozpur district 1,240,218 65.07% 639,911 33.58% 16,158 0.85% 6,340 0.33% 1,084 0.06% 2,122 0.11% 1,905,833 100%
Amritsar district 1,362,291 74.22% 430,019 23.43% 37,703 2.05% 3,044 0.17% 2,295 0.13% 148 0.01% 1,835,500 100%
Jalandhar district 653,018 44.9% 784,048 53.9% 10,705 0.74% 3,362 0.23% 2,660 0.18% 708 0.05% 1,454,501 100%
Ludhiana district 932,712 65.71% 471,519 33.22% 3,027 0.21% 5,620 0.4% 6,176 0.44% 367 0.03% 1,419,421 100%
Bhatinda district 1,014,091 76.93% 297,382 22.56% 752 0.06% 3,829 0.29% 2,072 0.16% 8 0% 1,318,134 100%
Gurdaspur district 550,996 44.82% 590,290 48.02% 79,732 6.49% 6,868 0.56% 152 0.01% 1,211 0.1% 1,229,249 100%
Patiala district 659,020 54.24% 539,128 44.37% 1,696 0.14% 13,644 1.12% 1,380 0.11% 232 0.02% 1,215,100 100%
Sangrur district 767,071 66.9% 311,197 27.14% 806 0.07% 64,448 5.62% 2,982 0.26% 146 0.01% 1,146,650 100%
Hoshiarpur district 414,323 39.38% 623,413 59.25% 8,594 0.82% 3,456 0.33% 1,602 0.15% 765 0.07% 1,052,153 100%
Rupar district 303,102 55.61% 237,016 43.49% 1,212 0.22% 2,978 0.55% 655 0.12% 42 0.01% 545,005 100%
Kapurthala district 263,130 61.26% 163,312 38.02% 1,817 0.42% 858 0.2% 325 0.08% 72 0.02% 429,514 100%
Total 8,159,972 60.22% 5,087,235 37.54% 162,202 1.2% 114,447 0.84% 21,383 0.16% 5,821 0.04% 13,551,060 100%
Note: Territory comprises the contemporary state of Punjab, India.
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1961 census

Religions in East Punjab, India region (1961)[55][56][57][g]
  1. Hinduism (65.8%)
  2. Sikhism (31.3%)
  3. Islam (1.93%)
  4. Christianity (0.69%)
  5. Jainism (0.23%)
  6. Others[f] (0.10%)

The 1961 Census data reflects the post-reorganization administrative boundaries. By this time, the Patiala and East Punjab States Union (PEPSU) had been fully merged into Punjab on 1 November 1956 under the States Reorganisation Act. Additionally, the former princely state of Bilaspur, a Part-C state, was merged into Himachal Pradesh in 1954. Therefore, the 1961 census tables include populations from the territories of both Punjab (including the former PEPSU regions) and Himachal Pradesh (including Bilaspur), as per their reorganized state boundaries.

The religious demography of the East Punjab region including the contemporary subdivisions of Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, and the Union Territory of Chandigarh is broken down below by district with an overall total as per the 1961 census of India.[55][56][57]

More information District, Hinduism ...
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Contemporary Punjab state

Religions in contemporary Punjab State, India region (1961)[55][56][h]
  1. Sikhism (52.8%)
  2. Hinduism (45.0%)
  3. Christianity (1.20%)
  4. Islam (0.85%)
  5. Jainism (0.22%)
  6. Others[f] (0.02%)

The religious demography according to the 1961 census for the region that comprises the contemporary state of Punjab, India is also shown below, broken down by district with an overall total.

More information District, Sikhism ...
Religion in the districts that comprise the contemporary Punjab State, India region (1961)[55][56][h]
District Sikhism Hinduism Christianity Islam Jainism Others[f] Total
Pop. % Pop. % Pop. % Pop. % Pop. % Pop. % Pop. %
Firozpur district 936,953 57.87% 657,712 40.62% 19,234 1.19% 3,369 0.21% 1,746 0.11% 102 0.01% 1,619,116 100%
Amritsar district 990,344 64.52% 506,170 32.98% 33,739 2.2% 2,401 0.16% 1,987 0.13% 275 0.02% 1,534,916 100%
Sangrur district 622,227 43.67% 738,816 51.86% 577 0.04% 55,738 3.91% 7,328 0.51% 2 0% 1,424,688 100%
Hoshiarpur district 381,965 30.97% 835,436 67.73% 7,207 0.58% 7,050 0.57% 1,794 0.15% 41 0% 1,233,493 100%
Jalandhar district 550,232 44.83% 662,631 53.99% 8,733 0.71% 3,184 0.26% 2,278 0.19% 309 0.03% 1,227,367 100%
Bhatinda district 762,677 72.28% 285,967 27.1% 956 0.09% 3,340 0.32% 2,209 0.21% 28 0% 1,055,177 100%
Patiala district 553,438 52.77% 480,086 45.78% 1,565 0.15% 11,714 1.12% 1,944 0.19% 31 0% 1,048,778 100%
Ludhiana district 644,266 63.01% 365,429 35.74% 2,638 0.26% 4,686 0.46% 5,110 0.5% 390 0.04% 1,022,519 100%
Gurdaspur district 424,190 42.93% 494,635 50.06% 62,231 6.3% 5,566 0.56% 69 0.01% 1,303 0.13% 987,994 100%
Kapurthala district 200,117 58.21% 140,828 40.96% 1,535 0.45% 856 0.25% 416 0.12% 26 0.01% 343,778 100%
Total 6,066,409 52.76% 5,167,710 44.95% 138,415 1.2% 97,904 0.85% 24,881 0.22% 2,507 0.02% 11,497,826 100%
Note: Territory roughly comprises the contemporary state of Punjab, India. Certain regions that would ultimately form part of the contemporary state (Kharar and Rupar tehsils) are excluded from the data table above, while certain regions that would ultimately be bifurcated from the contemporary state (Una, Jind, and Narwana tehsils) are included in the data table above. The demarcation an reorganization of boundaries in contemporary Punjab state occurred in 1966, officially termed Punjab Reorganisation Act, 1966.
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1951 census

Religions in East Punjab, India region (1951)[58][i]
  1. Hinduism (64.6%)
  2. Sikhism (32.8%)
  3. Islam (1.77%)
  4. Christianity (0.58%)
  5. Jainism (0.27%)
  6. Others[f] (0.02%)

After Partition, East Punjab underwent significant restructuring, particularly in its Punjab States Agency. Several princely states in the region were merged in 1948 to form the Patiala and East Punjab States Union (PEPSU), while a number of hill states in the north were integrated to form Himachal Pradesh. Bilaspur Princely state remained a separate entity as Bilaspur State. In the 1951 census, these regions — Punjab, PEPSU, Himachal Pradesh, Bilaspur, and Delhi — were grouped together in a single volume titled Census of India, 1951: Punjab, Pepsu, Himachal Pradesh, Bilaspur & Delhi. Although Delhi was included in this volume, it had become a separate province in 1911 and is not considered part of East Punjab for statistical purposes.[58] Below is the religious demographics of this region broken down by district with an overall total as per the 1951 census of India.

