Population & Demographics of West Bengal
Population projections, female literacy, child nutrition, household amenities, and vital statistics for West Bengal.
West Bengal's total fertility rate has fallen below replacement level (1.6 vs the 2.1 floor). The population pyramid is losing its base — the 0-4 cohort in 2026 is already smaller than in 2011. That shift reshapes everything: schools, labour supply, pension obligations, political constituencies. This page tracks the arithmetic of that transition.
Key figures & data tables
West Bengal is India’s 4th most populous state, projected at 1.03 crore people in 2036 (0.52 crore male, 0.51 crore female). The total fertility rate is 1.6 — well below the 2.1 replacement level — so the population pyramid is now losing its base.
Vital statistics have moved sharply. Between 2010 and 2023 the birth rate fell from 16.8 to 14 per 1,000 (India: 18.7), and infant mortality from 31 to 17. Natural growth is now 8.6 per 1,000 against 12.9 for India.
On NFHS-5 (2019-21) state averages: sex ratio at birth 973 girls per 1,000 boys, female literacy (15-49) 76.1%, institutional delivery 91.7%, full immunization 87.8%, children stunted 33.8%, improved sanitation 68%, clean cooking fuel 40.2% and electricity 97.5%. District spread is wide — Kolkata leads on female literacy at 87.6% while Purulia sits at 61%.
The rows behind the charts above — 5 tables
›NFHS-5 indicators for every West Bengal district(20 rows)
National Family Health Survey 5 (2019-21), IIPS. Sex ratio at birth is girls per 1,000 boys; all other columns are percentages.
| District | Sex ratio at birth | Female literacy 15-49 (%) | Institutional delivery (%) | Full immunization (%) | Children stunted (%) | Children underweight (%) | Improved sanitation (%) | Clean cooking fuel (%) | Electricity (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kolkata | 809 | 87.6 | 97.5 | 80.2 | 29.6 | 32.9 | 60.9 | 91.7 | 99.6 |
| South 24 Parganas | 1,099 | 85.6 | 91 | 91.7 | 36.7 | 32.2 | 70.1 | 36.2 | 99.2 |
| North 24 Parganas | 889 | 85.5 | 97.5 | 92.8 | 32.4 | 23.6 | 80.4 | 58.9 | 99.5 |
| Howrah | 1,062 | 80.5 | 95.5 | 87.8 | 27.5 | 27.3 | 72.9 | 61.9 | 99 |
| Cooch Behar | 959 | 79.2 | 93 | 94.2 | 28.7 | 22.5 | 75.7 | 25.7 | 98.2 |
| Hooghly | 1,025 | 77.4 | 97 | 95.4 | 28.9 | 33.4 | 76.2 | 54.6 | 98.4 |
| Darjeeling | 1,059 | 77 | 98.4 | 94.2 | 34.3 | 31.6 | 83 | 68.8 | 98.2 |
| Medinipur (Purba) | 777 | 77 | 91.5 | 88.4 | 25.8 | 30.6 | 69.8 | 17 | 99 |
| Nadia | 982 | 76.2 | 97.7 | 89.9 | 26.1 | 25.1 | 78.4 | 34.2 | 98.2 |
| Dakshin Dinajpur | 1,067 | 74.3 | 91.4 | 92.6 | 31.9 | 30.2 | 79 | 28.7 | 96.5 |
| Jalpaiguri | 1,099 | 73.6 | 95.8 | 87.9 | 28.9 | 25.4 | 73.2 | 42.7 | 97.4 |
| Barddhaman (Paschim) | 787 | 73.5 | 89.8 | 62.4 | 39.7 | 41 | 71.5 | 56.3 | 97 |
| Barddhaman (Purba) | 877 | 73.2 | 96 | 97.2 | 32.7 | 31.6 | 64.2 | 32.1 | 96.8 |
| Malda | 942 | 72.3 | 87.7 | 87.2 | 40.5 | 35.3 | 62 | 29.6 | 98.1 |
| Medinipur (Paschim) | 1,005 | 70.9 | 87.6 | 76.9 | 31.1 | 40 | 58.3 | 17.5 | 95.4 |
| Birbhum | 934 | 70.8 | 90.3 | 81.6 | 37 | 41.8 | 55 | 28.1 | 97.8 |
| Bankura | 1,002 | 68.3 | 93.3 | 85 | 30.3 | 38.8 | 49.2 | 20.8 | 92.3 |
| Murshidabad | 1,054 | 67.6 | 87 | 90 | 39.8 | 32.4 | 69.7 | 30.7 | 96.7 |
| Uttar Dinajpur | 1,155 | 65.4 | 76.9 | 84.4 | 44.8 | 32 | 63.8 | 27.2 | 96.9 |
| Purulia | 860 | 61 | 89.8 | 84.7 | 36.9 | 46.3 | 29.2 | 23.2 | 88.6 |
›West Bengal state averages, NFHS-5(10 rows)
| Indicator | West Bengal |
|---|---|
| sex Ratio At Birth | 973 |
| total Fertility Rate | 1.6 |
| female Literacy 1 5- 4 9 | 76.1 |
| institutional Delivery | 91.7 |
| full Immunization | 87.8 |
| children Stunted | 33.8 |
| children Underweight | 32.2 |
| improved Sanitation | 68 |
| clean Cooking Fuel | 40.2 |
| electricity | 97.5 |
›West Bengal vital statistics, SRS — birth rate, death rate, IMR(14 rows)
Sample Registration System, Registrar General of India. Rates per 1,000 population; IMR per 1,000 live births.
