BHUBANESWAR: Ganjam is Orissa's most populous district but Balangir records the highest growth. The Census 2011, provisional results of which were declared today, has revealed that with a population of 35,20,151 Ganjam is State's most inhabited district, followed by Cuttack with 26,18,708. Mayurbhanj and Balasore follow closely with Khurda ranked fifth with a population of 22,46,341. With a head count of 3,12,164, Deogarh is the smallest in terms of population. However, it is Balangir which has taken the enumerators by surprise by recording a massive 23.29 per cent decadal growth rate, the highest among the districts. Its population stands at 16,48,574. An analysis of the decadal population growth during 1991-2001 showed that Balangir was the slowest among the 30 districts with a growth rate of 8.63 per cent. In fact, it was the only one whose growth rate was below 10 per cent in the State. However, it has made an unprecedented turn around. From a population of 13.37 lakh in 2001, it's 23.29 per cent growth to 16 lakh-plus has surprised one and all. Malkangiri is the only other district where the population growth rate is in the 20s. There are 11 districts which registered a growth rate of 12 to 15 per cent in the last decade while an equal number had recorded a higher growth of 15 to 18 per cent during 1991-2001. According to Director of Census Operations Bishnupada Sethi, the density of population in the State has risen from 236 in 2001 to 269 in 2011. Khurda stood right at the top with a density of 799, marking a jump of 132 points in a span of 10 years. Jagatsinghpur and Cuttack followed with 681 and 666. Kandhamal remained at the bottom with a density of 91 (against 81 in 2001) with Malkangiri just above it having 106 persons living in one sq km area.