Jain Population in Uttar Pradesh: Census 2011 Data and Census 2027 Dates

The Census of India 2011 recorded 2,13,267 Jain population in Uttar Pradesh, representing 4.79% of India's total recorded Jain population and 0.11% of the state's population. Uttar Pradesh ranks 6th among all states by Jain population.

Jain Population in Uttar Pradesh by District (Census 2011)

The two Uttar Pradesh districts with more than 1% Jain population, as recorded in Census 2011 and compiled by the Office of the Registrar General, India, are:

These are the only two Uttar Pradesh districts where Jains constitute more than 1% of the population. Other districts with significant Jain communities include Agra, Meerut, Lucknow, Varanasi, and Kanpur, though district-level Jain population figures for these are not separately published in the Census 2011 summary tables. The state total of 2,13,267 is spread across the 71 districts as constituted at Census 2011.

According to Jainworld's analysis of Census 2011 data, the top six states — Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh — along with Delhi, together account for roughly 90% of India's recorded Jain population. Community estimates suggest the estimated Jain population across India is 2 crore or more (20 million+).

For the full story on why the Jain population count is likely understated, read Jain Janganana 2027.

Significance of Bagpat and Baraut in Jain Population

Bagpat district's 1.24% Jain share reflects a deeply rooted community, not a recent one. Baraut, a trading town in Baghpat district, has been home to Jain families for over 650 years. The Digambar Jain Bara Mandir in Baraut is one of the largest Jain temples in western Uttar Pradesh. The town holds a three-day Mahavir Jayanti gathering every April. Khekra, another town in the same district, has a Jain temple at Badagaon.

Lalitpur district, in Bundelkhand, has three documented Jain temples: Bada Mandir, Ata Mandir, and Kshetrapalji. At 1.67%, Lalitpur has the highest Jain percentage of any Uttar Pradesh district.

Why Ayodhya and Mathura Matter to the Jain Community

Uttar Pradesh holds Ayodhya, where five Tirthankaras were born: Adinath (1st), Ajitanath (2nd), Abhinandananath (4th), Sumatinath (5th), and Anantanath (14th). Mathura has Jain sculptures dated to the 1st century BCE recovered from archaeological excavations. Both cities are among the most significant Jain heritage sites in India.

Why the Jain Count Falls Short in Uttar Pradesh

Two verified causes explain the gap between the recorded figure and the real population.

The first is what goes in the religion column. According to the Jain Population Study in India: National Report, ISJS, 2019, only 28.8% of Jain respondents use "Jain" as their surname, while 65.7% use surnames shared across communities. In Uttar Pradesh, surnames like Agrawal, Bansal, and Mittal appear across Hindu and Jain families. When a religion column gets filled based on a surname or left incomplete, that household does not appear in the Jain total.

The second is geographic dispersal. Uttar Pradesh's Jain community is spread across every district of the state. In most of those districts, Jain families are a small fraction of the local population. Smaller towns and villages where only a few Jain families live are the places most likely to have religion column entries recorded under a gotra name or left incomplete. Those entries are not counted as Jain.

For clarity on why Jain is a religion and not a caste, and what to write in each column, read Is Jain a religion or caste?.

Census 2027 Phase 2: What Uttar Pradesh Jain Households Must Know

Uttar Pradesh is one of four poll-bound regions — Goa, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and the non-snowbound areas of Uttarakhand — where Phase 2 has been advanced. According to gazette notification S.O. 4729(E) dated 5 September 2026, signed by Mritunjay Kumar Narayan, Registrar General of India:

• Phase 2 self-enumeration at se.census.gov.in: 16 to 30 November 2026
• House-to-house enumeration: 1 December 2026 to 4 January 2027

Phase 2 is where religion is recorded. Question 9 on the official household schedule is "Religion." Write Jain. Not a gotra name, not a caste name. Just Jain. Question 10 is caste — a separate column entirely.

Register at leteveryjaincount.info to receive a reminder when the 16 November window opens.

When the window opens, go to se.census.gov.in, complete the household questionnaire, and save the SEID number you receive. When the enumerator visits between 1 December and 4 January, share the SEID. That visit is mandatory whether or not self-enumeration was completed.

For step-by-step instructions, read the Let Every Jain Count self-enumeration guide.

Phase 2 for Uttar Pradesh opens 16 November 2026. For the first time, the count is in our own hands.

Call 92898-11008 for support. Visit leteveryjaincount.info. To volunteer, register here.