West Bengal

District-Level Data & Statistics

Population
9.1 Crore
7.5% of India
Districts
23
Avg 39.4 Lakh each
Area
82,336 km²
1,101 people /km²
Literacy Rate
76.2%
India: 72.9%
Sex Ratio
950
India: 943
Rank
4th
of 36 by population

West Bengal is India's 4th most populous state with a population of 9.1 Crore spread across 23 districts covering 82,336sq km. The state's literacy rate stands at 76.2%, above the national average of 72.9%. With a sex ratio of 950 females per 1,000 males, it is above the national figure of 943.

South 24parganasPuruliyaPaschim MedinipurPaschim BarddhamanJhargramHugliBankuraPurba MedinipurPurba BarddhamanKalimpongHaoraBirbhumKolkataNorth Twenty-four ParganasNadiaMaldahDakshin DinajpurUttar DinajpurDarjilingAlipur DuarMurshidabadJalpaiguriKoch Bihar
60%85%110%140%200%+No data
Highest 5Lowest 5
RBI Bank Credit (BSR-1) · 2026
5204080150+No data
Highest 5Lowest 5
Udyam Registration (MSME) · 2026
20%40%60%75%90%+No data
Highest 5Lowest 5
National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5) · 2019–21
5%20%40%60%85%+No data
Highest 5Lowest 5
National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5) · 2019–21

Credit Growth (5-Year) in West Bengal · district average 100.8%, 21st of 36 states

Highest 5
Kalimpong177.6%North Twenty-four Parganas134.1%Bankura126.2%Paschim Barddhaman122.1%Uttar Dinajpur120.8%
Lowest 5
Alipur Duar50.5%Kolkata56.4%Koch Bihar76.5%Nadia79.8%Purba Barddhaman81.6%
All 23 on the map →

MSME Density in West Bengal · district average 40.8 per 1,000 people, 19th of 36 states

Highest 5
Kalimpong291.4 per 1,000 peopleJhargram95.8 per 1,000 peoplePaschim Barddhaman60.0 per 1,000 peopleKolkata43.5 per 1,000 peopleAlipur Duar40.2 per 1,000 people
Lowest 5
Puruliya12.5 per 1,000 peopleBankura14.8 per 1,000 peoplePurba Barddhaman17.3 per 1,000 peopleDakshin Dinajpur18.2 per 1,000 peopleMurshidabad20.4 per 1,000 people
All 23 on the map →

Women Literacy in West Bengal · district average 74.7%, 26th of 36 states

Highest 5
Kolkata87.6%South 24parganas85.6%North Twenty-four Parganas85.5%Haora80.5%Koch Bihar79.2%
Lowest 5
Puruliya61.0%Uttar Dinajpur65.4%Murshidabad67.6%Bankura68.3%Birbhum70.8%
All 23 on the map →

Health Insurance in West Bengal · district average 29.3%, 21st of 36 states

Highest 5
Bankura43.4%Birbhum37.7%Purba Barddhaman37.2%South 24parganas36.7%Koch Bihar36.0%
Lowest 5
Haora20.1%Uttar Dinajpur21.0%Kolkata21.1%Purba Medinipur21.5%Paschim Barddhaman21.8%
All 23 on the map →

Demographics

IndicatorStateNational
Population Density1,101 /km²▲379 /km²
Sex Ratio950▲943
Literacy Rate76.2%▲72.9%
SC Population23.6%▲16.6%
ST Population5.8%▼8.7%
Worker Participation38.1%▼39.8%

Health & Development

IndicatorStateNational
Child Stunting33.0%▼33.2%
Child Wasting21.6%▲18.4%
Underweight Children32.7%▲29.1%
Child Anaemia69.4%▲65.2%
Women Anaemia71.7%▲55.3%
Full Vaccination87.1%▲77.4%
Institutional Delivery92.5%▲88.5%
Improved Sanitation67.7%▼72.4%
Clean Cooking Fuel39.8%▼54.6%
Health Insurance29.3%▼41.3%
Safe Drinking Water96.5%▲93.6%
Electricity Access97.1%▲97.0%

