West Bengal Population
West Bengal is the eastern state of India located along the Bay of Bengal in the east, bordering Bihar, Jharkhand to the west, Odisha to the north-west, Bangladesh to the east, Nepal and Bhutan to the north. West Bengal population in 2023 is estimated to be 99.09 Million (9.91 Crores), and it is the fourth-largest populated state in India. By May 2023 West Bengal population is projected to be 9.9 crores as per Unique Identification Aadhar India, updated 31, May 2023. As per NFHS 2019-2021 report, Total Fertility Rate of West Bengal State is 1.6 children per women compared to 1.8 in 2016. Its area is 88,752 sq km and density is 1100 people per sq km. The British colonial rule was started in Bengal from 18th century, at the time of India Independence Bengal was partitioned into West Bengal and East Bengal, todays Bangladesh. Calcutta which is today's Kolkata served as British India capital for many years and currently the third largest metorpolitan city in India. The native name of the state is 'PaschimBanga', 'Paschim' means west and 'Banga' means ancient kingdom 'vanga'. As per Niti Aayog 2016 report, Total Fertility Rate is 1.6.
Image Source: Bengali people gathering at Swachh Bharat Mission, North 24 Paraganas, West Bengal
Census year | Persons | Absolute | Percentage | Males | Females |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1901 | 16,940,088 | - | - | 8,708,978 | 8,231,110 |
1911 | 17,998,769 | 1,058,681 | 6.25 | 9,349,419 | 8,649,350 |
1921 | 17,474,348 | -524,421 | -2.91 | 9,173,148 | 8,301,200 |
1931 | 18,897,036 | 1,422,688 | 8.14 | 9,997,035 | 8,900,001 |
1941 | 23,229,552 | 4,332,516 | 22.93 | 12,545,269 | 10,684,283 |
1951 | 26,299,980 | 3,070,428 | 13.22 | 14,105,519 | 12,194,461 |
1961 | 34,926,279 | 8,626,299 | 32.8 | 18,599,144 | 16,327,135 |
1971 | 44,312,011 | 9,385,732 | 26.87 | 23,435,987 | 20,876,024 |
1981 | 54,580,647 | 10,268,636 | 23.17 | 28,560,901 | 26,019,746 |
1991 | 68,077,965 | 13,497,318 | 24.73 | 35,510,633 | 32,567,332 |
2001 | 80,176,197 | 12,098,232 | 17.77 | 41,465,985 | 38,710,212 |
2011 | 91,276,115 | 11,099,918 | 13.84 | 46,809,027 | 44,467,088 |
Population Pyramid
West Bengal Population by Religion
Religion wise, Hinduism is the major religion in West Bengal with 70.5%, followed by Muslim with 27%. Christian and Buddhism with 0.72% and 0.31%. more than 1.1 million are others and not stated religion. The Muslim population of West Bengal is 24.6 Million is the second largest after Hindu religion of 64.3 Million.
Religion | Persons | Percentage | Males | Females |
---|---|---|---|---|
Hindu | 64,385,546 | 70.54 | 33,046,557 | 31,338,989 |
Muslim | 24,654,825 | 27.01 | 12,640,092 | 12,014,733 |
Christian | 658,618 | 0.72 | 325,986 | 332,632 |
Sikh | 63,523 | 0.07 | 34,168 | 29,355 |
Buddhist | 282,898 | 0.31 | 141,388 | 141,510 |
Jain | 60,141 | 0.07 | 30,718 | 29,423 |
Others | 942,297 | 1.03 | 469,865 | 472,432 |
Not Stated | 228,267 | 0.25 | 120,253 | 108,014 |
Ethnic groups
References: [1] https://www.jstor.org/stable/2979312
Tribes | Population as per Census 2011 |
---|---|
All Scheduled Tribes | 5,296,953 |
Asur | 3,864 |
Baiga | 13,423 |
Bedia, Bediya | 88,772 |
Bhumij | 376,296 |
Bhutia, Sherpa, Toto, Dukpa, Kagatay, Tibetan, Yolmo | 66,627 |
Birhor | 2,241 |
Birjia | 1,123 |
Chakma | 466 |
Chero | 5,477 |
Chik Baraik | 21,376 |
Garo | 2,039 |
Gond | 13,535 |
Gorait | 2,498 |
Hajang | 621 |
Ho | 23,483 |
Karmali | 2,466 |
Kharwar | 20,270 |
Khond | 660 |
Kisan | 98,434 |
Kora | 159,404 |
Korwa | 2,912 |
Lepcha | 33,962 |
Lodha, Kheria, Kharia | 108,707 |
Lohara, Lohra | 24,783 |
Magh | 8,032 |
Mahali | 81,594 |
Mahli | 2,609 |
Mal Pahariya | 44,538 |
Mech | 41,242 |
Mru | 197 |
Munda | 366,386 |
Nagesia | 16,378 |
Oraon | 643,510 |
Parhaiya | 921 |
Rabha | 27,820 |
Santal | 2,512,331 |
Sauria Paharia | 3,480 |
Savar | 40,374 |
Limbu (Subba) | 46,847 |
Tamang | 146,203 |
