Varanasi
District in Uttar Pradesh
Credit Growth (5-Year) in Varanasi: 124.4%, 11th highest of 73 districts in Uttar Pradesh
MSME Density in Varanasi: 48.2 per 1,000 people, 4th highest of 75 districts in Uttar Pradesh
Women Literacy in Varanasi: 79.0%, 5th highest of 75 districts in Uttar Pradesh
Health Insurance in Varanasi: 44.2%, 10th highest of 75 districts in Uttar Pradesh
Varanasi is a district in Uttar Pradesh with a population of 36.8 Lakh (Census 2011) spread across 1,478 sq km. Its literacy rate of 75.6% is above the state average of 67.7% and above the national average of 72.9%. The district has a sex ratio of 913 females per 1,000 males, above the state average of 912.
Demographics
What changed in Varanasi, 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
Economy & Infrastructure
Governance
Safety & Crime
Climate Vulnerability
More Indicators
| Indicator | District | State Avg | National Avg | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Women 10+ Yr Schooling | 58.1% | 42.3% | 46.7% | National Family Health Survey (NFHS-6) (2023–24) |
| Male Tobacco Use | 43.1% | 45.7% | 37.0% | National Family Health Survey (NFHS-6) (2023–24) |
| Menstrual Hygiene | 82.8% | 69.5% | 81.2% | National Family Health Survey (NFHS-6) (2023–24) |
| Child Sex Ratio (0–6) | 885 | 901 | 926 | Census 2011 (2011) |
| Average Holding Size | 0.3 | 0.8 | 1.4 | Agricultural Census 2015-16 (2015–16) |
| Marginal Farmers (%) | 95.3% | 79.4% | 66.3% | Agricultural Census 2015-16 (2015–16) |
| MGNREGA Days per Household | 36.1 | 44.2 | 43.4 | Climate Vulnerability Index (2021) |
| Women's Court Cases | 2.9 | 7.2 | 9.2 | National Judicial Data Grid (2024) |
| Banking | 317 | 63.9 | 81.1 | Town Amenities Census 2011 (2011) |
| Explore all indicators for Varanasi on the live map → | ||||
More Districts in Uttar Pradesh
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the population of Varanasi district?
Varanasi has a population of 36.8 Lakh according to the Census 2011, with a density of 2,487 people per sq km across 1,478 sq km.
What is the population of Varanasi in 2026?
There is no official count or district estimate after 2011. The latest figure is the Census 2011 count of 36.8 Lakh. Census 2027 enumeration takes place in February 2027, with results expected from 2028.
What is the literacy rate of Varanasi?
Varanasi has a literacy rate of 75.6% (Census 2011), which is above the Uttar Pradesh average of 67.7% and above the national average of 72.9%.
How does Varanasi compare to Uttar Pradesh?
Varanasi is the 13th most populous of 75 districts in Uttar Pradesh. Its sex ratio of 913 females per 1,000 males is above the state average of 912 (Census 2011).
How many children in Varanasi are stunted or underweight?
In Varanasi, 25.3% of children under 5 are stunted, 22.1% wasted and 33.2% underweight (NFHS-6, 2023–24, provisional). Stunting compares with a Uttar Pradesh average of 30.9% and an India average of 28.0%.
How many households in Varanasi have health insurance?
44.2% of households in Varanasi have at least one member covered by a health insurance or financing scheme (NFHS-6, 2023–24, provisional), up from 12.8% in 2019–21. The Uttar Pradesh average is 37.2% and India's 58.1%.
What changed in Varanasi between NFHS-5 and NFHS-6?
Between NFHS-5 (2019–21) and NFHS-6 (2023–24), Varanasi improved most in women internet use (39% to 84%), pre-school attendance (9% to 43%), health insurance (13% to 44%), and got worse in modern contraception (61% to 44%), male diabetes (13% to 23%), male alcohol use (13% to 23%). Changes under 5 percentage points are not counted.
What data sources are used for Varanasi?
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.