Kishanganj

District in Bihar

PopulationCensus 2011, the latest complete count; Census 2027 results are expected from 2028
16.9 Lakh
State: 10.4 Crore
Area
1,873 km²
2.1% of state
Literacy RateCensus 2011: literates as a share of people aged 7 and above
55.5%
State: 61.8%
Sex RatioCensus 2011: females per 1,000 males
950
State: 918
DensityCensus 2011 population per km²
903 /km²
State: 1,106 /km²
Population RankBy Census 2011 population
30th of 38
In Bihar

Credit Growth (5-Year) in Kishanganj: 98.2%, 9th lowest of 38 districts in Bihar

MSME Density in Kishanganj: 16.4 per 1,000 people, 26th highest of 38 districts in Bihar

Women Literacy in Kishanganj: 48.0%, 6th lowest of 38 districts in Bihar

Health Insurance in Kishanganj: 21.6%, 19th highest 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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Kishanganj is a district in Bihar with a population of 16.9 Lakh (Census 2011) spread across 1,873 sq km. Its literacy rate of 55.5% is below the state average of 61.8% and below the national average of 72.9%. The district has a sex ratio of 950 females per 1,000 males, above the state average of 918.


Demographics

IndicatorDistrictState AvgNational
Population Density903 /km²▼1,106 /km²366 /km²
Sex Ratio950▲918943
Literacy Rate55.5%▼61.8%72.9%
SC Population6.7%▼15.9%16.6%
ST Population3.8%▲1.3%8.7%
Worker Participation31.3%▼33.4%39.8%

What changed in Kishanganj, 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
Child Marriage9th lowest of 3825.2%was 36.6%▼34.3%19.2%
Female Work GapHighest of 3835.5 pts▲27.4 pts27.9 pts

Economy & Infrastructure

IndicatorDistrictState AvgNational
MSME Density26th highest of 3816.4 per 1k pop▼19.5 per 1k pop39.8 per 1k pop
Women Internet Use17th highest of 3860.0%was 10.9%▲58.3%64.4%

Governance

IndicatorDistrictState AvgNational
Pending CasesLowest of 371573 per lakh▼3451 per lakh4025 per lakh

Safety & Crime

IndicatorDistrictState AvgNational
Child Abuse (POCSO)23rd highest of 381.5 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 Kishanganj district?

Kishanganj has a population of 16.9 Lakh according to the Census 2011, with a density of 903 people per sq km across 1,873 sq km.

What is the population of Kishanganj in 2026?

There is no official count or district estimate after 2011. The latest figure is the Census 2011 count of 16.9 Lakh. Census 2027 enumeration takes place in February 2027, with results expected from 2028.

What is the literacy rate of Kishanganj?

Kishanganj has a literacy rate of 55.5% (Census 2011), which is below the Bihar average of 61.8% and below the national average of 72.9%.

How does Kishanganj compare to Bihar?

Kishanganj is the 30th most populous of 38 districts in Bihar. Its sex ratio of 950 females per 1,000 males is above the state average of 918 (Census 2011).

How many children in Kishanganj are stunted or underweight?

In Kishanganj, 38.5% of children under 5 are stunted, 18.6% wasted and 34.8% 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 Kishanganj have health insurance?

21.6% of households in Kishanganj have at least one member covered by a health insurance or financing scheme (NFHS-6, 2023–24, provisional), up from 9.2% in 2019–21. The Bihar average is 21.1% and India's 58.1%.

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

Between NFHS-5 (2019–21) and NFHS-6 (2023–24), Kishanganj improved most in women internet use (11% to 60%), women owning a mobile phone (38% to 59%), modern contraception (21% to 40%). Changes under 5 percentage points are not counted.

What data sources are used for Kishanganj?

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.