Women & Gender

IndicatorStateNational
Child Marriage38.9%▲20.6%
Teen Pregnancy15.8%▲6.6%
Female Literacy Gap12.5%▼16.6%
Female Work Gap36.2%▲23.9%

Economy & Infrastructure

IndicatorStateNational
MSME Density40.8 per 1k pop▼42.6 per 1k pop
Total MSMEs (avg per district)1 Lakh▲61.7k
Manufacturing Share23.6%▼24.9%

Governance

IndicatorStateNational
Pending Cases4431 per lakh▲3585 per lakh
Cases Delayed (%)52.5%▲35.5%
Monthly Disposal Ratio0.64▼0.81

Safety & Crime

IndicatorStateNational
SC/ST Atrocities3.3 per lakh▼17.4 per lakh
Domestic Violence0.0 per lakh▼12.6 per lakh
Child Abuse (POCSO)127.7 per lakh▲89.0 per lakh
Cyber Crime7.2 per lakh▼55.7 per lakh

Climate Vulnerability

IndicatorStateNational
Climate Vulnerability Index0.61▲0.56
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District Rankings

Underweight Children

Highest
1. Puruliya46.3%
2. Birbhum41.8%
3. Paschim Barddhaman41.0%
4. Paschim Medinipur40.0%
5. Jhargram40.0%
Lowest
1. Alipur Duar25.4%
2. Jalpaiguri25.4%
3. Nadia25.1%
4. North Twenty-four Parganas23.6%
5. Koch Bihar22.5%

Electricity Access

Highest
1. Kolkata99.6%
2. North Twenty-four Parganas99.5%
3. South 24parganas99.2%
4. Purba Medinipur99.0%
5. Haora99.0%
Lowest
1. Dakshin Dinajpur96.5%
2. Paschim Medinipur95.4%
3. Jhargram95.4%
4. Bankura92.3%
5. Puruliya88.6%

Small Business Density

Highest
1. Kalimpong291.4
2. Jhargram95.8
3. Paschim Barddhaman60.0
4. Kolkata43.5
5. Alipur Duar40.2
Lowest
1. Murshidabad20.4
2. Dakshin Dinajpur18.2
3. Purba Barddhaman17.3
4. Bankura14.8
5. Puruliya12.5

All Districts

23 districts
DistrictPopulationLiteracy %Sex RatioDensity /km²
North Twenty-four Parganas1,00,09,78184.1%9552,605
South 24parganas81,61,96177.5%9561,094
Murshidabad71,03,80766.6%9581,381
Purba Barddhaman60,73,39376.0%9511,169
Hugli55,19,14581.8%9611,816
Nadia51,67,60075.0%9471,381
Purba Medinipur50,95,87587.0%9381,335
Haora48,50,02983.3%9393,433
Paschim Medinipur46,34,38679.5%963768
Kolkata44,96,69486.3%90822,523
Maldah39,88,84561.7%9441,151
Bankura35,96,67470.3%957543
Birbhum35,02,40470.7%956801
Uttar Dinajpur30,07,13459.1%939996
Puruliya29,30,11564.5%957487
Koch Bihar28,19,08674.8%942873
Jalpaiguri22,54,04072.7%956682
Dakshin Dinajpur16,76,27672.8%956780
Darjiling15,66,01979.1%972792
Alipur Duar15,06,60173.0%948559
Paschim Barddhaman12,62,46275.2%924816
Jhargram11,88,36071.6%976398
Kalimpong2,14,18580.0%957203
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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the population of West Bengal?

West Bengal has a population of 9.1 Crore according to the Census 2011, making it India's 4th most populous state. The population is spread across 23 districts.

How many districts are in West Bengal?

West Bengal has 23 districts covering a total area of 82,336 sq km.

Which district in West Bengal has the highest literacy rate?

Purba Medinipur has the highest literacy rate in West Bengal at 87.0%, compared to the state average of 76.2%.

What is West Bengal's sex ratio?

West Bengal has a sex ratio of 950 females per 1,000 males, which is above the national average of 943.

Data Sources

Census 2011NFHS-5 (2019–21)NJDG (2024)CVI (2021)Ag Census 2015–16Udyam/MSME (2026)NCRB SLL (2022)eRaktKosh (2024)GOBARdhan (2026)Town Amenities (2011)

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.