In the following tables, 268,602 people from the Jullundur Division were not classified by religion due to missing records caused by a fire in the Jullundur Census Tabulation Office. As a result, their religious affiliation could not be included at the district level. These unclassified populations were distributed across Amritsar district (96,720 persons), Gurdaspur district (89,512 persons), Jullundur district (46,834 persons), Ferozepur district (18,283 persons), Kangra district (9,565 persons), Hoshiarpur district (6,362 persons), and Ludhiana district (1,326 persons).[59] While their district level religious details were omitted, the number was included on the overall provincial tabulation. According to consolidated data, out of the 268,602 individuals, 149,758 persons were Sikhs, 1,658 persons were Muslims and 117,186 persons were Hindus and others,[60] Therefore, the actual total population of the province/state was not 16,975,754 as shown in the tables below, but 17,244,356 after including these 268,602 individuals.

More information District, Hinduism ...
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Contemporary Punjab state

Religions in contemporary Punjab State, India region (1951)[58][j]
  1. Sikhism (55.6%)
  2. Hinduism (42.3%)
  3. Christianity (1.00%)
  4. Islam (0.85%)
  5. Jainism (0.23%)
  6. Others[f] (0.01%)

The religious demography according to the 1951 census for the region that comprises the contemporary state of Punjab, India is also shown below, broken down by district with an overall total.

More information District, Sikhism ...
Religion in the districts that comprise the contemporary Punjab State, India region (1951)[58][j]
District Sikhism Hinduism Christianity Islam Jainism Others[f] Total
Pop. % Pop. % Pop. % Pop. % Pop. % Pop. % Pop. %
Firozpur district 780,024 59.62% 505,937 38.67% 11,976 0.92% 4,805 0.37% 5,475 0.42% 20 0% 1,308,237 100%
Amritsar district 897,309 70.64% 351,710 27.69% 14,753 1.16% 4,237 0.33% 2,115 0.17% 196 0.02% 1,270,320 100%
Hoshiarpur district 283,720 26.13% 794,688 73.2% 4,027 0.37% 1,353 0.12% 1,823 0.17% 13 0% 1,085,624 100%
Jalandhar district 569,487 56.45% 429,747 42.6% 5,969 0.59% 2,569 0.25% 985 0.1% 9 0% 1,008,766 100%
Ludhiana district 497,419 61.65% 301,398 37.36% 1,200 0.15% 3,360 0.42% 3,397 0.42% 5 0% 806,779 100%
Gurdaspur district 354,681 46.56% 346,884 45.54% 50,457 6.62% 9,370 1.23% 388 0.05% 2 0% 761,782 100%
Bhatinda district 521,045 78.14% 144,305 21.64% 450 0.07% 416 0.06% 574 0.09% 19 0% 666,809 100%
Sangrur district 215,023 33.44% 420,218 65.36% 341 0.05% 3,741 0.58% 3,610 0.56% 1 0% 642,934 100%
Barnala district 380,811 70.95% 112,635 20.99% 113 0.02% 41,673 7.76% 1,484 0.28% 12 0% 536,728 100%
Patiala district 246,953 47.1% 273,087 52.09% 499 0.1% 2,893 0.55% 689 0.13% 148 0.03% 524,269 100%
Kapurthala district 187,568 63.57% 104,679 35.48% 1,547 0.52% 854 0.29% 269 0.09% 154 0.05% 295,071 100%
Fatehgarh Sahib district 154,714 65.17% 80,141 33.76% 267 0.11% 2,269 0.96% 6 0% 0 0% 237,397 100%
Total 5,088,754 55.65% 3,865,429 42.27% 91,599 1% 77,540 0.85% 20,815 0.23% 579 0.01% 9,144,716 100%
Note: Territory roughly comprises the contemporary state of Punjab, India. Certain regions that would ultimately form part of the contemporary state (Kharar and Rupar tehsils) are excluded from the data table above, while certain regions that would ultimately be bifurcated from the contemporary state (Una, Jind, and Narwana tehsils) are included in the data table above. The demarcation an reorganization of boundaries in contemporary Punjab state occurred in 1966, officially termed Punjab Reorganisation Act, 1966.
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1941 census

East Punjab region

Religions in East Punjab, India region (1941)[61]:42[k]
  1. Hinduism[l] (47.0%)
  2. Islam (30.9%)
  3. Sikhism (21.1%)
  4. Christianity (0.69%)
  5. Jainism (0.21%)
  6. Others[f] (0.12%)

Prior to partition, the eastern portion of Punjab that was ultimately awarded to India following the demarcation of the Radcliffe Line was made into a new province – East Punjab. The area includes the contemporary states of Punjab, Haryana, and Himachal Pradesh. Below is the religious demographics of this region broken down by district and princely state with an overall total as per the 1941 Indian census.

More information District/ Princely State, Islam ...
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Contemporary Punjab state

Religions in contemporary Punjab State, India region (1941)[61]:42[e]
  1. Islam (38.4%)
  2. Sikhism (33.6%)
  3. Hinduism[l] (26.6%)
  4. Christianity (1.06%)
  5. Jainism (0.13%)
  6. Others[f] (0.15%)

The religious demography according to the 1941 census for the region that comprises the contemporary state of Punjab, India is also shown below, broken down by district and princely state with an overall total.

