Top 10 Largest States in India by Area
Rajasthan is the largest state in India by area, covering about 3.42 lakh square kilometres, or just over 10 percent of the country. Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra are second and third and are almost the same size, followed by Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat. Together the ten states on this list cover about two-thirds of India's land area.
Number one on this list is Rajasthan — Rajasthan covers about 3.42 lakh square kilometres, just over a tenth of India. See why, plus 9 more →
Areas are taken from the Census of India and the Survey of India, as used in standard government reference material, and are rounded to the nearest thousand square kilometres. The ranking covers the 28 states only. Union territories are not included, so Ladakh and Jammu and Kashmir, which became union territories in 2019, do not appear. Andhra Pradesh is listed with its area after Telangana was separated from it in 2014. India's total area is about 32.87 lakh square kilometres. Figures in different sources can vary slightly because of later survey revisions and boundary changes, but the order of the top 10 is the same in all of them. The share of India's area shown for each state is worked out from the same figures.
The full ranking — 10 picks
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Rank 1
Rajasthan
Capital: JaipurRajasthan covers about 3.42 lakh square kilometres, just over a tenth of India. Much of the west of the state is the Thar Desert, while the Aravalli hills run across it from south-west to north-east. It shares a long border with Pakistan and is known for its forts, palaces and desert cities such as Jaisalmer and Bikaner.
about 3.42 lakh sq kmarea about 10.4%share of India -
Rank 2
Madhya Pradesh
Capital: BhopalMadhya Pradesh was the largest state until Chhattisgarh was carved out of it in 2000. It now covers about 3.08 lakh square kilometres in the centre of the country, with the Narmada river, large forests and tiger reserves such as Kanha and Bandhavgarh. It is often called the heart of India.
about 3.08 lakh sq kmarea about 9.4%share of India -
Rank 3
Maharashtra
Capital: MumbaiMaharashtra covers about 3.08 lakh square kilometres, only slightly less than Madhya Pradesh. It runs from the Konkan coast over the Western Ghats to the Deccan Plateau and the Vidarbha region in the east. It is also the second most populous state and the largest state economy in India.
about 3.08 lakh sq kmarea about 9.4%share of India -
Rank 4
Uttar Pradesh
Capital: LucknowUttar Pradesh covers about 2.41 lakh square kilometres of the Ganga plains. It lost its northern hill districts when Uttarakhand was formed in 2000, but it remains the fourth-largest state by area and by far the largest by population. Agra, Varanasi and Ayodhya are among its best-known cities.
about 2.41 lakh sq kmarea about 7.3%share of India -
Rank 5
Gujarat
Capital: GandhinagarGujarat covers about 1.96 lakh square kilometres and has the longest coastline of any Indian state. The Rann of Kutch, a vast seasonal salt marsh, takes up much of its north-west, and the Gir forest is the last wild home of the Asiatic lion. Ahmedabad and Surat are its biggest cities.
about 1.96 lakh sq kmarea about 6.0%share of India -
Rank 6
Karnataka
Capital: BengaluruKarnataka covers about 1.92 lakh square kilometres of south-western India, from the Arabian Sea coast over the Western Ghats to the Deccan Plateau. It is the largest state in south India by area and is home to Bengaluru, India's technology capital, as well as the ruins of Hampi.
about 1.92 lakh sq kmarea about 5.8%share of India -
Rank 7
Andhra Pradesh
Capital: AmaravatiAndhra Pradesh covers about 1.63 lakh square kilometres after Telangana was separated from it in 2014. Before that division it was the fourth-largest state. It has one of the longest coastlines in India along the Bay of Bengal, and the Godavari and Krishna rivers form large fertile deltas there.
about 1.63 lakh sq kmarea about 5.0%share of India -
Rank 8
Odisha
Capital: BhubaneswarOdisha covers about 1.56 lakh square kilometres on the east coast. It is rich in minerals such as iron ore, bauxite and coal, and is known for the Jagannath Temple in Puri, the Sun Temple at Konark and Chilika, the largest brackish-water lagoon in India.
about 1.56 lakh sq kmarea about 4.7%share of India -
Rank 9
Chhattisgarh
Capital: Raipur (Nava Raipur)Chhattisgarh was formed from Madhya Pradesh in 2000 and covers about 1.35 lakh square kilometres. Forests cover a large share of the state, and it is one of India's main producers of coal, iron ore and steel. The Bastar region in the south is home to many Adivasi communities.
about 1.35 lakh sq kmarea about 4.1%share of India -
Rank 10
Tamil Nadu
Capital: ChennaiTamil Nadu covers about 1.30 lakh square kilometres at the southern tip of the peninsula. It is one of the most urbanised and industrialised states, known for car and electronics manufacturing around Chennai, and for its temple towns such as Madurai, Thanjavur and Rameswaram.
about 1.30 lakh sq kmarea about 4.0%share of India
About this list
Top 10 Largest States in India by Area runs from 1 to 10. Rajasthan takes the top spot, and Tamil Nadu closes it out at number 10. It was first published on 24 September 2026.
Spotted something out of date, or an entry you would rank differently? Tell us — the order on this page is revised as the picks change.
Frequently asked questions
Which is the largest state in India by area?
Rajasthan, with an area of about 3.42 lakh square kilometres, just over 10 percent of India's total area. It became the largest state when Madhya Pradesh was divided to create Chhattisgarh in 2000.
Which is the smallest state in India?
Goa is the smallest state by area, at about 3,702 square kilometres. Among union territories, Lakshadweep is the smallest.
Which is the second largest state in India?
Madhya Pradesh, with about 3.08 lakh square kilometres. Maharashtra is only slightly smaller, at about 3.077 lakh square kilometres.
Which is the largest union territory in India?
Ladakh is the largest union territory by area. Jammu and Kashmir is second. Both became union territories in 2019.
What is the total area of India?
India's total area is about 32.87 lakh square kilometres, or 3.287 million square kilometres, making it the seventh-largest country in the world.
What is number 1 on Top 10 Largest States in India by Area?
Rajasthan is ranked number 1 on Top 10 Largest States in India by Area. Rajasthan covers about 3.42 lakh square kilometres, just over a tenth of India.
When was this list last updated?
This list was last updated on 24 September 2026.
Which category does this list belong to?
It sits in the Education category. Top colleges, schools, courses and learning resources. Every Education list is at trendingpunjabi.com/top/category/education, and all TrendingPunjabi top lists are at trendingpunjabi.com/top/.
