West Bengal
District-Level Data & Statistics
- PopulationCensus 2011, the latest complete count; Census 2027 results are expected from 2028
- 9.1 Crore
- 7.5% of India
- Projected 2026: 10.1 CroreOfficial projection for 1 March 2026, not a count: Technical Group on Population Projections, National Commission on Population, MoHFW (2020)
- Districts
- 23
- Avg 39.4 Lakh each
- AreaDensity uses the Census 2011 population
- 88,752 km²
- 1,021 people /km²
- Literacy RateCensus 2011: literates as a share of people aged 7 and above
- 76.2%
- India: 72.9%
- Sex RatioCensus 2011: females per 1,000 males
- 950
- India: 943
- RankBy Census 2011 population
- 4th
- of 36 by population
West Bengal is India's 4th most populous state with a population of 9.1 Crore (Census 2011) spread across 23 districts covering 88,752 sq 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.
Credit Growth (5-Year) in West Bengal · district average 100.8%, 21st of 36 states
MSME Density in West Bengal · population-weighted average 26.0 per 1,000 people, 30th of 36 states
Women Literacy in West Bengal · population-weighted average 76.3%, 26th of 36 states
All 20 on the map →Health Insurance in West Bengal · population-weighted average 88.2%, 6th of 34 states
All 23 on the map →Demographics
What changed in West Bengal, 2019–21 to 2023–24
NFHS-5 → NFHS-6, changes of 5 points or more. Same districts in both rounds.
Health & Development
NFHS-6 (2023–24, provisional)
State and National are population-weighted averages of districts, not official NFHS figures.
Women & Gender
Economy & Infrastructure
Governance
Safety & Crime
Climate Vulnerability
West Bengal districts ranked
Population (Census 2011)
- 1North Twenty-four Parganas 1 Crore
- 2South 24parganas 81.6 Lakh
- 3Murshidabad 71 Lakh
- 4Purba Barddhaman 60.7 Lakh
- 5Hugli 55.2 Lakh
- 1Kalimpong 2.1 Lakh
- 2Jhargram 11.9 Lakh
- 3Paschim Barddhaman 12.6 Lakh
- 4Alipur Duar 15.1 Lakh
- 5Darjiling 15.7 Lakh
Population Density (per km²)
- 1Kolkata 22,523
- 2Haora 3,433
- 3North Twenty-four Parganas 2,605
- 4Hugli 1,816
- 5Murshidabad 1,381
- 1Kalimpong 203
- 2Jhargram 398
- 3Puruliya 487
- 4Bankura 543
- 5Alipur Duar 559
Literacy Rate
- 1Purba Medinipur 87.0%
- 2Kolkata 86.3%
- 3North Twenty-four Parganas 84.1%
- 4Haora 83.3%
- 5Hugli 81.8%
- 1Uttar Dinajpur 59.1%
- 2Maldah 61.7%
- 3Puruliya 64.5%
- 4Murshidabad 66.6%
- 5Bankura 70.3%
Sex Ratio (females per 1,000 males)
- 1Jhargram 976
- 2Darjiling 972
- 3Paschim Medinipur 963
- 4Hugli 961
- 5Murshidabad 958
- 1Kolkata 908
- 2Paschim Barddhaman 924
- 3Purba Medinipur 938
- 4Uttar Dinajpur 939
- 5Haora 939
Underweight Children
- 1Kalimpong 7.1%
- 2Haora 16.9%
- 3Jalpaiguri 18.9%
- 4Alipur Duar 19.1%
- 5Hugli 19.2%
Electricity Access
- 1Haora 100.0%
- 2Purba Medinipur 99.9%
- 3Purba Barddhaman 99.7%
- 4Kolkata 99.6%
- 5Murshidabad 99.6%
- 1Puruliya 95.8%
- 2Bankura 96.7%
- 3Jhargram 97.8%
- 4Alipur Duar 97.9%
- 5Koch Bihar 98.1%
Small Business Density
- 1Kalimpong 291.4
- 2Jhargram 95.8
- 3Paschim Barddhaman 60.0
- 4Kolkata 43.5
- 5Alipur Duar 40.2
- 1Puruliya 12.5
- 2Bankura 14.8
- 3Purba Barddhaman 17.3
- 4Dakshin Dinajpur 18.2
- 5Murshidabad 20.4
All Districts
23 districts| District | Population (2011) | Literacy % | Sex Ratio | Density /km² |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Twenty-four Parganas | 1,00,09,781 | 84.1% | 955 | 2,605 |
| South 24parganas | 81,61,961 | 77.5% | 956 | 1,094 |
| Murshidabad | 71,03,807 | 66.6% | 958 | 1,381 |
| Purba Barddhaman | 60,73,393 | 76.0% | 951 | 1,169 |
| Hugli | 55,19,145 | 81.8% | 961 | 1,816 |
| Nadia | 51,67,600 | 75.0% | 947 | 1,381 |