More information District/ Princely State, Islam ...
Religion in the Districts & Princely States that comprise the contemporary Punjab State, India region (1941)[61]:42[e]
District/
Princely State
Islam Sikhism Hinduism [l] Christianity Jainism Others[f] Total
Pop. % Pop. % Pop. % Pop. % Pop. % Pop. % Pop. %
Patiala State 436,539 22.55% 896,021 46.28% 597,488 30.86% 1,592 0.08% 3,101 0.16% 1,518 0.08% 1,936,259 100%
Firozpur District 641,448 45.07% 479,486 33.69% 287,733 20.22% 12,607 0.89% 1,674 0.12% 128 0.01% 1,423,076 100%
Amritsar District 657,695 46.52% 510,845 36.13% 217,431 15.38% 25,973 1.84% 1,911 0.14% 21 0% 1,413,876 100%
Hoshiarpur District 380,759 32.53% 198,194 16.93% 584,080 49.91% 6,165 0.53% 1,125 0.1% 0 0% 1,170,323 100%
Jalandhar District 509,804 45.23% 298,741 26.5% 311,010 27.59% 6,233 0.55% 1,395 0.12% 7 0% 1,127,190 100%
Gurdaspur District[m] 440,323 51.08% 200,688 24.44% 174,221 20.21% 46,743 5.42% 25 0% 6 0% 862,006 100%
Ludhiana District 302,482 36.95% 341,175 41.68% 171,715 20.98% 1,913 0.23% 1,279 0.16% 51 0.01% 818,615 100%
Kapurthala State 213,754 56.49% 88,350 23.35% 61,546 16.27% 1,667 0.44% 380 0.1% 12,683 3.35% 378,380 100%
Nabha State 70,373 20.45% 122,451 35.59% 146,518 42.59% 221 0.06% 480 0.14% 1 0% 344,044 100%
Faridkot State 61,352 30.79% 115,070 57.74% 21,814 10.95% 247 0.12% 800 0.4% 0 0% 199,283 100%
Malerkotla State 33,881 38.45% 30,320 34.41% 23,482 26.65% 116 0.13% 310 0.35% 0 0% 88,109 100%
Total 3,748,410 38.42% 3,281,341 33.63% 2,597,038 26.62% 103,477 1.06% 12,480 0.13% 14,415 0.15% 9,757,161 100%
Note: Territory roughly comprises the contemporary state of Punjab, India. Certain regions that would ultimately form part of the contemporary state (Kharar and Rupar tehsils, alongside a portion of Kasur Tehsil including Patti, Khemkaran, and 186 surrounding villages) are excluded from the data table above, while certain regions that would ultimately be bifurcated from the contemporary state (Una, Kandaghat, Mahendragarh, and Narwana tehsils) are included in the data table above. The demarcation an reorganization of boundaries in contemporary Punjab state occurred in 1966, officially termed Punjab Reorganisation Act, 1966.
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1931 census

East Punjab region

Religions in East Punjab, India region (1931)[62]:277[n]
  1. Hinduism[l] (48.9%)
  2. Islam (30.2%)
  3. Sikhism (20.0%)
  4. Christianity (0.65%)
  5. Jainism (0.25%)
  6. Others[f] (0.05%)

Prior to partition, the eastern portion of Punjab that was ultimately awarded to India following the demarcation of the Radcliffe Line was made into a new province – East Punjab. The area includes the contemporary states of Punjab, Haryana, and Himachal Pradesh. Below is the religious demographics of this region broken down by district and princely state with an overall total as per the 1931 Indian census.

More information District/ Princely State, Islam ...
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Contemporary Punjab state

Religions in contemporary Punjab State, India region (1931)[62]:277[d]
  1. Islam (37.8%)
  2. Sikhism (32.1%)
  3. Hinduism[l] (28.9%)
  4. Christianity (0.93%)
  5. Jainism (0.15%)
  6. Others[f] (0.00%)

The religious demography according to the 1931 census for the region that comprises the contemporary state of Punjab, India is also shown below, broken down by district and princely state with an overall total.

More information District/ Princely State, Islam ...
Religion in the Districts & Princely States that comprise the contemporary Punjab State, India region (1931)[62]:277[d]
District/
Princely State
Islam Sikhism Hinduism [l] Christianity Jainism Others[f] Total
Pop. % Pop. % Pop. % Pop. % Pop. % Pop. % Pop. %
Patiala State 363,920 22.39% 632,972 38.94% 623,597 38.36% 1,449 0.09% 3,578 0.22% 4 0% 1,625,520 100%
Firozpur District 515,430 44.56% 388,108 33.55% 244,688 21.15% 7,070 0.61% 1,411 0.12% 25 0% 1,156,732 100%
Amritsar District 524,676 46.97% 399,951 35.8% 174,556 15.63% 16,619 1.49% 1,272 0.11% 46 0% 1,117,120 100%
Hoshiarpur District 328,078 31.78% 173,147 16.77% 526,182 50.98% 3,764 0.36% 1,016 0.1% 0 0% 1,032,187 100%
Jalandhar District 419,556 44.46% 249,571 26.45% 268,822 28.49% 4,323 0.46% 1,379 0.15% 70 0.01% 943,721 100%
Gurdaspur District[m] 367,388 50.78% 162,741 22.49% 154,631 21.37% 38,756 5.36% 15 0% 4 0% 723,535 100%
Ludhiana District 235,598 35.03% 312,829 46.52% 120,161 17.87% 2,477 0.37% 1,419 0.21% 10 0% 672,494 100%
Kapurthala State 179,251 56.59% 72,177 22.79% 64,319 20.31% 983 0.31% 27 0.01% 0 0% 316,757 100%
Nabha State 57,393 19.96% 97,452 33.89% 132,354 46.02% 66 0.02% 309 0.11% 0 0% 287,574 100%
Faridkot State 49,912 30.37% 92,880 56.51% 20,855 12.69% 167 0.1% 550 0.33% 0 0% 164,364 100%
Malerkotla State 31,417 37.82% 28,982 34.89% 21,252 25.58% 135 0.16% 1,286 1.55% 0 0% 83,072 100%
Total 3,072,619 37.83% 2,610,810 32.14% 2,351,417 28.95% 75,809 0.93% 12,262 0.15% 159 0.002% 8,123,076 100%
Note: Territory roughly comprises the contemporary state of Punjab, India. Certain regions that would ultimately form part of the contemporary state (Kharar and Rupar tehsils, alongside a portion of Kasur Tehsil including Patti, Khemkaran, and 186 surrounding villages) are excluded from the data table above, while certain regions that would ultimately be bifurcated from the contemporary state (Una, Kandaghat, Mahendragarh, and Narwana tehsils) are included in the data table above. The demarcation an reorganization of boundaries in contemporary Punjab state occurred in 1966, officially termed Punjab Reorganisation Act, 1966.
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1921 census

East Punjab region

Religions in East Punjab, India region (1921)[63]:29[o]
  1. Hinduism (53.0%)
  2. Islam (29.1%)
  3. Sikhism (17.0%)
  4. Christianity (0.65%)
  5. Jainism (0.27%)
  6. Others[f] (0.05%)

Prior to partition, the eastern portion of Punjab that was ultimately awarded to India following the demarcation of the Radcliffe Line was made into a new province – East Punjab. The area includes the contemporary states of Punjab, Haryana, and Himachal Pradesh. Below is the religious demographics of this region broken down by district and princely state with an overall total as per the 1921 Indian census.

