ગુજરાતી
English
50 percent of the population lives in 149 small towns and 17 big cities of Gujarat, due to which the rural population is at risk.
Dilip Patel
Ahmedabad, 20 June 2026
In Gujarat, the influence of people living in cities has increased so much that the power to form the government has now come to the urban voters. Therefore, the political influence of rural areas has reduced. That’s why the government listens to the cities and not the rural people. That is why most of the movements against the government are taking place in rural areas. Because the influence of industries is now more on rural land. They are very arbitrary. Farmer movements are showing increasing political influence in cities. Because the farmers had carried out the biggest agitation in 2003, after that the people of Gramya Vistara have carried out the biggest farmer agitation in 2026. The reason for this is the increasing influence of industry on their land, which they are opposing. Socialist businessmen live in cities and run corporate offices in the cities. He has increased his influence in rural areas with double the strength. One is finance and the other is urban authority. Gujarat is no longer rural Gujarat. More than 50 percent of the population has gone to cities. 55 percent of politicians are elected from cities. Leaders of political parties are now coming from cities. Therefore, now the decline of villages is going to happen very fast. Which no one can stop.
Gujarat is running from villages to cities. Half the population now lives in urban areas. Villages are empty, cities are full. 50% of Gujarat’s population is now urban. Half of Gujarat in 149 municipalities, 17 cities and 18 thousand villages. A big challenge has arisen in front of people’s lives. Gujarat has become a victim of cities. The share of village people in the state power and economy is continuously decreasing. Half of Gujarat is stuck in cities. The future of villages is in danger. In the tsunami of urbanization, 50% of Gujarat’s population has moved to cities. The villages have been pushed back. Half of Gujarat lives in 17 metropolitan cities and 149 municipalities. From villages to metropolitan cities, the population balance of Gujarat has changed rapidly. The pressure of urban politics has increased on rural Gujarat. Half the population has reached cities. Cities have grown, villages have shrunk and hence new questions have arisen on the development model of Gujarat. Because cities are swallowing Gujarat. 50% of the population is in urban areas, the concern for villages has increased. Is Gujarat model development or displacement? Under Modi rule, half of Gujarat has now come to cities. There is a flow of people from villages to cities. Economic inequality is increasing due to major changes in the social map of Gujarat. The growing empire of urban Gujarat is actually responsible for the shrinking existence of rural Gujarat. 17 metros and 149 municipalities cover half of Gujarat’s population.
Cities are swallowing up Gujarat As half the population moves to 17 big cities and 149 municipalities, new threats arise for rural Gujarat, home to 18,000 villages. The direct result of this is the farmers’ movement.
The following details are mathematical. is estimated. Therefore no one should consider this as final. Accurate details will be available once the census is completed. Till then details have been given only by guesswork. Because the government has shown great negligence in the census since 2011. That’s why the plan is going haywire.
Urban population 17 municipalities and 149 townships
The estimated total population of Gujarat (2025-26) may be 7.8 to 8.2 crore.
About 1.5 to 1.8 crore people live in 149 municipalities of Gujarat.
Including the 2.82 crore population of the 17 municipalities, the total urban population of the state comes to about 4.5 crore, representing more than half of Gujarat’s total population.
area
The official total figure for the total area of Gujarat’s 149 municipalities is not available, but based on the size of the municipalities, it can be estimated to be 2,840 square kilometres.
Large municipalities can be 25 and average 40 square kilometers. Which can be considered as 1 thousand square kilometers.
There are 60 medium municipalities, with an average area of 20 square kilometers and many of which can be considered to be 1200 square kilometers.
The number of small municipalities is 64. If the average area is considered to be 10 square kilometers then it can be estimated at 640 square kilometers.
Thus the total area of 149 municipalities is 2,840 square km. can be considered approximate.
If the area of an average municipality is 15-25 square km. Is. If we assume, the total area of 149 municipalities of Gujarat can be between 2,500 to 3,500 square kilometers.
Comparison with municipalities
Range Area (Sq. Km.)
Considering the area of 17 municipal corporations as 2,749 square kilometers and the area of 149 municipal corporations as 2,840 square kilometers, the total area of urban local bodies can be estimated at 5,500 to 6,000 square kilometers.
The total area of Gujarat is approximately 1,96,024 square kilometers.
If the area of 149 municipalities is 2,840 sq.km. Is. This is about 1.4% of the total area of the state. The urban local bodies comprising 17 municipalities have an area of approximately 5,500–6,000 sq km. Which is about 3% of the total area of Gujarat.
Thus, cities account for less than 5 percent of the total land area of Gujarat.
Area of 17 major cities in square kilometers and population
The total area of 17 municipalities of Gujarat is approximately 2,749 square kilometers.
City – Sq.Km. -Population in lakhs
Ahmedabad – 505 – 92
Surat –
475 – 85
Vadodara – 235 – 28
Rajkot – 170 – 24
Gandhinagar – 326 – 5
Bhavnagar – 108 – 8
Jamnagar – 170 – 8
Junagadh – 90 – 5
Gandhidham – 190 – 4
Mehsana – 75 – 4
Morbi – 90 – 3.5
Bharuch – 65 – 3
Navsari – 60 – 2.5
Vapi – 45 – 3
Anand – 55 – 2.8
Nadiad – 50 – 2.5
Porbandar – 40 – 2
Approximately 81% of Gujarat’s total urban metropolitan population resides in just four cities: Ahmedabad, Surat, Vadodara, and Rajkot.
Ahmedabad (505 sq. km.) and Surat (475 sq. km.) are the largest metropolitan areas in terms of geographical area.
About 35–38% of Gujarat’s total estimated population (7.5–8 crore) resides in these 17 municipalities.
Municipality
Gujarat’s estimated total population (2025–26) is projected to be between 7.8 and 8.2 crore.
The estimated population of the 149 municipalities is projected to be between 1.5 and 1.8 crore.
Approximately 19% to 23% of Gujarat’s total population resides in municipalities. Municipality/City – Estimated Population (in lakhs) – Area (sq. km.)
Palanpur – 3.5 – 55
Patan – 1.8 – 40
Deesa – 1.5 – 32
Himmatnagar – 2.0 – 45
Modasa – 1.2 – 25
Godhra – 1.7 – 42
Dahod – 1.5 – 36
Lunawada – 0.7 – 15
Aark – 1.1 – 22
Petlad – 0.8 – 18
Kalol – 2.0 – 36
Visnagar – 1.0 – 20
Veraval – 2.2 – 58
Amreli – 1.3 – 30
Botad – 1.4 – 28
Dwarka – 0.6 – 20
Bhuj – 2.0 – 55
Anjar – 1.1 – 27
Municipalities with the highest population
Palanpur – 3.5 lakhs
[Property/Count] – 2.2 lakhs
Himmatnagar – 2.0 lakhs
Kalol – 2.0 lakhs
Bhuj – 2.0 lakhs
Municipalities with the largest area
Veraval – 58 sq. km.
Palanpur – 55 sq. km.
Bhuj – 55 sq. km.
Himmatnagar – 45 sq. km.
Godhra – 42 sq. km. (Google translation from Gujarati; refer to the original report)
