Patna

District in Bihar

PopulationCensus 2011, the latest complete count; Census 2027 results are expected from 2028
58.4 Lakh
State: 10.4 Crore
Area
3,067 km²
3.4% of state
Literacy RateCensus 2011: literates as a share of people aged 7 and above
70.7%
State: 61.8%
Sex RatioCensus 2011: females per 1,000 males
897
State: 918
DensityCensus 2011 population per km²
1,903 /km²
State: 1,106 /km²
Population RankBy Census 2011 population
1st of 38
In Bihar

Credit Growth (5-Year) in Patna: 91.8%, 6th lowest of 38 districts in Bihar

MSME Density in Patna: 37.7 per 1,000 people, highest of 38 districts in Bihar

Women Literacy in Patna: 67.6%, 6th highest of 38 districts in Bihar

Health Insurance in Patna: 21.6%, 20th 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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Patna is a district in Bihar with a population of 58.4 Lakh (Census 2011) spread across 3,067 sq km. Its literacy rate of 70.7% is above the state average of 61.8% and below the national average of 72.9%. The district has a sex ratio of 897 females per 1,000 males, below the state average of 918.


Demographics

IndicatorDistrictState AvgNational
Population Density1,903 /km²▲1,106 /km²366 /km²
Sex Ratio897▼918943
Literacy Rate70.7%▲61.8%72.9%
SC Population15.8%▼15.9%16.6%
ST Population0.2%▼1.3%8.7%
Worker Participation32.2%▼33.4%39.8%

What changed in Patna, 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 Gap7th lowest of 3816.5 pts▼19.7 pts16.5 pts
Female Work Gap12th highest of 3830.5 pts▲27.4 pts27.9 pts

Economy & Infrastructure

IndicatorDistrictState AvgNational
MSME DensityHighest of 3837.7 per 1k pop▲19.5 per 1k pop39.8 per 1k pop
Total MSMEsHighest of 382.2 Lakh▲53.4k61.7k
Women Internet Use4th highest of 3867.5%was 30.0%▲58.3%64.4%

Governance

IndicatorDistrictState AvgNational
Pending CasesHighest of 377855 per lakh▲3451 per lakh4025 per lakh

Safety & Crime

IndicatorDistrictState AvgNational
Child Abuse (POCSO)9th highest of 382.4 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 Patna district?

Patna has a population of 58.4 Lakh according to the Census 2011, with a density of 1,903 people per sq km across 3,067 sq km.

What is the population of Patna in 2026?

There is no official count or district estimate after 2011. The latest figure is the Census 2011 count of 58.4 Lakh. Census 2027 enumeration takes place in February 2027, with results expected from 2028.

What is the literacy rate of Patna?

Patna has a literacy rate of 70.7% (Census 2011), which is above the Bihar average of 61.8% and below the national average of 72.9%.

How does Patna compare to Bihar?

Patna is the 1st most populous of 38 districts in Bihar. Its sex ratio of 897 females per 1,000 males is below the state average of 918 (Census 2011).

How many children in Patna are stunted or underweight?

In Patna, 42.7% of children under 5 are stunted, 16.8% wasted and 29.8% 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 Patna have health insurance?

21.6% of households in Patna have at least one member covered by a health insurance or financing scheme (NFHS-6, 2023–24, provisional), up from 11.6% in 2019–21. The Bihar average is 21.1% and India's 58.1%.

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

Between NFHS-5 (2019–21) and NFHS-6 (2023–24), Patna improved most in women internet use (30% to 68%), 4+ antenatal visits (18% to 45%), women with a bank account (78% to 90%), and got worse in menstrual hygiene (74% to 64%), child stunting (35% to 43%), pre-school attendance (47% to 41%). Changes under 5 percentage points are not counted.

What data sources are used for Patna?

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.