More information District/ Princely State, Hinduism ...
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Contemporary Punjab state

Religions in contemporary Punjab State, India region (1921)[63]:29[c]
  1. Islam (37.0%)
  2. Hinduism (33.9%)
  3. Sikhism (28.1%)
  4. Christianity (0.82%)
  5. Jainism (0.15%)
  6. Others[f] (0.00%)

The religious demography according to the 1921 census for the region that comprises the contemporary state of Punjab, India is also shown below, broken down by district and princely state with an overall total.

More information District/ Princely State, Islam ...
Religion in the Districts & Princely States that comprise the contemporary Punjab State, India region (1921)[63]:29[c]
District/
Princely State
Islam Hinduism Sikhism Christianity Jainism Others[f] Total
Pop. % Pop. % Pop. % Pop. % Pop. % Pop. % Pop. %
Patiala State 330,341 22.03% 642,055 42.81% 522,675 34.85% 1,395 0.09% 3,249 0.22% 24 0% 1,499,739 100%
Firozpur District 482,540 43.94% 306,350 27.89% 302,761 27.57% 5,365 0.49% 1,211 0.11% 21 0% 1,098,248 100%
Amritsar District 423,724 45.59% 204,435 22% 287,004 30.88% 12,773 1.37% 1,375 0.15% 63 0.01% 929,374 100%
Hoshiarpur District 289,298 31.19% 500,339 53.95% 132,958 14.34% 3,745 0.4% 1,079 0.12% 0 0% 927,419 100%
Jalandhar District 366,586 44.57% 244,995 29.79% 206,130 25.06% 4,088 0.5% 736 0.09% 9 0% 822,544 100%
Gurdaspur District[m] 316,709 49.54% 168,178 26.3% 125,322 19.6% 29,099 4.55% 20 0% 15 0% 639,343 100%
Ludhiana District 192,961 33.99% 135,512 23.87% 235,721 41.53% 1,613 0.28% 1,796 0.32% 19 0% 567,622 100%
Kapurthala State 160,457 56.44% 58,412 20.55% 64,074 22.54% 1,100 0.39% 228 0.08% 4 0% 284,275 100%
Nabha State 50,756 19.27% 133,870 50.84% 78,389 29.77% 41 0.02% 278 0.11% 0 0% 263,334 100%
Faridkot State 44,813 29.74% 38,610 25.63% 66,658 44.24% 107 0.07% 473 0.31% 0 0% 150,661 100%
Malerkotla State 28,413 35.37% 29,459 36.68% 21,828 27.18% 37 0.05% 585 0.73% 0 0% 80,322 100%
Total 2,686,598 36.99% 2,462,215 33.9% 2,043,520 28.14% 59,363 0.82% 11,030 0.15% 155 0.002% 7,262,881 100%
Note: Territory roughly comprises the contemporary state of Punjab, India. Certain regions that would ultimately form part of the contemporary state (Kharar and Rupar tehsils, alongside a portion of Kasur Tehsil including Patti, Khemkaran, and 186 surrounding villages) are excluded from the data table above, while certain regions that would ultimately be bifurcated from the contemporary state (Una, Kandaghat, Mahendragarh, and Narwana tehsils) are included in the data table above. The demarcation an reorganization of boundaries in contemporary Punjab state occurred in 1966, officially termed Punjab Reorganisation Act, 1966.
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1911 census

East Punjab region

Religions in East Punjab, India region (1911)[64]:27[65]:27[p]
  1. Hinduism (54.5%)
  2. Islam (28.9%)
  3. Sikhism (15.8%)
  4. Christianity (0.42%)
  5. Jainism (0.31%)
  6. Others[f] (0.06%)

Prior to partition, the eastern portion of Punjab that was ultimately awarded to India following the demarcation of the Radcliffe Line was made into a new province – East Punjab. The area includes the contemporary states of Punjab, Haryana, and Himachal Pradesh. Below is the religious demographics of this region broken down by district and princely state with an overall total as per the 1911 Indian census.

More information District/ Princely State, Hinduism ...
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Contemporary Punjab state

Religions in contemporary Punjab State, India region (1911)[64]:27[65]:27[b]
  1. Islam (36.8%)
  2. Hinduism (34.9%)
  3. Sikhism (27.6%)
  4. Christianity (0.51%)
  5. Jainism (0.17%)
  6. Others[f] (0.00%)

The religious demography according to the 1911 census for the region that comprises the contemporary state of Punjab, India is also shown below, broken down by district and princely state with an overall total.

More information District/ Princely State, Islam ...
Religion in the Districts & Princely States that comprise the contemporary Punjab State, India region (1911)[64]:27[65]:27[b]
District/
Princely State
Islam Hinduism Sikhism Christianity Jainism Others[f] Total
Pop. % Pop. % Pop. % Pop. % Pop. % Pop. % Pop. %
Patiala State 307,384 21.84% 563,940 40.06% 532,292 37.81% 739 0.05% 3,282 0.23% 22 0% 1,407,659 100%
Firozpur District 418,553 43.61% 273,832 28.53% 262,511 27.35% 3,342 0.35% 1,401 0.15% 18 0% 959,657 100%
Hoshiarpur District 281,805 30.68% 498,642 54.28% 134,146 14.6% 2,978 0.32% 998 0.11% 0 0% 918,569 100%
Amritsar District 408,882 46.43% 211,708 24.04% 253,941 28.83% 4,763 0.54% 1,386 0.16% 48 0.01% 880,728 100%
Jalandhar District 357,051 44.52% 265,378 33.09% 176,227 21.98% 2,404 0.3% 842 0.1% 18 0% 801,920 100%
Gurdaspur District[m] 304,860 48.67% 190,965 30.49% 110,525 17.65% 19,879 3.17% 73 0.01% 22 0% 626,324 100%
Ludhiana District 176,043 34.04% 131,370 25.4% 207,042 40.03% 888 0.17% 1,849 0.36% 0 0% 517,192 100%
Kapurthala State 152,117 56.73% 61,426 22.91% 54,275 20.24% 107 0.04% 205 0.08% 3 0% 268,133 100%
Nabha State 46,032 18.5% 126,414 50.79% 76,198 30.62% 5 0% 238 0.1% 0 0% 248,887 100%
Faridkot State 37,105 28.48% 37,377 28.69% 55,397 42.52% 6 0% 409 0.31% 0 0% 130,294 100%
Malerkotla State 25,942 36.46% 22,902 32.19% 21,018 29.54% 14 0.02% 1,268 1.78% 0 0% 71,144 100%
Total 2,515,774 36.83% 2,383,954 34.9% 1,883,572 27.58% 35,125 0.51% 11,951 0.17% 131 0.002% 6,830,507 100%
Note: Territory roughly comprises the contemporary state of Punjab, India. Certain regions that would ultimately form part of the contemporary state (Kharar and Rupar tehsils, alongside a portion of Kasur Tehsil including Patti, Khemkaran, and 186 surrounding villages) are excluded from the data table above, while certain regions that would ultimately be bifurcated from the contemporary state (Una, Kandaghat, Mahendragarh, and Narwana tehsils) are included in the data table above. The demarcation an reorganization of boundaries in contemporary Punjab state occurred in 1966, officially termed Punjab Reorganisation Act, 1966.
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1901 census

East Punjab region

Religions in East Punjab, India region (1901)[66]:34[67]:62[q]
  1. Hinduism (58.6%)
  2. Islam (29.5%)
  3. Sikhism (11.3%)
  4. Jainism (0.31%)
  5. Christianity (0.17%)
  6. Others[f] (0.05%)

Prior to partition, the eastern portion of Punjab that was ultimately awarded to India following the demarcation of the Radcliffe Line was made into a new province – East Punjab. The area includes the contemporary states of Punjab, Haryana, and Himachal Pradesh. Below is the religious demographics of this region broken down by district and princely state with an overall total as per the 1901 Indian census.