| Purba Medinipur | 50,95,875 | 87.0% | 938 | 1,335 |
| Haora | 48,50,029 | 83.3% | 939 | 3,433 |
| Paschim Medinipur | 46,34,386 | 79.5% | 963 | 768 |
| Kolkata | 44,96,694 | 86.3% | 908 | 22,523 |
| Maldah | 39,88,845 | 61.7% | 944 | 1,151 |
| Bankura | 35,96,674 | 70.3% | 957 | 543 |
| Birbhum | 35,02,404 | 70.7% | 956 | 801 |
| Uttar Dinajpur | 30,07,134 | 59.1% | 939 | 996 |
| Puruliya | 29,30,115 | 64.5% | 957 | 487 |
| Koch Bihar | 28,19,086 | 74.8% | 942 | 873 |
| Jalpaiguri | 22,54,040 | 72.7% | 956 | 682 |
| Dakshin Dinajpur | 16,76,276 | 72.8% | 956 | 780 |
| Darjiling | 15,66,019 | 79.1% | 972 | 792 |
| Alipur Duar | 15,06,601 | 73.0% | 948 | 559 |
| Paschim Barddhaman | 12,62,462 | 75.2% | 924 | 816 |
| Jhargram | 11,88,360 | 71.6% | 976 | 398 |
| Kalimpong | 2,14,185 | 80.0% | 957 | 203 |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the population of West Bengal in crore?
West Bengal has a population of 9.1 Crore (9,06,24,872) according to the Census 2011, making it India's 4th most populous state, across 23 districts.
What is the total area of West Bengal in sq km?
West Bengal covers a total area of 88,752 sq km, divided into 23 districts.
What is the literacy rate of West Bengal?
West Bengal's literacy rate is 76.2% (Census 2011), above the national average of 72.9%. Purba Medinipur has the highest literacy rate (87.0%) and Uttar Dinajpur the lowest (59.1%). Female literacy is lowest in Puruliya (50.5%).
What is the population density of West Bengal?
West Bengal has 1,021 people per sq km, against a national average of 366. Kolkata has the highest population density and Kalimpong the lowest.
What is the sex ratio of West Bengal?
West Bengal has a sex ratio of 950 females per 1,000 males, above the national average of 943. Jhargram has the highest sex ratio (976) and Kolkata the lowest (908).
Which district of West Bengal has the highest and lowest population?
North Twenty-four Parganas has the highest population in West Bengal (1 Crore) and Kalimpong the lowest (2.1 Lakh), per the Census 2011.
Which is the largest district of West Bengal by area?
South 24parganas is the largest district of West Bengal by area, and Kolkata the smallest.
How many children in West Bengal are stunted or underweight?
In West Bengal, 21.2% of children under 5 are stunted, 19.6% wasted and 27.2% underweight (NFHS-6, 2023–24, provisional). Stunting compares with an India average of 28.0%.
How many households in West Bengal have health insurance?
88.2% of households in West Bengal have at least one member covered by a health insurance or financing scheme (NFHS-6, 2023–24, provisional). The India average is 58.1%.
What changed in West Bengal between NFHS-5 and NFHS-6?
Between NFHS-5 (2019–21) and NFHS-6 (2023–24), West Bengal improved most in health insurance (34% to 88%), women internet use (24% to 58%), women with a bank account (75% to 95%), and got worse in women overweight or obese (22% to 33%), 4+ antenatal visits (75% to 65%), male diabetes (22% to 27%). Changes under 5 percentage points are not counted.
Is there newer population data for West Bengal than the Census 2011?
Not yet. The Census 2011 is the latest complete count. Census 2027 is under way: the population count uses a reference date of 1 March 2027, with provisional results expected by late 2028. Until then, the official projection for West Bengal on 1 March 2026 is 10.1 Crore (Technical Group on Population Projections, National Commission on Population, MoHFW, 2020); it is a projection, not a count. Census 2027 timeline
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.