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City in Bihar

Muzaffarpur Population 2026

City, metro area and district compared

Metro area (UA) · 1 March 2026

≈ 5.1 lakh Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection 1 March 2026 How this is made →

5,10,000 510,000 1 March 2026

The Muzaffarpur metro area is estimated at ≈5.1 lakh on 1 March 2026, and the city within its municipal limits at ≈4.1 lakh. Census 2011 counted 3,96,590 in the urban agglomeration and 3,54,462 in the city.

Estimates: method M1 on 2011 boundaries, not official figures. Census: ORGI.

Which number do you mean?

Three areas share the name. Quoting the district figure as the “city population” is the most common mistake.

City

Muzaffarpur (municipal limits)

Census 2011
3,54,462
2026 Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection How this is made →
≈ 4.1 lakh

Metro area (UA)

Muzaffarpur urban agglomeration

Census 2011
3,96,590
2026 Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection How this is made →
≈ 5.1 lakh

District

Muzaffarpur district

Census 2011
48,01,062
2026 Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection How this is made →
≈ 61.96 lakh

Key figures

City 2026
≈ 4.1 lakh 4,10,000 Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection How this is made →
City · Census 2011
3.54 lakh 3,54,462 Census 2011 Final count, Census of India 2011 (ORGI) How this is made →
Metro area (UA) · 2011
3.97 lakh 3,96,590
Metro area (UA) · 2026
≈ 5.1 lakh 5,10,000 Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection How this is made →
Sex ratio
890 Bihar: 918
Child sex ratio (0–6)
902 Bihar: 935
Literacy rate
83.1% Male 86.4% · Female 79.3%
Households
65.9 thousand 5.4 people per household
Area
26.4km² Census 2011 (A-4)
Density
13,411per km² 2011
Growth 2001–11
+16.0% City
Work participation
30.1% 2011

Where it ranks

Population over time

Census counts within the limits of each year, then our estimates on 2011 boundaries.

Muzaffarpur: Population over time
  • Metro area (UA)
  • City
  • Census
  • Estimate
5.8 L4.5 L 2026
› Show the numbers as a table
YearMetro area (UA)City
195173,59473,594
19611,09,0481,09,048
19711,26,3791,26,379
19811,90,4161,90,416
19912,41,1072,41,107
20013,05,5253,05,525
20113,96,5903,54,462
2016 *4,40,0003,80,000
2021 *4,70,0004,00,000
2026 *5,10,0004,10,000
2031 *5,50,0004,30,000
2036 *5,80,0004,50,000

* Estimate

What the Muzaffarpur metro area includes

Constituent units of the urban agglomeration, Census 2011. CT = census town; OG = outgrowth.

What the Muzaffarpur metro area includes
  1. Muzaffarpur 3,54,462
  2. Damodarpur CT 13,884
  3. Shekhpura CT 10,204
  4. Majhauli Khetal CT 6,820
  5. Dumri Alias Damodarpur Shahjahan CT 6,301
  6. Yahiapur CT 4,919

What the numbers say

  • The Muzaffarpur metro area (urban agglomeration) had 3.97 lakh people in 2011, 1.1 times the 3.54 lakh inside city limits.
  • The city accounts for 7.4% of the population of the district it lies in.
  • Within comparable limits, the city grew 16.0% between 2001 and 2011.
  • Literacy in the city was 83.1% in 2011, against 61.8% for Bihar.
  • There were 890 females per 1,000 males, fewer than in the state (918), typical of cities that draw male migrants for work.
  • By 2011 population it ranks 133rd among the 150+ cities on this site and 4th in Bihar.
  • Our 2026 estimate for the metro area is ≈5.1 lakh, on 2011 boundaries; it is not an official figure.

Cities of similar size

Census 2027 status

Results pending

  1. Phase I: houselisting

    Done (2 May 2026 – 31 May 2026)

  2. Phase II: counting people

    February 2027 (reference date 1 March 2027)

  3. Results

    Not yet released. In 2011, first figures came about a month after counting ended.

When the Registrar General publishes Census 2027 figures for Muzaffarpur, they will appear on this page, at this address. Census 2027 explained →

Frequently asked questions

What is the population of Muzaffarpur in 2026?
There is no official figure after Census 2011. Our estimate for 1 March 2026 is ≈4.1 lakh within the 2011 city limits and ≈5.1 lakh for the metro area (urban agglomeration). Both are labelled estimates (method M1).

What was the population of Muzaffarpur in Census 2011?
3,54,462 within city limits (Muzaffarpur (M Corp.)); the Muzaffarpur urban agglomeration had 3,96,590; the Muzaffarpur district had 48,01,062.

Why do sources give such different numbers for Muzaffarpur?
They measure different areas. The municipal body covers the city proper; the urban agglomeration adds the contiguous towns and outgrowths around it; the district adds rural areas too. Quoting the district figure as the "city population" is the most common mistake.

What is the literacy rate of Muzaffarpur?
83.1% in Census 2011 (men 86.4%, women 79.3%). The sex ratio was 890 females per 1,000 males.

Sources and method

Data updated: · Report a correction