More information District/ Princely State, Hinduism ...
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Contemporary Punjab state

Religions in contemporary Punjab State, India region (1901)[66]:34[67]:62[a]
  1. Hinduism (42.7%)
  2. Islam (37.7%)
  3. Sikhism (19.3%)
  4. Jainism (0.16%)
  5. Christianity (0.15%)
  6. Others[f] (0.00%)

The religious demography according to the 1901 census for the region that comprises the contemporary state of Punjab, India is also shown below, broken down by district and princely state with an overall total.

More information District/ Princely State, Hinduism ...
Religion in the Districts & Princely States that comprise the contemporary Punjab State, India region (1901)[66]:34[67]:62[a]
District/
Princely State
Hinduism Islam Sikhism Jainism Christianity Others[f] Total
Pop. % Pop. % Pop. % Pop. % Pop. % Pop. % Pop. %
Patiala State 880,490 55.14% 357,334 22.38% 355,649 22.27% 2,877 0.18% 316 0.02% 26 0% 1,596,692 100%
Amritsar District 280,985 27.44% 474,976 46.39% 264,329 25.82% 1,439 0.14% 2,078 0.2% 21 0% 1,023,828 100%
Hoshiarpur District 603,710 60.99% 312,958 31.62% 71,126 7.19% 1,173 0.12% 813 0.08% 2 0% 989,782 100%
Firozpur District 279,099 29.13% 447,615 46.72% 228,355 23.83% 1,090 0.11% 1,908 0.2% 5 0% 958,072 100%
Jalandhar District 368,051 40.11% 421,011 45.88% 125,817 13.71% 969 0.11% 1,713 0.19% 26 0% 917,587 100%
Gurdaspur District[m] 268,817 38.08% 348,182 49.33% 85,199 12.07% 72 0.01% 3,571 0.51% 28 0% 705,869 100%
Ludhiana District 269,076 39.98% 235,937 35.05% 164,919 24.5% 2,217 0.33% 947 0.14% 1 0% 673,097 100%
Kapurthala State 93,652 29.79% 178,326 56.73% 42,101 13.39% 226 0.07% 39 0.01% 7 0% 314,351 100%
Nabha State 160,553 53.89% 58,550 19.65% 78,361 26.3% 476 0.16% 7 0% 2 0% 297,949 100%
Faridkot State 35,778 28.64% 35,996 28.82% 52,721 42.21% 406 0.33% 11 0.01% 0 0% 124,912 100%
Malerkotla State 38,409 49.56% 27,229 35.13% 10,495 13.54% 1,361 1.76% 12 0.02% 0 0% 77,506 100%
Total 3,278,620 42.69% 2,898,114 37.74% 1,479,072 19.26% 12,306 0.16% 11,415 0.15% 118 0.002% 7,679,645 100%
Note: Territory roughly comprises the contemporary state of Punjab, India. Certain regions that would ultimately form part of the contemporary state (Kharar and Rupar tehsils, alongside a portion of Kasur Tehsil including Patti, Khemkaran, and 186 surrounding villages) are excluded from the data table above, while certain regions that would ultimately be bifurcated from the contemporary state (Una, Kandaghat, Mahendragarh, and Narwana tehsils) are included in the data table above. The demarcation an reorganization of boundaries in contemporary Punjab state occurred in 1966, officially termed Punjab Reorganisation Act, 1966.
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Sikhism in Punjab

More information Year, Pop. ...
Decadal Sikh Population in Punjab, India
YearPop.±% p.a.
1901 1,479,072    
1911 1,883,572+2.45%
1921 2,043,520+0.82%
1931 2,610,810+2.48%
1941 3,281,341+2.31%
1951 5,553,918+5.40%
1961 6,178,516+1.07%
1971 8,160,232+2.82%
1981 10,199,534+2.26%
1991 12,768,393+2.27%
2001 14,592,868+1.34%
2011 16,004,754+0.93%
Source: census of India[a][b][c][d][e][68][69]
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Sikh pilgrims at the causeway to the sanctum of the Harmandir Sahib, the holiest Sikh Gurdwara
Sikhism percent in Punjab, India by district (2011 census)

Sikhism was born in the Punjab area of South Asia, which now falls into the present day states of India and Pakistan. The main religions of the area at the time were Hinduism and Islam.The Sikh faith began around 1500 CE, when Guru Nanak began teaching a faith that was quite distinct from Hinduism and Islam. Nine Gurus followed Nanak and developed the Sikh faith and community over the next centuries.[70]

After the 1947 Partition of Punjab, Sikhs became the majority religious group in Indian Punjab mainly due to the immigration of 2 million Sikhs from Pakistan into Indian Punjab, which have ultimately resulted in an increase in Sikh percentage from 33.70% in 1941 to 60.62% in 1951.[68][69][71] While population that adheres to Sikh faith has increased, the percentage of Sikhs has declined from 60.62% in 1951 to 57.69% (a decline of 2.93% in last 60 years).

