# Shillong, East Khasi Hills (Meghalaya) – City Population

> Source: https://wherepedia.org/india/meghalaya/east-khasi-hills/mylliem/shillong-801544/

City · East Khasi Hills, Meghalaya 

# Shillong

Shillong is a city in Mylliem sub-district of East Khasi Hills district, Meghalaya (MB). The 2011 Census counted **143,229 people** in 31,025 households. Literacy was 92.8%.

- 143,229people (2011)
- 31,025households
- 92.8%literacy
- 27census wards

## Population of Shillong

■ Shillong · ■ East Khasi Hills urban average

Literacy (age 7+) ****92.8%**

**91.4%

Sex ratio (F per 1,000 M) ****1042**

**1010

Child sex ratio (0–6) ****936**

**937

Working population ****38.3%**

**37.1%

Source: [Census of India 2011, Primary Census Abstract (town, village and ward level), all districts](https://censusindia.gov.in/nada/index.php/catalog).

## Homes and amenities in Shillong

Of every 100 households in Shillong in 2011, 99 had electricity, 98 a toilet at home and 63 cooked with LPG; 90 had a mobile phone, 9 a two-wheeler and 18 a car.

■ Shillong · ■ East Khasi Hills urban average

Electricity for lighting ****99%**

**98%

Toilet within the home ****98%**

**97%

No toilet (open defecation) ****1%**

**2%

Tap water ****95%**

**86%

Drinking water within premises ****86%**

**63%

Cooking with LPG / PNG ****63%**

**51%

Cooking with firewood / dung / crop residue ****3%**

**10%

Use banking services ****83%**

**76%

Television ****84%**

**78%

Mobile phone ****90%**

**84%

Computer with internet ****9%**

**6%

Two-wheeler ****9%**

**9%

Car / jeep / van ****18%**

**16%

None of these assets ****3%**

**7%

Own their home ****26%**

**30%

Source: [Census of India 2011, Houselisting and Housing Census – households by amenities and assets (HH-14)](https://censusindia.gov.in/nada/index.php/catalog).

## Shillong in history

The 11th edition of the *Encyclopaedia Britannica* (1911) described Shillong as follows. Its wording reflects its time; spellings are as printed.

> SHILLONG, a town of British India, in the Khasi Hills district of Eastern Bengal and Assam. It is situated in 25° 34′ N. and 91° 53′ E., on a plateau 4978 ft. above the sea, 63 m. by cart-road S. of Gauhati, on the Brahmaputra. Shillong practically dates from 1864, when the district headquarters were transferred from Cherrapunji. It was chosen as the seat of government in 1874, when the province of Assam was constituted. Every one of the public buildings and houses that quickly grew up was levelled to the ground by the great earthquake of the 12th of June 1897, but they have since been rebuilt. Cantonments are provided for a battalion of Gurkhas with two guns, and Shillong is the headquarters of the Assam brigade of the 8th division of the Northern army. There are a government high school and a training school for masters. The Welsh Presbyterian mission is active in promoting education. Since 1905, when Dacca became the capital of the new province of Eastern Bengal and Assam, Shillong has declined in importance; but it is still the summer residence of the government and the headquarters of the district.

Source: [Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th edition (1911) — public domain; transcription via Wikisource](https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/1911_Encyclop%C3%A6dia_Britannica).

Boundaries in 1901 may differ from today's; sentences describing castes or communities are omitted.

## What people in Shillong work as

********

**■** Services, trade & industry 52,301 (95%) · **■** Household industry 306 (1%) · **■** Farming 144 (0%) · **■** Marginal 2,056 (4%)

Source: [Census of India 2011, Primary Census Abstract (town, village and ward level), all districts](https://censusindia.gov.in/nada/index.php/catalog).

## How has the population of Shillong changed?

From 9,621 in 1901 to 143,229 in 2011.

**1901

**1911

**1921

**1931

**1941

**1951

**1961

**1971

**1981

**1991

**2001

**2011

Source: [Census of India 2011, District Census Handbook – town directory](https://censusindia.gov.in/nada/index.php/catalog).

