West Bengal
is located in the eastern part of India. The capital of the state of West
Bengal is Kolkata, formerly known as Calcutta. Calcutta was taken over by the
East India Company when the British came to India. West Bengal is the 4th
most populated state in India. West Bengal is known for its culture, heritage
and art form. The official language of West Bengal is Bengali. English is also
widely spoken here. Kolkata is also very famous for the annual Durga Puja
celebrations.
As per the
census carried out by the government of India in 2011, the population totals of
West Bengal are mentioned below:
Total Population:
The
population of West Bengal as per the 2011 census is 91,347,736 compared to 80,176,197
in the 2001 census. In this decade the state of West Bengal has registered a
growth of 13.93% in total population. West Bengal accounts for 7.55% of the
total population of India.
Sex Ratio:
There are a
total of 46,927,389 males and 44,420,347 females in West Bengal. As per the
2011 census, the sex ratio in West Bengal stands at 947 compared to 934 in the
2001 census. As mentioned in the table below, the Child sex ratio for the state
is almost the same as compared to 2001.
|
Parameter
|
Year 2011
|
Year 2001
|
|
Sex Ratio in West Bengal
|
947
|
934
|
|
Child sex ratio in West Bengal
|
950
|
957
|
|
Sex Ratio in India
|
940
|
933
|
Total Child
Population:
The total child
population (0-6 years) in West Bengal in 2011 is 10,112,599 compared to 11,414,222
in 2001. This has been a significant decline in child population when compared
to the child population in 2001.
Urban & Rural
Population:
Close to 2/3rd
of the population of West Bengal resides in rural areas. The rural population
makes up 68.11% whereas the urban population makes up 31.89% of the total
population. The total rural & urban population as per the 2011 census is 62,213,676
& 29,134,060 respectively. The urban population has increased by 29.90%
whereas the rural population has increased by 7.73% over the last decade.
Population
Density:
The total area of West
Bengal is 88,752 Km2. As per the 2011 census, population density is calculated at 1,029 persons per Km2, which
is close to three times the national average of 382 per Km2. As per
the 2001 census population density was calculated at 903 persons per Km2 which
shows that there has been anincrease of close to 13% in population density over
the last decade. West Bengal is one of the most densely populated states in the
country.
Literacy
Rate:
As per the census
study of 2011, West Bengal has a literacy rate of 77.08%. The male literacy is 82.67%
whereas the female literacy is 71.16%. There is a notable improvement in
literacy rate as compared to 2001 when the literacy rate in West Bengal was 68.64%.
Birth rate,
death rate and infant mortality rate:
As per data
provided by Ministry of Health & Family welfare (SRS 2008), the crude birth
rate, crude death rate and infant mortality rate in West Bengal is:
|
Crude
Birth Rate
|
17.5
|
|
Crude
Death Rate
|
6.2
|
|
Infant
mortality rate
|
35
|
Top 7
Districts & their population:
The 7 largest
districts by population in West Bengal & their total population, sex ratio
& literacy rates are:
|
District Name
|
Total Population
|
Sex Ratio
|
Literacy Rate (%)
|
|
North 24 Parganas
|
10,082,852
|
949
|
84.95
|
|
South 24 Parganas
|
8,153,176
|
949
|
78.57
|
|
Barddhaman
|
7,723,663
|
943
|
77.15
|
|
Murshidabad
|
7,102,430
|
957
|
67.53
|
|
Paschim Medinipur
|
5,943,300
|
960
|
79.04
|
|
Hugli
|
5,520,389
|
958
|
82.55
|
|
Nadia
|
5,168,488
|
947
|
75.58
|
Top 3
cities & their population:
The 3 largest
cities in West Bengal & their total population are mentioned below:
|
City Name
|
Total Population
|
|
Kolkata
|
4,486,679
|
|
Haora
|
1,072,161
|
|
Durgapur
|
566,937
|