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The total number of Sanskrit Speakers in India according to 2001 census is 14,135 of which 8,189 are males and 5,946 are females.
The Table below shows Mother tongues grouped under Sanskrit Language
| Mother Tongues | Number of Speakers |
|---|---|
| Sanskrit | 14,135 |
| Sanskrit | 14,099 |
| Others | 36 |
The main places of habitat of the Sanskrit speech community are Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan, Karnataka.
The below table gives the picture of male-female distribution of Sanskrit speakers in the States and Union Territories of India according to 2001 census.
| India/State/Union Territory# | Persons | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|---|
| India* | 14,135 | 8,189 | 5,946 |
| Uttar Pradesh | 7,048 | 3,856 | 3,192 |
| Andhra Pradesh | 1,340 | 884 | 456 |
| Rajasthan | 989 | 587 | 402 |
| Karnataka | 830 | 476 | 354 |
| Bihar | 754 | 413 | 341 |
| Uttaranchal | 420 | 255 | 165 |
| Maharashtra | 408 | 241 | 167 |
| Madhya Pradesh | 381 | 219 | 162 |
| Delhi# | 288 | 193 | 95 |
| Himachal Pradesh | 236 | 180 | 56 |
| Jharkhand | 210 | 118 | 92 |
| Haryana | 204 | 148 | 56 |
| Kerala | 166 | 90 | 76 |
| Gujarat | 140 | 85 | 55 |
| West Bengal | 138 | 81 | 57 |
| Orissa | 128 | 79 | 49 |
| Chhattisgarh | 128 | 68 | 60 |
| Punjab | 108 | 65 | 43 |
| Assam | 51 | 29 | 22 |
| Tamil Nadu | 50 | 31 | 19 |
| Goa | 46 | 24 | 22 |
| Chandigarh# | 22 | 21 | 1 |
| Jammu & Kashmir | 19 | 17 | 2 |
| Daman & Diu# | 10 | 10 | 0 |
| Mizoram | 6 | 6 | 0 |
| Nagaland | 5 | 5 | 0 |
| Pondicherry | 5 | 3 | 2 |
| Sikkim | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| Arunachal Pradesh | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Meghalaya | 1 | 1 | 0 |
The following table shows the rural-urban distribution of Sanskrit speakers in the States and Union Territories of India according to 2001 census.
| India/State/Union Territory# | Persons | Rural | Urban |
|---|---|---|---|
| India* | 14,135 | 8,162 | 5,973 |
| Uttar Pradesh | 7,048 | 5,230 | 1,818 |
| Andhra Pradesh | 1,340 | 540 | 800 |
| Rajasthan | 989 | 467 | 522 |
| Karnataka | 830 | 308 | 522 |
| Bihar | 754 | 652 | 102 |
| Uttaranchal | 420 | 25 | 395 |
| Maharashtra | 408 | 49 | 359 |
| Madhya Pradesh | 381 | 168 | 213 |
| Delhi# | 288 | 9 | 279 |
| Himachal Pradesh | 236 | 130 | 106 |
| Jharkhand | 210 | 56 | 154 |
| Haryana | 204 | 103 | 101 |
| Kerala | 166 | 129 | 37 |
| Gujarat | 140 | 14 | 126 |
| West Bengal | 138 | 86 | 52 |
| Orissa | 128 | 45 | 83 |
| Chhattisgarh | 128 | 31 | 97 |
| Punjab | 108 | 36 | 72 |
| Assam | 51 | 27 | 24 |
| Tamil Nadu | 50 | 10 | 40 |
| Goa | 46 | 21 | 25 |
| Chandigarh# | 22 | 0 | 22 |
| Jammu & Kashmir | 19 | 1 | 18 |
| Daman & Diu# | 10 | 10 | 0 |
| Mizoram | 6 | 6 | 0 |
| Nagaland | 5 | 5 | 0 |
| Pondicherry | 5 | 0 | 5 |
| Sikkim | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| Arunachal Pradesh | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Meghalaya | 1 | 0 | 1 |
The table below shows the decennial growth of Sanskrit speakers in 4 consecutive census reports.
| Year | Language Speakers | Decadal Percentage Increase |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 2,212 | * |
| 1981 | 6,106 | 176.04 |
| 1991 | 49,736 | 714.54 |
| 2001 | 14,135 | -71.58 |
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