The Sikh population in India's Punjab have grown from 5.53 million in 1951 to 16 million in 2011 census (an increase of 10.47 million in last 60 years). Sikhs in Punjab have the lowest fertility rate of 1.6 children per women as per census 2011.[72]

Whilst Punjab, India has had a majority Sikh population for decades, recent statistics point toward a demographic decline of Sikhs in the state. School data from the Civil Registration System (CRS) shows that Sikh children are now a plurality (49%) at the foundational-level (pre-primary to Class II in the age group of 3–8-years-old). The causes for the demographic decline of Sikhs in Indian Punjab has been attributed to low fertility-rates, outbound migration of Sikhs abroad, and internal migration within India of persons from other states, oftentimes Uttar Pradesh or Bihar, settling in Indian Punjab.[73]

More information Year, Percent ...
Decadal percentage of Sikhs in the contemporary Punjab State, India region[68][69][74]
Year Percent Increase Source(s)
1901 19.26%* N/a [a]
1911 27.58%* +8.32% [b]
1921 28.14%* +0.56% [c]
1931 32.14%* +4.00% [d]
1941 33.63%* +1.49% [e]
1951 55.65%* +22.02% [58][j]
1961 52.76%* -2.89% [55][56][h]
1971 60.22% +7.46% [54]
1981 60.75% +0.53% [citation needed]
1991 62.95% +2.2% [citation needed]
2001 59.91% -3.04% [citation needed]
2011 57.69% -2.22% [citation needed]
* - Note: 1901 to 1941 census statistics include certain regions that would ultimately be bifurcated from contemporary Punjab state (Una, Kandaghat, Mahendragarh, and Narwana tehsils), while certain regions that would form part of contemporary Punjab state (Kharar and Rupar tehsils, alongside a portion of Kasur Tehsil including Patti, Khemkaran, and 186 surrounding villages) are excluded. Likewise, 1951 & 1961 census statistics include certain regions that would ultimately be bifurcated from contemporary Punjab state (Una, Jind, and Narwana tehsils), while certain regions that would form part of contemporary Punjab state (Kharar and Rupar tehsils) are excluded. The demarcation and reorganization of boundaries in contemporary Punjab state occurred in 1966, officially termed Punjab Reorganisation Act, 1966.
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Hinduism in Punjab

More information Year, Pop. ...
Decadal Hindu Population in Punjab, India
YearPop.±% p.a.
1901 3,278,620    
1911 2,383,954−3.14%
1921 2,462,215+0.32%
1931 2,351,417−0.46%
1941 2,597,038+1.00%
1951 3,449,844+2.88%
1961 4,256,936+2.12%
1971 5,087,067+1.80%
1981 6,200,146+2.00%
1991 6,989,166+1.21%
2001 8,998,214+2.56%
2011 10,678,410+1.73%
Source: census of India[a][b][c][d][e][68][69][74]
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Hinduism percent in Punjab, India by district (2011 census

Hinduism is the second largest and fastest growing religion in the Indian state of Punjab with around 38.5% followers as of 2011 census. Hinduism is the 2nd largest religion of Punjabi peoples. It was the largest religion in Punjab before the advent of Islam from the West and birth of Sikhism in Punjab region from the east.[75] The Hindu population has increased drastically in the Indian Punjab from 1941 to 1951 mainly due to the immigration of 1 million Punjabi Hindu refugees from Pakistan's Punjab.[76]

The Hindu percentage remained stable for decades. The Hindu percentage have increased from 37.66% in 1951 to 38.49% in 2011.

The Hindu population have increased from 3.44 million in 1951 to 10.67 million in 2011 (a growth of 7.23 million in 6 decades). Hindus in Punjab have a fertility rate of 1.9 children per women as per as census 2011.[77]

More information Year, Percent ...
Decadal percentage of Hindus in the contemporary Punjab State, India region[68][69][74]
Year Percent Increase Source(s)
1901 42.69%* N/a [a]
1911 34.90%* -7.79% [b]
1921 33.90%* -1.00% [c]
1931 28.95%* -4.95% [d]
1941 26.62%* -2.33% [e]
1951 42.27%* +15.65% [58][j]
1961 44.95%* +2.68% [55][56][h]
1971 37.54% -7.41% [54]
1981 36.93% -0.61% [citation needed]
1991 34.46% -2.47% [citation needed]
2001 36.94% +2.48% [citation needed]
2011 38.49% +1.55% [citation needed]
* - Note: 1901 to 1941 census statistics include certain regions that would ultimately be bifurcated from contemporary Punjab state (Una, Kandaghat, Mahendragarh, and Narwana tehsils), while certain regions that would form part of contemporary Punjab state (Kharar and Rupar tehsils, alongside a portion of Kasur Tehsil including Patti, Khemkaran, and 186 surrounding villages) are excluded. Likewise, 1951 & 1961 census statistics include certain regions that would ultimately be bifurcated from contemporary Punjab state (Una, Jind, and Narwana tehsils), while certain regions that would form part of contemporary Punjab state (Kharar and Rupar tehsils) are excluded. The demarcation and reorganization of boundaries in contemporary Punjab state occurred in 1966, officially termed Punjab Reorganisation Act, 1966.
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Islam in Punjab

More information Year, Pop. ...
Decadal Muslim Population in Punjab, India
YearPop.±% p.a.
1901 2,898,114    
1911 2,515,774−1.40%
1921 2,686,598+0.66%
1931 3,072,619+1.35%
1941 3,748,410+2.01%
1947 90,172−46.27%
1951 110,160+5.13%
1961 181,234+5.10%
1971 252,688+3.38%
1981 321,287+2.43%
1991 390,077+1.96%
2001 382,045−0.21%
2011 535,489+3.43%
Source: Census of India[a][b][c][d][e]
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A photo of a mosque in Punjab, India
Islam percent in Punjab, India by district (2011 census)

The Muslim population in the region that comprises the contemporary state of Punjab, India reduced from approximately 38.4% according to the 1941 census[e] to 0.5% in 1947 as a result of Partition of Punjab riots which were caused during 1947 mainly in the various parts of East Punjab.

Prior to partition, according to the 1941 census, approximately 3.75 million Muslims resided in the region that forms the contemporary state of Punjab in India.[e] At the time, Muslims formed the largest religious community in the region, comprising a narrow plurality at approximately 38.4 percent of the total population.[e] Following the partition of India, the vast majority departed the region en masse, migrating westward to the Punjab region that fell on the western side of the Radcliffe Line, in the contemporary state of Punjab, Pakistan.

Most native Punjabi Muslims now live in Malerkotla, and it is the only district where communal violence haven't occurred during partition because Guru Gobind Singh Ji have promised the Nawab of Malerkotla, Sher Mohammad Khan that the Muslim community in Malerkotla would never be harmed in the future times to come and as a result of Guru ji's blessing words, most of the Muslims were able to stayed back there.[78][79] Apart from Malerkotla, most of the Muslims living in other parts of Punjab are non-native and have came from neighbouring states of Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan, Jammu & Kashmir on temporary basis as immigrants workers (small scale) and students.

