Katihar

District in Bihar

PopulationCensus 2011, the latest complete count; Census 2027 results are expected from 2028
30.7 Lakh
State: 10.4 Crore
Area
2,927 km²
3.2% of state
Literacy RateCensus 2011: literates as a share of people aged 7 and above
52.2%
State: 61.8%
Sex RatioCensus 2011: females per 1,000 males
919
State: 918
DensityCensus 2011 population per km²
1,049 /km²
State: 1,106 /km²
Population RankBy Census 2011 population
14th of 38
In Bihar

Credit Growth (5-Year) in Katihar: 126.5%, 12th highest of 38 districts in Bihar

MSME Density in Katihar: 19.6 per 1,000 people, 11th highest of 38 districts in Bihar

Women Literacy in Katihar: 49.7%, 9th lowest of 38 districts in Bihar

Health Insurance in Katihar: 11.9%, lowest of 38 districts in Bihar

60%85%110%140%200%+No data
RBI Bank Credit (BSR-1) · 2026
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5204080150+No data
Udyam Registration (MSME) · 2026
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40%55%65%80%90%+No data
National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5) · 2019–21
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5%20%40%60%85%+No data
National Family Health Survey (NFHS-6) · 2023–24
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Katihar is a district in Bihar with a population of 30.7 Lakh (Census 2011) spread across 2,927 sq km. Its literacy rate of 52.2% is below the state average of 61.8% and below the national average of 72.9%. The district has a sex ratio of 919 females per 1,000 males, above the state average of 918.


Demographics

IndicatorDistrictState AvgNational
Population Density1,049 /km²▼1,106 /km²366 /km²
Sex Ratio919▲918943
Literacy Rate52.2%▼61.8%72.9%
SC Population8.6%▼15.9%16.6%
ST Population5.9%▲1.3%8.7%
Worker Participation33.0%▼33.4%39.8%

What changed in Katihar, 2019–21 to 2023–24

NFHS-5 → NFHS-6, changes of 5 points or more.

Health & Development

NFHS-6 (2023–24, provisional) · “was”: the 2019–21 value, where it moved 5 points or more

State Avg and National are population-weighted averages, not official NFHS figures. “Was” is NFHS-5 as reprinted on the NFHS-6 sheet, which can differ from the NFHS-5 layer. Small districts can swing on sampling noise.

Women & Gender

IndicatorDistrictState AvgNational
Female Literacy GapLowest of 3815.0 pts▼19.7 pts16.5 pts
Female Work Gap13th highest of 3830.3 pts▲27.4 pts27.9 pts

Economy & Infrastructure

IndicatorDistrictState AvgNational
MSME Density11th highest of 3819.6 per 1k pop▲19.5 per 1k pop39.8 per 1k pop
Women Internet Use5th lowest of 3846.8%was 7.0%▼58.3%64.4%

Governance

IndicatorDistrictState AvgNational
Pending Cases6th lowest of 372432 per lakh▼3451 per lakh4025 per lakh

Safety & Crime

IndicatorDistrictState AvgNational
Child Abuse (POCSO)22nd highest of 381.6 per lakh▼2.0 per lakh5.3 per lakh
Cyber Crime (IT Act cases)0.0 per lakh▼0.1 per lakh2.7 per lakh

Climate Vulnerability

IndicatorDistrictState AvgNational
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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the population of Katihar district?

Katihar has a population of 30.7 Lakh according to the Census 2011, with a density of 1,049 people per sq km across 2,927 sq km.

What is the population of Katihar in 2026?

There is no official count or district estimate after 2011. The latest figure is the Census 2011 count of 30.7 Lakh. Census 2027 enumeration takes place in February 2027, with results expected from 2028.

What is the literacy rate of Katihar?

Katihar has a literacy rate of 52.2% (Census 2011), which is below the Bihar average of 61.8% and below the national average of 72.9%.

How does Katihar compare to Bihar?

Katihar is the 14th most populous of 38 districts in Bihar. Its sex ratio of 919 females per 1,000 males is above the state average of 918 (Census 2011).

How many children in Katihar are stunted or underweight?

In Katihar, 38.2% of children under 5 are stunted, 23.3% wasted and 44.0% underweight (NFHS-6, 2023–24, provisional). Stunting compares with a Bihar average of 35.6% and an India average of 28.0%.

How many households in Katihar have health insurance?

11.9% of households in Katihar have at least one member covered by a health insurance or financing scheme (NFHS-6, 2023–24, provisional), up from 10.5% in 2019–21. The Bihar average is 21.1% and India's 58.1%.

What changed in Katihar between NFHS-5 and NFHS-6?

Between NFHS-5 (2019–21) and NFHS-6 (2023–24), Katihar improved most in women internet use (7% to 47%), women with a bank account (68% to 90%), women owning a mobile phone (37% to 59%), and got worse in male alcohol use (10% to 17%), women overweight or obese (13% to 18%). Changes under 5 percentage points are not counted.

What data sources are used for Katihar?

Data comes from Census 2011, NFHS-5 (2019–21), NFHS-6 (2023–24), NJDG (2024), Udyam/MSME (2026), NCRB SLL (2022), CVI (2021), Ag Census 2015–16, RBI BSR (2026), and other official sources.

Data Sources

Each indicator keeps its own source and vintage. How they are crosswalked onto one district geography is on the methodology page, with the per-source limits on the caveats page.