Saran

District in Bihar

PopulationCensus 2011, the latest complete count; Census 2027 results are expected from 2028
39.5 Lakh
State: 10.4 Crore
Area
2,579 km²
2.8% of state
Literacy RateCensus 2011: literates as a share of people aged 7 and above
66.0%
State: 61.8%
Sex RatioCensus 2011: females per 1,000 males
954
State: 918
DensityCensus 2011 population per km²
1,532 /km²
State: 1,106 /km²
Population RankBy Census 2011 population
7th of 38
In Bihar

Credit Growth (5-Year) in Saran: 116.7%, 24th highest of 38 districts in Bihar

MSME Density in Saran: 14.9 per 1,000 people, 4th lowest of 38 districts in Bihar

Women Literacy in Saran: 65.6%, 9th highest of 38 districts in Bihar

Health Insurance in Saran: 17.0%, 7th 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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Saran is a district in Bihar with a population of 39.5 Lakh (Census 2011) spread across 2,579 sq km. Its literacy rate of 66.0% is above the state average of 61.8% and below the national average of 72.9%. The district has a sex ratio of 954 females per 1,000 males, above the state average of 918.


Demographics

IndicatorDistrictState AvgNational
Population Density1,532 /km²▲1,106 /km²366 /km²
Sex Ratio954▲918943
Literacy Rate66.0%▲61.8%72.9%
SC Population12.0%▼15.9%16.6%
ST Population0.9%▼1.3%8.7%
Worker Participation26.3%▼33.4%39.8%

What changed in Saran, 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 Marriage4th lowest of 3820.9%was 26.2%▼34.3%19.2%
Female Literacy Gap7th highest of 3822.6 pts▲19.7 pts16.5 pts
Female Work Gap3rd highest of 3832.9 pts▲27.4 pts27.9 pts

Economy & Infrastructure

IndicatorDistrictState AvgNational
MSME Density4th lowest of 3814.9 per 1k pop▼19.5 per 1k pop39.8 per 1k pop
Women Internet Use21st highest of 3856.6%was 23.5%▼58.3%64.4%

Governance

IndicatorDistrictState AvgNational
Pending Cases5th highest of 374243 per lakh▲3451 per lakh4025 per lakh

Safety & Crime

IndicatorDistrictState AvgNational
Child Abuse (POCSO)4th lowest of 381.0 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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More Indicators

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the population of Saran district?

Saran has a population of 39.5 Lakh according to the Census 2011, with a density of 1,532 people per sq km across 2,579 sq km.

What is the population of Saran in 2026?

There is no official count or district estimate after 2011. The latest figure is the Census 2011 count of 39.5 Lakh. Census 2027 enumeration takes place in February 2027, with results expected from 2028.

What is the literacy rate of Saran?

Saran has a literacy rate of 66.0% (Census 2011), which is above the Bihar average of 61.8% and below the national average of 72.9%.

How does Saran compare to Bihar?

Saran is the 7th most populous of 38 districts in Bihar. Its sex ratio of 954 females per 1,000 males is above the state average of 918 (Census 2011).

How many children in Saran are stunted or underweight?

In Saran, 25.4% of children under 5 are stunted, 23.7% wasted and 32.3% 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 Saran have health insurance?

17.0% of households in Saran have at least one member covered by a health insurance or financing scheme (NFHS-6, 2023–24, provisional), up from 10.7% in 2019–21. The Bihar average is 21.1% and India's 58.1%.

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

Between NFHS-5 (2019–21) and NFHS-6 (2023–24), Saran improved most in women internet use (24% to 57%), women with a bank account (71% to 91%), women owning a mobile phone (46% to 65%). Changes under 5 percentage points are not counted.

What data sources are used for Saran?

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.