Muslims in Punjab have a fertility rate of 2.4 children per women as per 2011 census.[77] Islam is the fastest-growing religion in Punjab.[80]

More information Year, Percent ...
Decadal percentage of Muslims in the contemporary Punjab State, India region[81][82][74][83]
Year Percent Increase Source(s)
1901 37.74%* N/a [a]
1911 36.83%* -0.91% [b]
1921 36.99%* +0.16% [c]
1931 37.83%* +0.84% [d]
1941 38.42%* +0.59% [e]
1947 0.5%* -37.92% [citation needed]
1951 0.85%* +0.35% [58][j]
1961 0.85%* +0.00% [55][56][h]
1971 0.84% -0.01% [54]
1981 1% +0.07% [citation needed]
1991 1.18% +0.18% [citation needed]
2001 1.57% +0.39% [citation needed]
2011 1.93% +0.36% [citation needed]
* - Note: 1901 to 1941 census statistics include certain regions that would ultimately be bifurcated from contemporary Punjab state (Una, Kandaghat, Mahendragarh, and Narwana tehsils), while certain regions that would form part of contemporary Punjab state (Kharar and Rupar tehsils, alongside a portion of Kasur Tehsil including Patti, Khemkaran, and 186 surrounding villages) are excluded. Likewise, 1951 & 1961 census statistics include certain regions that would ultimately be bifurcated from contemporary Punjab state (Una, Jind, and Narwana tehsils), while certain regions that would form part of contemporary Punjab state (Kharar and Rupar tehsils) are excluded. The demarcation and reorganization of boundaries in contemporary Punjab state occurred in 1966, officially termed Punjab Reorganisation Act, 1966.
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Religious population by districts

More information #, District ...
Religious population by district (2011)[49]
#DistrictSikhHinduMuslimChristianJainBuddhistOther religionsReligion not stated
1Amritsar1,716,935690,93912,50254,3443,1528765,48810,864
2Barnala467,751112,85913,100622246108481360
3Bathinda984,286380,56916,2992,4741,2662465592,826
4Faridkot469,789141,3633,1251,2271,109155103637
5Fatehgarh Sahib427,521152,85116,8081,69817848251808
6Firozpur1,090,815906,4086,84419,3581,1434542783,774
7Gurdaspur1,002,8741,074,33227,667176,58758040581215,066
8Hoshiarpur538,2081,000,74323,08914,96820343,4765313,576
9Jalandhar718,3631,394,32930,23326,0164,01111,3858058,448
10Kapurthala453,692336,12410,1905,4455536,6623342,168
11Ludhiana1,863,4081,502,40377,71316,51719,6202,0071,25415,817
12Mansa598,443156,53910,6569171,5771234931,284
13Moga818,921158,4149,3883,2774361783654,767
14Muktsar638,625254,9204,3331,681744240433920
15Patiala1,059,944783,30640,0435,6831,9142451,4103,141
16Rupnagar361,045304,48114,4922,0946531181431,601
17Mohali478,908476,27629,4885,3421,2572572392,861
18Sangrur1,077,438389,410179,1162,4063,2222681,0382,271
19Nawanshehar192,885401,3686,8291,4796955,8852662,903
20Tarn Taran1,044,90360,5043,8556,095650101473,472
Punjab (Total)
16,004,75410,678,138535,489348,23045,04033,23710,88687,564
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More information #, District ...
Religious population proportion by district (2011)[49]
#DistrictSikhHinduMuslimChristianJainBuddhistOther religionsReligion not stated
1Amritsar68.94%27.74%0.50%2.18%0.13%0.04%0.04%0.44%
2Barnala78.54%18.95%2.20%0.10%0.04%0.02%0.08%0.06%
3Bathinda70.89%27.41%1.17%0.18%0.09%0.02%0.04%0.20%
4Faridkot76.08%22.89%0.51%0.20%0.18%0.03%0.02%0.10%
5Fatehgarh Sahib71.23%25.47%2.80%0.28%0.03%0.01%0.04%0.13%
6Firozpur53.76%44.67%0.34%0.95%0.06%0.02%0.01%0.19%
7Gurdaspur43.64%46.74%1.20%7.68%0.03%0.02%0.04%0.66%
8Hoshiarpur33.92%63.07%1.46%0.94%0.13%0.22%0.03%0.23%
9Jalandhar32.75%63.56%1.38%1.19%0.18%0.52%0.04%0.39%
10Kapurthala55.66%41.23%1.25%0.67%0.07%0.82%0.04%0.27%
11Ludhiana53.26%42.94%2.22%0.47%0.56%0.06%0.04%0.45%
12Mansa77.75%20.34%1.35%0.12%0.20%0.02%0.06%0.17%
13Moga82.24%15.91%0.94%0.33%0.04%0.02%0.04%0.48%
14Muktsar70.81%28.26%0.48%0.19%0.08%0.03%0.05%0.10%
15Patiala55.91%41.32%2.11%0.30%0.10%0.01%0.07%0.17%
16Rupnagar52.74%44.47%2.12%0.31%0.10%0.02%0.02%0.23%
17Mohali48.15%47.88%2.96%0.54%0.13%0.03%0.02%0.29%
18Sangrur65.10%23.53%10.82%0.15%0.19%0.02%0.06%0.14%
19Nawanshehar31.50%65.55%1.12%0.24%0.11%0.96%0.04%0.47%
20Tarn Taran93.33%5.40%0.34%0.54%0.06%0.01%0.00%0.31%
Punjab (Total)
57.69%38.49%1.93%1.26%0.16%0.12%0.04%0.32%
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See also

