Puruliya
District in West Bengal
Credit Growth (5-Year) in Puruliya: 102.9%, 10th highest of 23 districts in West Bengal
MSME Density in Puruliya: 12.5 per 1,000 people, lowest of 23 districts in West Bengal
Women Literacy in Puruliya: 61.0%, lowest of 20 districts in West Bengal
Health Insurance in Puruliya: 87.6%, 13th highest of 23 districts in West Bengal
Puruliya is a district in West Bengal with a population of 29.3 Lakh (Census 2011) spread across 6,017 sq km. Its literacy rate of 64.5% is below the state average of 76.2% and below the national average of 72.9%. The district has a sex ratio of 957 females per 1,000 males, above the state average of 950.
Demographics
What changed in Puruliya, 2019–21 to 2023–24
Got worse
Male Alcohol Use18% → 23%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 | 33.7% | 40.1% | 46.7% | National Family Health Survey (NFHS-6) (2023–24) |
| Male Tobacco Use | 53.9% | 46.4% | 37.0% | National Family Health Survey (NFHS-6) (2023–24) |
| Menstrual Hygiene | 86.1% | 89.5% | 81.2% | National Family Health Survey (NFHS-6) (2023–24) |
| Child Sex Ratio (0–6) | 953 | 953 | 926 | Census 2011 (2011) |
| Average Holding Size | 0.8 | 0.9 | 1.4 | Agricultural Census 2015-16 (2015–16) |
| Marginal Farmers (%) | 79.5% | 83.6% | 66.3% | Agricultural Census 2015-16 (2015–16) |
| MGNREGA Days per Household | 57.7 | 52.4 | 43.4 | Climate Vulnerability Index (2021) |
| Women's Court Cases | 7.2 | 11.3 | 9.2 | National Judicial Data Grid (2024) |
| Banking | 47 | 194 | 81.1 | Town Amenities Census 2011 (2011) |
| Explore all indicators for Puruliya on the live map → | ||||
More Districts in West Bengal
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the population of Puruliya district?
Puruliya has a population of 29.3 Lakh according to the Census 2011, with a density of 487 people per sq km across 6,017 sq km.
What is the population of Puruliya in 2026?
There is no official count or district estimate after 2011. The latest figure is the Census 2011 count of 29.3 Lakh. Census 2027 enumeration takes place in February 2027, with results expected from 2028.
What is the literacy rate of Puruliya?
Puruliya has a literacy rate of 64.5% (Census 2011), which is below the West Bengal average of 76.2% and below the national average of 72.9%.
How does Puruliya compare to West Bengal?
Puruliya is the 15th most populous of 23 districts in West Bengal. Its sex ratio of 957 females per 1,000 males is above the state average of 950 (Census 2011).
How many children in Puruliya are stunted or underweight?
In Puruliya, 30.3% of children under 5 are stunted, 32.9% wasted and 39.2% 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 Puruliya have health insurance?
87.6% of households in Puruliya have at least one member covered by a health insurance or financing scheme (NFHS-6, 2023–24, provisional), up from 41.8% in 2019–21. The West Bengal average is 88.2% and India's 58.1%.
What changed in Puruliya between NFHS-5 and NFHS-6?
Between NFHS-5 (2019–21) and NFHS-6 (2023–24), Puruliya improved most in health insurance (42% to 88%), women with a bank account (63% to 94%), women internet use (11% to 38%), and got worse in male alcohol use (18% to 23%). Changes under 5 percentage points are not counted.
What data sources are used for Puruliya?
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.