| Year | Birth rate | Death rate | Natural growth | IMR | India birth rate | India death rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2,010 | 16.8 | 6.4 | 10.4 | 31 | 22.1 | 7.2 |
| 2,011 | 16.3 | 6.3 | 10 | 32 | 21.8 | 7.1 |
| 2,012 | 16.1 | 6.2 | 9.9 | 31 | 21.6 | 7 |
| 2,013 | 15.8 | 6.1 | 9.7 | 31 | 21.4 | 7 |
| 2,014 | 15.6 | 6 | 9.6 | 28 | 21 | 6.7 |
| 2,015 | 15.5 | 5.9 | 9.6 | 26 | 20.8 | 6.5 |
| 2,016 | 15.4 | 5.8 | 9.6 | 25 | 20.4 | 6.4 |
| 2,017 | 15.2 | 5.8 | 9.4 | 24 | 20.2 | 6.3 |
| 2,018 | 15.1 | 5.7 | 9.4 | 22 | 20 | 6.2 |
| 2,019 | 14.9 | 5.6 | 9.3 | 20 | 19.7 | 6 |
| 2,020 | 14.6 | 5.5 | 9.1 | 19 | 19.5 | 6 |
| 2,021 | 14.4 | 5.6 | 8.8 | 19 | 19.3 | 6.1 |
| 2,022 | 14.2 | 5.5 | 8.7 | 18 | 19 | 5.9 |
| 2,023 | 14 | 5.4 | 8.6 | 17 | 18.7 | 5.8 |
›West Bengal population projection (thousands)(6 rows)
Report of the Technical Group on Population Projections, RGI.
| Year | Total | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2,011 | 91,528 | 46,927 | 44,601 |
| 2,016 | 95,281 | 48,750 | 46,531 |
| 2,021 | 98,291 | 50,170 | 48,121 |
| 2,026 | 1,00,631 | 51,225 | 49,406 |
| 2,031 | 1,02,220 | 51,870 | 50,350 |
| 2,036 | 1,02,980 | 52,100 | 50,890 |
›West Bengal age structure, 2011 vs 2026 (thousands)(17 rows)
RGI population projections. The 0-4 cohort is already smaller in 2026 than it was in 2011.
| Age group | Male 2011 | Female 2011 | Male 2026 | Female 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0-4 | 3,744 | 3,589 | 3,180 | 3,050 |
| 5-9 | 4,217 | 4,031 | 3,350 | 3,210 |
| 10-14 | 4,678 | 4,479 | 3,580 | 3,430 |
| 15-19 | 4,702 | 4,356 | 3,700 | 3,570 |
| 20-24 | 4,423 | 4,336 | 4,610 | 4,510 |
| 25-29 | 4,045 | 3,953 | 4,640 | 4,390 |
| 30-34 | 3,465 | 3,377 | 4,360 | 4,350 |
| 35-39 | 3,523 | 3,489 | 3,990 | 3,960 |
| 40-44 | 3,220 | 2,933 | 3,420 | 3,380 |
| 45-49 | 2,814 | 2,522 | 3,480 | 3,490 |
| 50-54 | 2,317 | 1,941 | 3,170 | 2,930 |
| 55-59 | 1,747 | 1,522 | 2,760 | 2,510 |
| 60-64 | 1,406 | 1,339 | 2,250 | 1,920 |
| 65-69 | 991 | 992 | 1,660 | 1,476 |
| 70-74 | 687 | 704 | 1,290 | 1,260 |
| 75-79 | 360 | 380 | 850 | 880 |
| 80+ | 407 | 477 | 935 | 1,090 |