Dhule

District in Maharashtra

PopulationCensus 2011, the latest complete count; Census 2027 results are expected from 2028
20.5 Lakh
State: 11.2 Crore
Area
6,929 km²
2.3% of state
Literacy RateCensus 2011: literates as a share of people aged 7 and above
72.8%
State: 82.3%
Sex RatioCensus 2011: females per 1,000 males
946
State: 929
DensityCensus 2011 population per km²
296 /km²
State: 365 /km²
Population RankBy Census 2011 population
23rd of 36
In Maharashtra

Credit Growth (5-Year) in Dhule: 115.5%, 23rd highest of 36 districts in Maharashtra

MSME Density in Dhule: 35.5 per 1,000 people, 4th lowest of 36 districts in Maharashtra

Women Literacy in Dhule: 68.8%, 2nd lowest of 36 districts in Maharashtra

Health Insurance in Dhule: 35.2%, 24th highest of 36 districts in Maharashtra

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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Dhule is a district in Maharashtra with a population of 20.5 Lakh (Census 2011) spread across 6,929 sq km. Its literacy rate of 72.8% is below the state average of 82.3% and below the national average of 72.9%. The district has a sex ratio of 946 females per 1,000 males, above the state average of 929.


Demographics

IndicatorDistrictState AvgNational
Population Density296 /km²▼365 /km²366 /km²
Sex Ratio946▲929943
Literacy Rate72.8%▼82.3%72.9%
SC Population6.2%▼11.8%16.6%
ST Population31.6%▲9.4%8.7%
Worker Participation45.7%▲44.0%39.8%

What changed in Dhule, 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 Marriage14th highest of 3626.0%was 40.5%▲18.5%19.2%
Female Work Gap24th highest of 3617.4 pts▼25.0 pts27.9 pts

Economy & Infrastructure

IndicatorDistrictState AvgNational
MSME Density4th lowest of 3635.5 per 1k pop▼65.3 per 1k pop39.8 per 1k pop
Women Internet Use6th lowest of 3644.0%was 17.9%▼63.3%64.4%

Governance

IndicatorDistrictState AvgNational
Pending Cases7th lowest of 332393 per lakh▼5457 per lakh4025 per lakh

Safety & Crime

IndicatorDistrictState AvgNational
Child Abuse (POCSO)3rd lowest of 362.7 per lakh▼6.7 per lakh5.3 per lakh
Cyber Crime (IT Act cases)4th lowest of 330.1 per lakh▼0.7 per lakh2.7 per lakh

Climate Vulnerability

IndicatorDistrictState AvgNational
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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the population of Dhule district?

Dhule has a population of 20.5 Lakh according to the Census 2011, with a density of 296 people per sq km across 6,929 sq km.

What is the population of Dhule in 2026?

There is no official count or district estimate after 2011. The latest figure is the Census 2011 count of 20.5 Lakh. Census 2027 enumeration takes place in February 2027, with results expected from 2028.

What is the literacy rate of Dhule?

Dhule has a literacy rate of 72.8% (Census 2011), which is below the Maharashtra average of 82.3% and below the national average of 72.9%.

How does Dhule compare to Maharashtra?

Dhule is the 23rd most populous of 36 districts in Maharashtra. Its sex ratio of 946 females per 1,000 males is above the state average of 929 (Census 2011).

How many children in Dhule are stunted or underweight?

In Dhule, 34.8% of children under 5 are stunted, 22.8% wasted and 40.1% underweight (NFHS-6, 2023–24, provisional). Stunting compares with a Maharashtra average of 28.9% and an India average of 28.0%.

How many households in Dhule have health insurance?

35.2% of households in Dhule have at least one member covered by a health insurance or financing scheme (NFHS-6, 2023–24, provisional), up from 22.0% in 2019–21. The Maharashtra average is 38.1% and India's 58.1%.

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

Between NFHS-5 (2019–21) and NFHS-6 (2023–24), Dhule improved most in women internet use (18% to 44%), modern contraception (50% to 75%), women with a bank account (55% to 76%). Changes under 5 percentage points are not counted.

What data sources are used for Dhule?

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.