Quick facts
Kolkata overview
Kolkata (orange) and the other large cities of India
Kolkata lies in West Bengal in India at 22.56°N, 88.36°E, about 11 m above sea level. The local time zone is Asia/Kolkata (UTC+5:30); GeoNames classifies it as a regional capital.
It is smaller than Chennai (4,681,087) and larger than Surat (4,591,246). The largest city in India is Mumbai with 12,691,836 people.
The nearest large city is Howrah, about 5 km away, followed by Bāli (10 km).
India as a whole has a live population of 1,480,417,619 (+0.9% a year) and ranks #1 of 238 countries — see the India population page for the full statistics and the India atlas for provinces, terrain and society maps.
Cities near Kolkata
| City | Distance | Population |
|---|---|---|
| Howrah West Bengal | 5 km | 1,027,672 |
| Bāli West Bengal | 10 km | 296,973 |
| Dam Dam West Bengal | 10 km | 122,719 |
| Kāmārhāti West Bengal | 12 km | 332,965 |
| Maheshtala West Bengal | 13 km | 448,317 |
| Pānihāti West Bengal | 14 km | 378,705 |
| Rajpur Sonarpur West Bengal | 16 km | 424,368 |
| Madhyamgram West Bengal | 16 km | 161,126 |
Largest cities in India
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Kolkata?
Kolkata has about 4,631,392 inhabitants according to the latest official census or estimate compiled by GeoNames. This is the city proper; the metropolitan area is larger.
Is Kolkata the capital of India?
No — Kolkata is the 7th largest city of India.
How big is Kolkata compared with the rest of India?
Its 4,631,392 residents are 0.3% of the 1,480,417,619 people living in India today. Mumbai is larger with 12,691,836 people.
Where is Kolkata?
In West Bengal, India, at latitude 22.56 and longitude 88.36, 11 m above sea level. Nearby large cities include Howrah (5 km), Bāli (10 km), Dam Dam (10 km).
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Cite or link to this page
Glostats. (2026). Kolkata Population 2026 — India. Retrieved October 20, 2026, from https://glostats.com/cities/india/kolkata/<a href="https://glostats.com/cities/india/kolkata/">Kolkata Population 2026 — India</a> — GlostatsFigures on this page may be quoted, charted or republished as long as the page is credited with a link. Terms · Download the data as CSV · Embed a live counter.
City populations are GeoNames figures (CC BY 4.0): the latest official census or estimate for the city proper — the municipality, not the wider metropolitan area — so they can differ from "metro area" numbers you see elsewhere. Country populations are live Glostats estimates from the UN World Population Prospects. Distances are great-circle distances between city centres. Page generated 2026-10-20. More about our data.