---
title: "Census Towns: Definition and Criteria | Model Diplomat"
description: "Census towns are settlements in India classified as urban based on population and employment criteria, important for understanding urbanization trends."
url: "https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/glossary/census-towns"
---

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Model Diplomat Research Team · Last reviewed June 22, 2026

TL;DR

- A census town is a settlement that lacks a municipal civic body but satisfies India's demographic criteria of population, density, and non-agricultural employment for urban classification.
- What are the three criteria for a census town in India?
- How does a census town differ from a statutory town?
- Why did the number of census towns nearly triple between 2001 and 2011?
- Why are census towns considered a governance problem?

[Civil Service & Diplomatic Exams](https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/civil-services/glossary)Updated June 22, 2026

A census town is a settlement that lacks a municipal civic body but satisfies India's demographic criteria of population, density, and non-agricultural employment for urban classification.

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In the 2011 Census, the Registrar General of India classified 3,894 settlements as census towns, up from 1,362 in 2001, with West Bengal alongside Kerala and Tamil Nadu accounting for a large share of this near-tripling.

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