Darjiling

District in West Bengal

PopulationCensus 2011, counted on today's district boundary: the district was split, merged or created after 2011
15.7 Lakh
State: 9.1 Crore
Area
1,976 km²
2.4% of state
Literacy RateCensus 2011: literates as a share of people aged 7 and above
79.1%
State: 76.2%
Sex RatioCensus 2011: females per 1,000 males
972
State: 950
DensityCensus 2011 population per km²
792 /km²
State: 1,021 /km²
Population RankBy Census 2011 population
19th of 23
In West Bengal

Credit Growth (5-Year) in Darjiling: 97.1%, 12th highest of 23 districts in West Bengal

MSME Density in Darjiling: 39.9 per 1,000 people, 6th highest of 23 districts in West Bengal

Women Literacy in Darjiling: 77.0%, 8th highest of 20 districts in West Bengal

Health Insurance in Darjiling: 84.8%, 16th highest of 23 districts in West Bengal

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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Darjiling is a district in West Bengal with a population of 15.7 Lakh (Census 2011, counted on today's district boundary) spread across 1,976 sq km. Its literacy rate of 79.1% is above the state average of 76.2% and above the national average of 72.9%. The district has a sex ratio of 972 females per 1,000 males, above the state average of 950. Some values for this district are estimates: area-proportional, or copied from the district it was carved from.


Demographics

IndicatorDistrictState AvgNational
Population Density792 /km²▼1,021 /km²366 /km²
Sex Ratio972▲950943
Literacy Rate79.1%▲76.2%72.9%
SC Population19.1%▼23.6%16.6%
ST Population20.7%▲5.8%8.7%
Worker Participation36.9%▼38.1%39.8%

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. No “was”: the district boundary changed after 2019–21.

Women & Gender

IndicatorDistrictState AvgNational
Female Work Gap4th lowest of 2328.9 pts▼39.0 pts27.9 pts

Economy & Infrastructure

IndicatorDistrictState AvgNational
MSME Density6th highest of 2339.9 per 1k pop▲26.0 per 1k pop39.8 per 1k pop

Governance

IndicatorDistrictState AvgNational
Pending Cases14th highest of 232239 per lakh▼3665 per lakh4025 per lakh

Safety & Crime

IndicatorDistrictState AvgNational
Child Abuse (POCSO)2nd highest of 237.3 per lakh▲3.2 per lakh5.3 per lakh
Cyber Crime (IT Act cases)2nd highest of 161.3 per lakh▲0.1 per lakh2.7 per lakh

Climate Vulnerability

IndicatorDistrictState AvgNational
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~ Values marked with ~ are area-proportional estimates or inherited from a parent district.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the population of Darjiling district?

Darjiling has a population of 15.7 Lakh according to the Census 2011, counted on the district's present boundary, with a density of 792 people per sq km across 1,976 sq km.

What is the population of Darjiling in 2026?

There is no official count or district estimate after 2011. The latest figure is the Census 2011 count of 15.7 Lakh. Census 2027 enumeration takes place in February 2027, with results expected from 2028.

What is the literacy rate of Darjiling?

Darjiling has a literacy rate of 79.1% (Census 2011), which is above the West Bengal average of 76.2% and above the national average of 72.9%.

How does Darjiling compare to West Bengal?

Darjiling is the 19th most populous of 23 districts in West Bengal. Its sex ratio of 972 females per 1,000 males is above the state average of 950 (Census 2011).

How many children in Darjiling are stunted or underweight?

In Darjiling, 14.5% of children under 5 are stunted, 21.8% wasted and 30.5% underweight (NFHS-6, 2023–24, provisional). Stunting compares with a West Bengal average of 21.2% and an India average of 28.0%.

How many households in Darjiling have health insurance?

84.8% of households in Darjiling have at least one member covered by a health insurance or financing scheme (NFHS-6, 2023–24, provisional). The West Bengal average is 88.2% and India's 58.1%.

What data sources are used for Darjiling?

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.