Generic Tribes etc. | 241,052 |
Languages spoken in West Bengal
Languages | Persons | Percentage | Rural | Urban |
---|---|---|---|---|
Bengali | 78,698,852 | 86.2206 | 56,188,667 | 22,510,185 |
Hindi | 6,356,059 | 6.9636 | 2,027,869 | 4,328,190 |
Santali | 2,429,073 | 2.6612 | 2,283,852 | 145,221 |
Urdu | 1,663,519 | 1.8225 | 331,765 | 1,331,754 |
Nepali | 1,155,375 | 1.2658 | 815,337 | 340,038 |
Kurukh/Oraon | 171,909 | 0.1883 | 159,686 | 12,223 |
Odia | 162,142 | 0.1776 | 35,836 | 126,306 |
Telugu | 88,352 | 0.0968 | 3,926 | 84,426 |
Punjabi | 61,080 | 0.0669 | 8,844 | 52,236 |
Munda | 43,686 | 0.0479 | 40,879 | 2,807 |
Gujarati | 41,371 | 0.0453 | 4,141 | 37,230 |
Koda/Kora | 40,741 | 0.0446 | 36,753 | 3,988 |
Maithili | 29,741 | 0.0326 | 8,544 | 21,197 |
Mundari | 29,594 | 0.0324 | 28,934 | 660 |
Savara | 24,915 | 0.0273 | 23,585 | 1,330 |
Tamil | 15,930 | 0.0175 | 1,935 | 13,995 |
Marathi | 14,815 | 0.0162 | 4,920 | 9,895 |
Rabha | 14,387 | 0.0158 | 14,242 | 145 |
Malayalam | 10,952 | 0.0120 | 1,699 | 9,253 |
Kisan | 10,277 | 0.0113 | 10,271 | 6 |
Lepcha | 8,637 | 0.0095 | 7,975 | 662 |
Tibetan | 8,500 | 0.0093 | 2,490 | 6,010 |
Sindhi | 7,828 | 0.0086 | 2,571 | 5,257 |
Assamese | 7,342 | 0.0080 | 3,706 | 3,636 |
Bhumij | 6,977 | 0.0076 | 6,907 | 70 |
Kharia | 6,876 | 0.0075 | 6,408 | 468 |
HO | 6,055 | 0.0066 | 5,204 | 851 |
Malto | 5,057 | 0.0055 | 4,516 | 541 |
Bhotia | 4,293 | 0.0047 | 1,873 | 2,420 |
Tamang | 3,821 | 0.0042 | 2,514 | 1,307 |
Kannada | 2,192 | 0.0024 | 904 | 1,288 |
Manipuri | 2,010 | 0.0022 | 493 | 1,517 |
Korwa | 2,009 | 0.0022 | 576 | 1,433 |
Disability
Type of disability | Total Persons | Cultivators | Agriculture labor | HHI | Other workers |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Total disabled population | 685,516 | 98,499 | 195,878 | 48,320 | 342,819 |
In Seeing | 161,730 | 24,281 | 44,868 | 11,123 | 81,458 |
In Hearing | 126,567 | 18,070 | 35,599 | 9,319 | 63,579 |
In Speech | 50,170 | 6,390 | 13,650 | 3,665 | 26,465 |
In Movement | 107,728 | 15,397 | 29,714 | 7,881 | 54,736 |
Mental Retardation | 30,446 | 4,503 | 9,940 | 2,058 | 13,945 |
Mental Illness | 14,616 | 2,181 | 5,462 | 1,154 | 5,819 |
Any Other | 161,028 | 22,466 | 44,882 | 10,448 | 83,232 |
Multiple disability | 33,231 | 5,211 | 11,763 | 2,672 | 13,585 |
Population projection
According to UID, West Bengal population in 2022 is estimated to be 98.6 million (9.86 Crores), in 2021 is estimated to be 98.12 million (9.81 Crores), population in 2020 is estimated to be 99 million (9.9 Crores).
District wise population in West Bengal
As of 2017, West Bengal is divided into 23 districts. The North 24 paraganas is the largest district and Dakshin Dinajpur is the smallest by Population. Kolkata district is bordered by the North 24 Parganas district on the north and on the east, South 24 Parganas district on the south. Below is the West Bengal district wise population as per Census 2011 and 2020 projection.
District | Population(2020 est.) | Population(2011) | Percentage |
---|---|---|---|
Darjiling | 2,105,378 | 1,846,823 | 2.02 |
Jalpaiguri | 4,415,044 | 3,872,846 | 4.24 |
Koch Bihar | 3,213,758 | 2,819,086 | 3.09 |
Uttar Dinajpur | 3,428,133 | 3,007,134 | 3.29 |
Dakshin Dinajpur | 1,910,955 | 1,676,276 | 1.84 |
Maldah | 4,547,283 | 3,988,845 | 4.37 |
Murshidabad | 8,098,340 | 7,103,807 | 7.78 |
Birbhum | 3,992,741 | 3,502,404 | 3.84 |
Barddhaman | 8,798,022 | 7,717,563 | 8.46 |
Nadia | 5,891,064 | 5,167,600 | 5.66 |
North Twenty Four Parganas | 11,411,150 | 10,009,781 | 10.97 |
Hugli | 6,291,825 | 5,519,145 | 6.05 |
Bankura | 4,100,208 | 3,596,674 | 3.94 |
Puruliya | 3,340,331 | 2,930,115 | 3.21 |
Haora | 5,529,033 | 4,850,029 | 5.31 |
Kolkata | 5,126,231 | 4,496,694 | 4.93 |
South Twenty Four Parganas | 9,304,636 | 8,161,961 | 8.94 |
Paschim Medinipur | 6,741,341 | 5,913,457 | 6.48 |
Purba Medinipur | 5,809,298 | 5,095,875 | 5.58 |