Districts of Bihar

The 2011 Census counted 38 districts in what is now Bihar, home to 10.41 crore people. Patna was the largest, with 58.38 lakh; Rohtas had the highest literacy rate at 73.4%.

Population, 2011

10.41 crore

38 districts

Literacy rate

61.8%

India 73.0%

Sex ratio

918

females per 1,000 males; India 943

Urban population

11.3%

India 31.1%

All districts of Bihar

#
1	Patna	58,38,465	70.7%	897	43.1%
2	Purba Champaran	50,99,371	55.8%	902	7.9%
3	Muzaffarpur	48,01,062	63.4%	900	9.9%
4	Madhubani	44,87,379	58.6%	926	3.6%
5	Gaya	43,91,418	63.7%	937	13.2%
6	Samastipur	42,61,566	61.9%	911	3.5%
7	Saran	39,51,862	66.0%	954	8.9%
8	Darbhanga	39,37,385	56.6%	911	9.7%
9	Pashchim Champaran	39,35,042	55.7%	909	10.0%
10	Vaishali	34,95,021	66.6%	895	6.7%
11	Sitamarhi	34,23,574	52.0%	899	5.6%
12	Siwan	33,30,464	69.5%	988	5.5%
13	Purnia	32,64,619	51.1%	921	10.5%
14	Katihar	30,71,029	52.2%	919	8.9%
15	Bhagalpur	30,37,766	63.1%	880	19.8%
16	Begusarai	29,70,541	63.9%	895	19.2%
17	Rohtas	29,59,918	73.4%	918	14.4%
18	Nalanda	28,77,653	64.4%	922	15.9%
19	Araria	28,11,569	53.5%	921	6.0%
20	Bhojpur	27,28,407	70.5%	907	14.3%
21	Gopalganj	25,62,012	65.5%	1021	6.3%
22	Aurangabad	25,40,073	70.3%	926	9.3%
23	Supaul	22,29,076	57.7%	929	4.7%
24	Nawada	22,19,146	59.8%	939	9.7%
25	Banka	20,34,763	58.2%	907	3.5%
26	Madhepura	20,01,762	52.3%	911	4.4%
27	Saharsa	19,00,661	53.2%	906	8.2%
28	Jamui	17,60,405	59.8%	922	8.3%
29	Buxar	17,06,352	70.1%	922	9.6%
30	Kishanganj	16,90,400	55.5%	950	9.5%
31	Khagaria	16,66,886	57.9%	886	5.2%
32	Kaimur (Bhabua)	16,26,384	69.3%	920	4.0%
33	Munger	13,67,765	70.5%	876	27.8%
34	Jehanabad	11,25,313	66.8%	922	12.0%
35	Lakhisarai	10,00,912	62.4%	902	14.3%
36	Arwal	7,00,843	67.4%	928	7.4%
37	Sheohar	6,56,246	53.8%	893	4.3%
38	Sheikhpura	6,36,342	63.9%	930	17.1%

Census 2011. Click a column to sort. Literacy is for people aged seven and over; sex ratio is females per 1,000 males.

Districts of all states · State-wise GDP · Population by state

Questions

How many districts were there in Bihar in the 2011 Census?

38. Districts created since 2011 are not shown separately here, because the Census reports figures for the districts as they were then.

Which is the most populous district of Bihar?

Patna, with 58,38,465 people in 2011. The smallest was Sheikhpura, with 6,36,342.

Which district of Bihar has the highest literacy rate?

Rohtas, at 73.37% in 2011. The lowest was Purnia, at 51.08%.

Which district of Bihar has the best sex ratio?

Gopalganj, with 1021 females per 1,000 males in 2011. The lowest was Munger, at 876.

Use this data

Download the figures on this page. If you use them, please credit India in Data and the original source.

Cite this

India in Data, "Districts of Bihar: Census 2011 population, literacy and sex ratio". https://indiaindata.online/districts/bihar. Original source: Census of India 2011, Primary Census Abstract (Office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner, India).

About these figures

All figures are from the 2011 Census, the most recent completed census of India, published in the Primary Census Abstract by the Office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner. The next census, Census 2027, will replace them.

Districts are shown as they were in 2011. Many states have created new districts since, so a district today may be smaller than the one shown here. Districts are grouped under today's states and union territories: the ten 2011 districts now in Telangana are under Telangana, Leh and Kargil are under Ladakh, and Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu are shown together. Districts renamed since 2011 carry their current name, with the Census name in brackets.

Literacy rate is the share of people aged seven and over who can read and write with understanding. Sex ratio is females per 1,000 males; child sex ratio is the same for children aged 0 to 6. Workers include main workers (six months or more of work in the year) and marginal workers (less than six months).