## Shillong in numbers and road distances

- Density13,825 per km²
- Growth 2001–20117.8%
- Annual rainfall2,299 mm
- Temperature range14 °C to 20 °C

### Road distances

- Guwahati (city of 5 lakh+)103 km by road
- Guwahati (railway station)103 km by road

Source: [Census of India 2011, District Census Handbook – town directory](https://censusindia.gov.in/nada/index.php/catalog).

## Services and economy in Shillong

### Civic services

- Pucca roads112 km
- DrainageOpen and closed drains
- Flush toilets30,911
- Water storage450 kl
- Fire serviceIn town
- Electricity — homes24,450
- Electricity — industry25

### Hospitals

- ●Allopathic hospitals1 · 600 beds · 57 doctors
- ●Alternative-medicine hospitals1 · 20 beds · 2 doctors
- ●Dispensaries6 · 6 doctors
- ●Veterinary hospitals1 · 2 beds · 8 doctors

### Schools and colleges

- ●Primary schools21 govt · 35 private
- ●Senior secondary schools4 govt · 20 private
- ●Engineering colleges1 govt

### Banks

- Nationalised banks39
- Private banks5
- Co-operative banks5

**Main manufactured goods:** bakery products and blacksmithy.

Source: [Census of India 2011, District Census Handbook – town directory](https://censusindia.gov.in/nada/index.php/catalog).

## Hospitals, banks, ATMs and more in Shillong

- Hospitals14 in Shillong
- Banks63 in Shillong
- ATMs18 in Shillong
- Petrol pumps13 in Shillong
- Hotels105 in Shillong
- Shopping malls5 in Shillong
- Schools10 in Shillong
- Colleges and universities18 in Shillong
- Cinemas2 in Shillong
- Pharmacies1 in Shillong
- Restaurants75 in Shillong
- Police stations2 in Shillong
- Dental clinics9 in Shillong

Source: [Overture Maps Foundation places, release 2026-10-21.0 (CDLA-Permissive-2.0, Apache-2.0 or CC0 by source)](https://docs.overturemaps.org/attribution/).

## Shillong ward list (2011)

Ward (2011) People Households 

[Ward 1](https://wherepedia.org/india/meghalaya/east-khasi-hills/mylliem/shillong-801544/ward-1/) 11,537 2,714 

[Ward 2](https://wherepedia.org/india/meghalaya/east-khasi-hills/mylliem/shillong-801544/ward-2/) 3,266 781 

[Ward 3](https://wherepedia.org/india/meghalaya/east-khasi-hills/mylliem/shillong-801544/ward-3/) 5,437 1,240 

[Ward 4](https://wherepedia.org/india/meghalaya/east-khasi-hills/mylliem/shillong-801544/ward-4/) 2,753 589 

[Ward 5](https://wherepedia.org/india/meghalaya/east-khasi-hills/mylliem/shillong-801544/ward-5/) 4,908 1,115 

[Ward 6](https://wherepedia.org/india/meghalaya/east-khasi-hills/mylliem/shillong-801544/ward-6/) 4,888 1,053 

[Ward 7](https://wherepedia.org/india/meghalaya/east-khasi-hills/mylliem/shillong-801544/ward-7/) 4,891 1,108 

[Ward 8](https://wherepedia.org/india/meghalaya/east-khasi-hills/mylliem/shillong-801544/ward-8/) 6,009 1,301 

[Ward 9](https://wherepedia.org/india/meghalaya/east-khasi-hills/mylliem/shillong-801544/ward-9/) 2,145 420 

[Ward 10](https://wherepedia.org/india/meghalaya/east-khasi-hills/mylliem/shillong-801544/ward-10/) 5,766 1,212 

[Ward 11](https://wherepedia.org/india/meghalaya/east-khasi-hills/mylliem/shillong-801544/ward-11/) 4,863 978 

[Ward 12](https://wherepedia.org/india/meghalaya/east-khasi-hills/mylliem/shillong-801544/ward-12/) 2,797 608 

