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district · Census 2011 · code 211

Purnia population.
Households, literacy and work.

A detailed district profile in Bihar, using the original Primary Census Abstract. Every figure on this page belongs to the source’s 2011 population and geography.

Historical geographic unit. Historical Census 2011 district boundary. This record does not represent a present-day district unless the boundaries are independently shown to match.
Population3,264,619people
Households647,777PCA households
Literacy rate51.08%% of people aged 7+
Work participation35.02%% of all residents

Total, rural and urban population

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Indicator · Census 2011TotalRuralUrban
Populationpeople3,264,6192,921,614343,005
Households recorded in the PCAhouseholds647,777581,36366,414
Children aged 0–6people aged 0–6656,510603,14953,361
Children aged 0–6 as a share of population%20.11%20.64%15.56%
Sex ratiofemales per 1,000 males921923907
Child sex ratiogirls per 1,000 boys aged 0–6954954955
Literate populationliterate people aged 7+1,332,3261,121,625210,701
Literacy rate%51.08%48.38%72.74%
Male literacy rate%59.06%56.7%77.84%
Female literacy rate%42.34%39.28%67.07%
Scheduled Castes populationpeople390,991358,54632,445
Scheduled Tribes populationpeople139,490121,53217,958
Total workersCensus workers1,143,3181,043,210100,108
Work participation rate%35.02%35.71%29.19%
Main workersworked at least 6 months776,385698,00778,378
Marginal workersworked less than 6 months366,933345,20321,730
Non-workerspeople2,121,3011,878,404242,897

Calculated percentages retain the denominator named in each row. Counts are reported people or households, and are not estimates for a later year.

Census of India · original Primary Census Abstract
Sheet1! rows 665, 666, 667; original PCA field codes are documented in field-definitions.json.
Source access notes and archived workbooks

What stands out in this profile?

  • The source records 647,777 households and 3,264,619 residents. These household and person counts are separate measures.
  • Urban residents accounted for 10.51% of this area’s population, compared with 89.49% in rural areas.
  • Children aged 0–6 accounted for 20.11% of residents. This historical age group helps describe the age structure in 2011; it does not measure today’s children.
  • Male literacy was 59.06% and female literacy was 42.34%, each calculated among the corresponding population aged 7 and above.
  • Of 1,143,318 Census workers, 67.91% were main workers. Census work includes more than salaried employment.

What kinds of work were recorded?

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Economic activityMain workersMarginal workers
Cultivators160,72436,700
Agricultural labourers474,573270,442
Household industry workers15,71713,123
Other workers125,37146,668

Cultivators, agricultural labourers, household industry workers and other workers are separate Census activity categories. A worker count is not a count of employees on a company payroll.

Using the profile in research

These are historical counts, not current market estimates or present-day projections for this district. Read the research guidance before choosing a denominator or adding eligibility, adoption and spending assumptions.

Definitions, calculation methods and source access

Literacy uses people aged 7 and above; work participation uses all residents. Main workers worked at least six months. Households are the PCA household count, not houses. Rates with zero denominators are unavailable. Names and boundaries belong to Census 2011.

Read the full definitions and research guidance

Download the field definitions

Towns connected to this district

The population displayed here counts only the source components within this district. A linked full-town profile can include components in other districts.

Census code 801312

Purnia

282,248 people within this district · Municipal corporation

Census code 801313

Kasba

30,421 people within this district · Town

Census code 801311

Banmankhi Bazar

30,336 people within this district · Town