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Bharat Surveyभारत सर्वे
Bihar · Census 2011 district profile

32.6 lakh people in 6,47,777 households across 14 tehsils, as counted by Census 2011. Market size, development indicators and religious composition in one place — every figure from the official tables.

Religious composition · Census 2011, district-level

Out of every 100 residents

  • Hindu60.9%
  • Muslim38.5%
  • Religion not stated0.3%
  • Christian0.2%
  • Sikh<0.1%
  • Buddhist<0.1%
  • Jain<0.1%
  • Other religions<0.1%
  • Scheduled Castes (SC)12.0%
  • Scheduled Tribes (ST)4.3%
32.6 lakh
Population
Census 2011
51.1%
Literacy
Female literacy 42.3%
10.5%
Urban population
1,011 per sq km
Market

Population, urbanisation and the share of households owning key assets — the starting point for sizing a district market.

Population
32,64,619
16,99,370 / 15,65,249
Households
6,47,777
5 persons per household
Urban population
10.5%
3,43,005 persons
Sex ratio
921
women per 1,000 men
Density
1,011
per sq km
Work participation
35.0%
11,43,318 workers

Households owning (% of households)

Mobile phone38.8%Bihar 53.2%
Television9.9%Bihar 14.5%
Scooter / motorcycle / moped6.3%Bihar 8.1%
Availing banking services25.7%Bihar 44.4%
LPG / PNG for cooking5.3%Bihar 8.1%
Computer / laptop5.3%Bihar 7.1%
Car / jeep / van1.3%Bihar 1.7%
None of the listed assets33.8%Bihar 25.6%

What workers do

Cultivators17.3%
Agricultural labourers65.2%
Household industry2.5%
Other work (services, trade, industry)15.0%

Main workers 7,76,385, marginal workers 3,66,933. Shares of all workers.

State and India amenity figures are weighted by households from the published district percentages.

Development

Basic-service coverage from the Houselisting & Housing Census 2011, with literacy from the Primary Census Abstract.

Aspirational District · NITI Aayog
Literacy
51.1%
age 7 and above
Female literacy
42.3%
Bihar 51.5%
SC
12.0%
% of population
ST
4.3%
% of population
Electricity for lighting13.4%Bihar 16.4%
Latrine within premises13.7%Bihar 23.1%
No latrine — open defecation85.4%Bihar 75.8%
Tap water (main source)2.0%Bihar 4.4%
Tap water from treated source1.3%Bihar 3.1%
Drinking water within premises49.1%Bihar 50.1%
Water source away from home8.2%Bihar 12.0%
Closed drainage2.0%Bihar 6.7%
Permanent (pucca) house21.2%Bihar 48.0%
Religion & SC/ST

Census 2011 counts people by religion and records Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe status. These are district population figures, not voter or constituency figures.

Census 2011, district-level

Population counts from Census 2011 — not voters and not constituency-level figures. There is no official Census data on OBC or General castes. The Census has not published a caste count other than SC and ST since 1931, so this page shows none.

Out of every 100 residents

  • Hindu60.9%
  • Muslim38.5%
  • Religion not stated0.3%
  • Christian0.2%
  • Sikh<0.1%
  • Buddhist<0.1%
  • Jain<0.1%
  • Other religions<0.1%
  • Scheduled Castes (SC)12.0%
  • Scheduled Tribes (ST)4.3%
Tehsils

Sub-district rows from the Primary Census Abstract and table C-01. Tehsil boundaries are as they stood in 2011.

Tehsil-wise figures for Purnia
TehsilsPopulationHouseholdsUrban populationLiteracyFemale literacySCSTHinduMuslimChristianSikhReligious composition
Banmankhi3,51,41568,5218.6%52.3%42.6%19.0%5.3%86.2%13.3%0.1%0.0%
Barhara2,09,00041,1590.0%55.3%46.0%19.7%7.8%90.4%9.1%0.3%0.0%
Bhawanipur1,61,72030,7720.0%47.7%38.1%10.1%2.1%75.5%24.1%0.2%0.0%
Rupauli2,34,68647,1440.0%50.3%40.5%10.4%1.7%89.2%10.6%0.1%0.0%
Dhamdaha2,88,08455,9110.0%53.4%44.6%14.8%8.9%84.3%14.6%0.3%0.0%
Krityanand Nagar2,30,50446,4610.0%51.8%43.2%19.0%5.6%67.1%32.0%0.4%0.0%
Purnia East4,45,32685,19663.4%64.8%58.4%11.1%6.0%68.5%30.3%0.5%0.1%
Kasba1,88,34137,48516.2%50.4%42.1%7.3%6.7%41.6%58.1%0.2%0.0%
Srinagar1,10,05822,2230.0%44.9%36.2%18.1%5.1%65.9%33.7%0.2%0.0%
Jalalgarh1,12,95123,0980.0%47.2%39.2%18.2%1.8%53.4%46.3%0.2%0.0%
Amour2,90,55960,0420.0%45.2%36.1%2.4%0.5%22.6%76.9%0.3%0.0%
Baisa1,93,12739,1060.0%43.3%34.3%6.6%1.0%27.8%71.9%0.1%0.0%
Baisi2,27,70645,0920.0%41.4%32.4%5.5%0.5%22.4%77.3%0.1%0.0%
Dagarua2,21,14245,5670.0%45.6%36.2%8.9%3.0%37.2%62.6%0.1%0.0%

Table scrolls sideways on small screens.

Assembly seats

Seats whose area falls in this Census 2011 district, as drawn by the 2008 delimitation (or the Local Government Directory's ward mapping where that is the only link).

Other districts of Bihar

Field data

Census 2011 is the latest official count. For today's numbers, our field teams run verified surveys — pick what you need and we'll call back with scope and a quote.

What do you need for Purnia, Bihar?

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FAQ

Answers use Census of India 2011 tables and NITI Aayog's Aspirational Districts list.

What is the population of Purnia district?

Census 2011 counted 32,64,619 people in Purnia — 16,99,370 men and 15,65,249 women (sex ratio 921 women per 1,000 men). 10.5% of them lived in urban areas.

What is the religious composition of Purnia?

By Census 2011, Purnia's population was Hindu 60.9% and Muslim 38.5%. These are population shares for the whole district, not voter figures.

What share of Purnia is SC and ST?

Scheduled Castes were 12.0% and Scheduled Tribes 4.3% of the district's population in Census 2011. There is no official Census count of OBC or General castes.

What is the literacy rate of Purnia?

Census 2011 literacy (age 7 and above) was 51.1%; female literacy was 42.3%.

Is Purnia an Aspirational District?

Yes. NITI Aayog's list of 112 Aspirational Districts includes Purnea, which lies in the area of Census 2011 Purnia district.

Why are these 2011 figures?

Census 2011 is the latest completed population census of India. The 2021 Census was postponed; the next Census has been notified with a reference date of 1 March 2027 (1 October 2026 for snow-bound areas), and no results from it have been published yet. Until they are, the 2011 tables remain the official source for district-level population, religion and SC/ST figures.

Source: Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India — Census of India 2011, district code 10-211: Primary Census Abstract, C-01 religion table, HH-14 amenities and assets and A-01 area table (censusindia.gov.in). Aspirational Districts: NITI Aayog list. Seat links: 2008 delimitation district of each assembly seat and the Local Government Directory. Percentages are calculated from the published counts; amenity percentages are as published in table HH-14.