Notes

  1. 1901 figure taken from census data by combining the total population of all districts (Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Firozpur, Amritsar, Hoshiarpur, and Gurdaspur (minus Shakargarh Tehsil)), and princely states (Kapurthala, Malerkotla, Faridkot, Patiala, and Nabha) which are in the region that comprises the contemporary state of Punjab, India. See 1901 census data here:[66]:34
  2. 1911 figure taken from census data by combining the total population of all districts (Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Firozpur, Amritsar, Hoshiarpur, and Gurdaspur (minus Shakargarh Tehsil)), and princely states (Kapurthala, Malerkotla, Faridkot, Patiala, and Nabha) which are in the region that comprises the contemporary state of Punjab, India. See 1911 census data here:[64]:27[65]:27
  3. 1921 figure taken from census data by combining the total population of all districts (Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Firozpur, Amritsar, Hoshiarpur, and Gurdaspur (minus Shakargarh Tehsil)), and princely states (Kapurthala, Malerkotla, Faridkot, Patiala, and Nabha) which are in the region that comprises the contemporary state of Punjab, India. See 1921 census data here:[63]:29
  4. 1931 figure taken from census data by combining the total population of all districts (Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Firozpur, Amritsar, Hoshiarpur, and Gurdaspur (minus Shakargarh Tehsil)), and princely states (Kapurthala, Malerkotla, Faridkot, Patiala, and Nabha) which are in the region that comprises the contemporary state of Punjab, India. See 1931 census data here:[62]:277
  5. 1941 figure taken from census data by combining the total population of all districts (Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Firozpur, Amritsar, Hoshiarpur, and Gurdaspur (minus Shakargarh Tehsil)), and princely states (Kapurthala, Malerkotla, Faridkot, Patiala, and Nabha) which are in the region that comprises the contemporary state of Punjab, India. See 1941 census data here:[61]:42
  6. Including Buddhism, Zoroastrianism, Judaism, Tribals, others, or not stated
  7. Immediately following the partition of India in 1947, districts and Princely states that ultimately fell on the eastern side of the Radcliffe Line formed the subdivision of East Punjab, which included Patiala and East Punjab States Union, Chief Commissioner's Province of Himachal Pradesh, and Bilaspur State.[58] The states that make up this region in the contemporary era are Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, and the Union Territory of Chandigarh.
  8. 1961 figure taken from the 1961 census of India by combining the total population of all districts (Firozpur, Amritsar, Hoshiarpur, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, and Gurdaspur, Bhatinda, Sangrur, Barnala, Patiala, and Kapurthala) which are in the region that comprises the contemporary state of Punjab, India. See 1961 census data here:[55][56]
  9. Immediately following the partition of India in 1947, districts and Princely states that ultimately fell on the eastern side of the Radcliffe Line formed up the subdivision of East Punjab, which included Patiala and East Punjab States Union, Chief Commissioner's Province of Himachal Pradesh, and Bilaspur State.[58] The states that make up this region in the contemporary era are Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, and the Union Territory of Chandigarh.
  10. 1951 figure taken from the 1951 census of India by combining the total population of all districts (Firozpur, Amritsar, Hoshiarpur, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, and Gurdaspur, Bhatinda, Sangrur, Barnala, Patiala, Kapurthala, and Fatehgarh Sahib) which are in the region that comprises the contemporary state of Punjab, India. See 1951 census data here:[58]
  11. 1941 figure taken from census data by combining the total population of all districts (Hisar, Rohtak, Gurgaon, Karnal, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Firozpur, Amritsar, Simla, Kangra, Ambala, Hoshiarpur, and Gurdaspur (minus Shakargarh Tehsil)), and princely states (Loharu, Dujana, Pataudi, Kalsia, Kapurthala, Malerkotla, Faridkot, Patiala, Jind, Nabha, Sirmoor, Simla Hill, Bilaspur, Mandi, Suket, and Chamba) in Punjab Province, British India that ultimately fell on the eastern side of the Radcliffe Line. See 1941 census data here:[61]:42
    Immediately following the partition of India in 1947, these districts and princely states would ultimately make up the subdivision of East Punjab, which also included Patiala and East Punjab States Union, Chief Commissioner's Province of Himachal Pradesh, and Bilaspur State. The states that make up this region in the contemporary era are Punjab, India, Chandigarh, Haryana, and Himachal Pradesh.
  12. Including Ad-Dharmis
  13. Does not include Shakargarh Tehsil, which was awarded to Pakistan as part of the Radcliffe Line.
  14. 1931 figure taken from census data by combining the total population of all districts (Hisar, Rohtak, Gurgaon, Karnal, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Firozpur, Amritsar, Simla, Kangra, Ambala, Hoshiarpur, and Gurdaspur (minus Shakargarh Tehsil)), and princely states (Loharu, Dujana, Pataudi, Kalsia, Kapurthala, Malerkotla, Faridkot, Patiala, Jind, Nabha, Sirmoor, Simla Hill, Bilaspur, Mandi, Suket, and Chamba) in Punjab Province, British India that ultimately fell on the eastern side of the Radcliffe Line. See 1931 census data here:[62]:277
    Immediately following the partition of India in 1947, these districts and princely states would ultimately make up the subdivision of East Punjab, which also included Patiala and East Punjab States Union, Chief Commissioner's Province of Himachal Pradesh, and Bilaspur State. The states that make up this region in the contemporary era are Punjab, India, Chandigarh, Haryana, and Himachal Pradesh.
  15. 1921 figure taken from census data by combining the total population of all districts (Hisar, Rohtak, Gurgaon, Karnal, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Firozpur, Amritsar, Simla, Kangra, Ambala, Hoshiarpur, and Gurdaspur (minus Shakargarh Tehsil)), and princely states (Loharu, Dujana, Pataudi, Kalsia, Kapurthala, Malerkotla, Faridkot, Patiala, Jind, Nabha, Nahan, Simla Hill, Bilaspur, Mandi, Suket, and Chamba) in Punjab Province, British India that ultimately fell on the eastern side of the Radcliffe Line. See 1921 census data here:[63]:29
    Immediately following the partition of India in 1947, these districts and princely states would ultimately make up the subdivision of East Punjab, which also included Patiala and East Punjab States Union, Chief Commissioner's Province of Himachal Pradesh, and Bilaspur State. The states that make up this region in the contemporary era are Punjab, India, Chandigarh, Haryana, and Himachal Pradesh.
  16. 1911 figure taken from census data by combining the total population of all districts (Hisar, Rohtak, Gurgaon, Delhi, Karnal, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Firozpur, Amritsar, Simla, Kangra, Ambala, Hoshiarpur, and Gurdaspur (minus Shakargarh Tehsil)), and princely states (Loharu, Dujana, Pataudi, Kalsia, Kapurthala, Malerkotla, Faridkot, Patiala, Jind, Nabha, Nahan, Simla Hill, Mandi, Suket, and Chamba) in Punjab Province, British India that ultimately fell on the eastern side of the Radcliffe Line. See 1911 census data here:[64]:27[65]:27
    Immediately following the partition of India in 1947, these districts and princely states would ultimately make up the subdivision of East Punjab, which also included Patiala and East Punjab States Union, Chief Commissioner's Province of Himachal Pradesh, and Bilaspur State. The states that make up this region in the contemporary era are Punjab, India, Chandigarh, Haryana, and Himachal Pradesh.
  17. 1901 figure taken from census data by combining the total population of all districts (Hisar, Rohtak, Gurgaon, Delhi, Karnal, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Firozpur, Amritsar, Simla, Kangra, Ambala, Hoshiarpur, and Gurdaspur (minus Shakargarh Tehsil)), and princely states (Loharu, Dujana, Pataudi, Kalsia, Kapurthala, Malerkotla, Faridkot, Patiala, Jind, Nabha, Nahan, Simla Hill, Mandi, Suket, and Chamba) in Punjab Province, British India that ultimately fell on the eastern side of the Radcliffe Line. See 1901 census data here:[66]:34
    Immediately following the partition of India in 1947, these districts and princely states would ultimately make up the subdivision of East Punjab, which also included Patiala and East Punjab States Union, Chief Commissioner's Province of Himachal Pradesh, and Bilaspur State. The states that make up this region in the contemporary era are Punjab, India, Chandigarh, Haryana, and Himachal Pradesh.

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