[Ward 13](https://wherepedia.org/india/meghalaya/east-khasi-hills/mylliem/shillong-801544/ward-13/) 5,337 1,213 

[Ward 14](https://wherepedia.org/india/meghalaya/east-khasi-hills/mylliem/shillong-801544/ward-14/) 3,032 691 

[Ward 15](https://wherepedia.org/india/meghalaya/east-khasi-hills/mylliem/shillong-801544/ward-15/) 3,838 752 

[Ward 16](https://wherepedia.org/india/meghalaya/east-khasi-hills/mylliem/shillong-801544/ward-16/) 4,067 783 

[Ward 17](https://wherepedia.org/india/meghalaya/east-khasi-hills/mylliem/shillong-801544/ward-17/) 3,270 621 

[Ward 18](https://wherepedia.org/india/meghalaya/east-khasi-hills/mylliem/shillong-801544/ward-18/) 3,875 764 

[Ward 19](https://wherepedia.org/india/meghalaya/east-khasi-hills/mylliem/shillong-801544/ward-19/) 4,556 967 

[Ward 20](https://wherepedia.org/india/meghalaya/east-khasi-hills/mylliem/shillong-801544/ward-20/) 10,613 2,118 

[Ward 21](https://wherepedia.org/india/meghalaya/east-khasi-hills/mylliem/shillong-801544/ward-21/) 14,009 2,865 

[Ward 22](https://wherepedia.org/india/meghalaya/east-khasi-hills/mylliem/shillong-801544/ward-22/) 2,973 675 

[Ward 23](https://wherepedia.org/india/meghalaya/east-khasi-hills/mylliem/shillong-801544/ward-23/) 8,161 1,865 

[Ward 24](https://wherepedia.org/india/meghalaya/east-khasi-hills/mylliem/shillong-801544/ward-24/) 3,568 842 

[Ward 25](https://wherepedia.org/india/meghalaya/east-khasi-hills/mylliem/shillong-801544/ward-25/) 5,218 1,206 

[Ward 26](https://wherepedia.org/india/meghalaya/east-khasi-hills/mylliem/shillong-801544/ward-26/) 6,319 1,372 

[Ward 27](https://wherepedia.org/india/meghalaya/east-khasi-hills/mylliem/shillong-801544/ward-27/) 5,133 1,172 

Source: [Census of India 2011, Primary Census Abstract (town, village and ward level), all districts](https://censusindia.gov.in/nada/index.php/catalog).

Census wards of 2011; municipal ward boundaries may have changed since.

## Know before you go: Shillong

- Time zoneUTC+5:30, no daylight saving · Asia/Kolkata
- CurrencyRupee (INR)
- Country calling code+91
- LanguagesEnglish, Hindi, Bengali, Telugu, Marathi, Tamil
- Plug typesType C, D · 230 V
- Driving sideLeft
- Postcode format6 digits (######)

### Nearest airports

- Shillong Airport (SHL) · Shillong18 km
- Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport (GAU) · Guwahati67 km

### Daylight

Days are longest in Jun (about 13.7 hours, sunrise around 04:30) and shortest in Dec (about 10.6 hours, sunrise around 06:00, sunset around 16:34).

Source: [GeoNames country and time-zone files (CC BY 4.0)](https://www.geonames.org/); [Wikidata (CC0) — plug types, mains voltage, driving side; retrieved 2026-11-02](https://www.wikidata.org/); [OurAirports (public domain)](https://ourairports.com/data/).

Airports with scheduled passenger flights; straight-line distances. Daylight is calculated for the 15th of each month in local standard time. Check entry and visa rules with official government sources before travelling.

## Quick answers

- What is the population of Shillong?143,229 (Census 2011)
- Which district is Shillong in?East Khasi Hills district, Meghalaya
- What was the population of Shillong in 1901?9,621
- How many wards does Shillong have?27 census wards (2011)
- What plug type is used in Shillong?Type C, D, 230 V
- What is the nearest airport to Shillong?Shillong Airport (SHL), about 18 km in a straight line