Maldah

District in West Bengal

PopulationCensus 2011, the latest complete count; Census 2027 results are expected from 2028
39.9 Lakh
State: 9.1 Crore
Area
3,466 km²
4.2% of state
Literacy RateCensus 2011: literates as a share of people aged 7 and above
61.7%
State: 76.2%
Sex RatioCensus 2011: females per 1,000 males
944
State: 950
DensityCensus 2011 population per km²
1,151 /km²
State: 1,021 /km²
Population RankBy Census 2011 population
11th of 23
In West Bengal

Credit Growth (5-Year) in Maldah: 107.9%, 9th highest of 23 districts in West Bengal

MSME Density in Maldah: 22.4 per 1,000 people, 12th highest of 23 districts in West Bengal

Women Literacy in Maldah: 72.3%, 14th highest of 20 districts in West Bengal

Health Insurance in Maldah: 86.3%, 15th 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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Maldah is a district in West Bengal with a population of 39.9 Lakh (Census 2011) spread across 3,466 sq km. Its literacy rate of 61.7% is below the state average of 76.2% and below the national average of 72.9%. The district has a sex ratio of 944 females per 1,000 males, below the state average of 950.


Demographics

IndicatorDistrictState AvgNational
Population Density1,151 /km²▲1,021 /km²366 /km²
Sex Ratio944▼950943
Literacy Rate61.7%▼76.2%72.9%
SC Population20.9%▼23.6%16.6%
ST Population7.9%▲5.8%8.7%
Worker Participation38.6%▲38.1%39.8%

What changed in Maldah, 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
Female Work Gap5th lowest of 2329.7 pts▼39.0 pts27.9 pts

Economy & Infrastructure

IndicatorDistrictState AvgNational
MSME Density12th highest of 2322.4 per 1k pop▼26.0 per 1k pop39.8 per 1k pop
Women Internet Use4th lowest of 2344.0%was 9.9%▼59.5%64.4%

Governance

IndicatorDistrictState AvgNational
Pending Cases18th highest of 231780 per lakh▼3665 per lakh4025 per lakh

Safety & Crime

IndicatorDistrictState AvgNational
Child Abuse (POCSO)5th highest of 236.9 per lakh▲3.2 per lakh5.3 per lakh
Cyber Crime (IT Act cases)2nd lowest of 160.1 per lakh—0.1 per lakh2.7 per lakh

Climate Vulnerability

IndicatorDistrictState AvgNational
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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the population of Maldah district?

Maldah has a population of 39.9 Lakh according to the Census 2011, with a density of 1,151 people per sq km across 3,466 sq km.

What is the population of Maldah in 2026?

There is no official count or district estimate after 2011. The latest figure is the Census 2011 count of 39.9 Lakh. Census 2027 enumeration takes place in February 2027, with results expected from 2028.

What is the literacy rate of Maldah?

Maldah has a literacy rate of 61.7% (Census 2011), which is below the West Bengal average of 76.2% and below the national average of 72.9%.

How does Maldah compare to West Bengal?

Maldah is the 11th most populous of 23 districts in West Bengal. Its sex ratio of 944 females per 1,000 males is below the state average of 950 (Census 2011).

How many children in Maldah are stunted or underweight?

In Maldah, 31.0% of children under 5 are stunted, 16.7% wasted and 35.7% 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 Maldah have health insurance?

86.3% of households in Maldah have at least one member covered by a health insurance or financing scheme (NFHS-6, 2023–24, provisional), up from 33.1% in 2019–21. The West Bengal average is 88.2% and India's 58.1%.

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

Between NFHS-5 (2019–21) and NFHS-6 (2023–24), Maldah improved most in health insurance (33% to 86%), women internet use (10% to 44%), women owning a mobile phone (38% to 60%), and got worse in 4+ antenatal visits (83% to 55%), pre-school attendance (54% to 32%), modern contraception (55% to 48%). Changes under 5 percentage points are not counted.

What data sources are used for Maldah?

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.