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District of West Bengal

Darjeeling District Population 2026

Population · 1 March 2026

≈ 17.65 lakh Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection 1 March 2026 How this is made →

17,65,000 1.76 million 1 March 2026

Darjeeling district's population is estimated at ≈17.65 lakh (17,65,000) on 1 March 2026. This is our estimate, tied to the official West Bengal projection; Census 2011, the last count, recorded 15,95,181 on the district’s present boundaries.

Estimate: method M1, constrained to the RGI projection for West Bengal. Census: ORGI.

Which number do you mean?

The district, the city and the metro area are three different areas. Pick the one you mean.

City

Siliguri (municipal limits)

Census 2011
5,13,264
2026 Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection How this is made →
≈ 5.5 lakh

District

Darjeeling district

Census 2011
15,95,181
2026 Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection How this is made →
≈ 17.65 lakh

Key figures

Population 2026
≈ 17.65 lakh 17,65,000 Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection How this is made →
Census 2011
15.95 lakh 15,95,181 Reconstructed Census figures re-added on today’s boundaries How this is made →
Density
≈ 614per km² 2011
Sex ratio
972 West Bengal: 950
Child sex ratio (0–6)
955 West Bengal: 956
Literacy rate
79.2% Male 85.4% · Female 72.9%
Urban share
42.1% West Bengal: 31.9%
Growth 2001–11
+14.8% West Bengal: +13.8%
Area
≈ 2,599km² approx., from 2011 sub-district areas
Households
3.4 lakh 4.7 people per household
Villages
561 Census 2011
Towns
27 Census 2011

Where it ranks

Population over time

Census figures re-added on today’s boundaries (parts of earlier districts apportioned by their 2011 population), then our estimate to 2036.

Darjeeling: Population over time
  • Reconstructed
  • Estimate
18 L 2026
› Show the numbers as a table
YearPopulation
199111,22,796
200113,89,912
201115,95,181
2016 *16,64,000
2021 *17,20,000
2026 *17,65,000
2031 *17,96,000
2036 *18,12,000

* Estimate

How Darjeeling's 2011 population was spread

Sub-districts (tehsils, talukas, mandals or blocks) as they were in Census 2011. “Part” means only some of it now lies in this district.

How Darjeeling's 2011 population was spread
#
1 Statutory towns (counted separately in 2011)4,67,31029.3%96589.1%100.0%
2 Phansidewa2,04,52212.8%97264.5%0.0%
3 Matigara 1,97,27812.4%95374.8%31.3%
4 Naxalbari1,65,52310.4%94675.5%41.0%
5 Darjeeling Pulbazar1,26,9358.0%98980.8%17.2%
6 Jorebunglow Sukiapokhri1,13,5167.1%101982.5%23.7%
7 Kharibari1,09,2516.8%96267.4%10.8%
8 Kurseong94,3475.9%100681.2%15.3%
9 Rangli Rangliot70,1254.4%100280.5%0.0%
10 Mirik46,3742.9%98280.8%0.0%

Largest towns in Darjeeling (Census 2011)

Largest towns in Darjeeling (Census 2011)
  1. Siliguri 2,94,546
  2. Darjiling 1,18,805
  3. Kurseong 42,446
  4. Uttar Bagdogra CT 25,044
  5. Bara Mohansingh CT 15,616
  6. Tari CT 14,558
  7. Cart Road CT 14,444
  8. Dumriguri CT 13,416
  9. Sonada Khasmahal CT 11,635
  10. Mathapari CT 11,529

How people in Darjeeling worked (Census 2011)

Cultivators

8.6%

Agricultural labourers

7.9%

Household industry

2.5%

Other work

81.0%

Share of all workers, main and marginal. Work participation: 36.9%.

Age structure of Darjeeling

Population in five-year age groups, Census 2011. Men on the left, women on the right. Census 2011, approx. Census 2011 on today’s boundaries; approximate, because some 2011 units were split between districts and are apportioned by population. How this is made →

Age structure of Darjeeling
MenWomen
  1. 80+
  2. 75-79
  3. 70-74
  4. 65-69
  5. 60-64
  6. 55-59
  7. 50-54
  8. 45-49
  9. 40-44
  10. 35-39
  11. 30-34
  12. 25-29
  13. 20-24
  14. 15-19
  15. 10-14
  16. 5-9
  17. 0-4
› Show the numbers as a table
AgeMenWomen
0-457,59055,053
5-972,11168,440
10-1482,91179,596
15-1983,34779,368
20-2478,36181,197
25-2974,80077,936
30-3463,89365,121
35-3961,99963,492
40-4455,02451,893
45-4946,55644,009
50-5439,46135,097
55-5928,31225,516
60-6423,38821,664
65-6916,02014,197
70-7411,46110,095
75-796,4305,534
80+6,8066,486
Children (0–14)
26.1%
West Bengal 27.1%
Working age (15–59)
66.2%
West Bengal 64.4%
Older people (60+)
7.7%
West Bengal 8.5%
Median age
26.9years
West Bengal 26.9
Dependency ratio
44.8
children and 65+ per 100 aged 15–64
West Bengal 48.4

Languages spoken in Darjeeling

Share of people by mother tongue, grouped into languages as the Census does. 91 languages recorded. Census 2011, approx. Census 2011 on today’s boundaries; approximate, because some 2011 units were split between districts and are apportioned by population. How this is made →

Languages spoken in Darjeeling
  1. Nepali 44.0%
  2. Bengali 32.2%
  3. Hindi 15.9%
  4. Kurukh/Oraon 3.1%
  5. Santali 1.4%
  6. Others 0.6%
  7. Urdu 0.4%
  8. Munda 0.3%
  9. All other languages 2.1%

Largest mother tongues

  1. Nepali60.0%
  2. Bengali16.5%
  3. Hindi7.4%
  4. Rajbangsi3.8%
  5. Sadan/Sadri3.8%
  6. Kurukh/Oraon1.7%
  7. Bhojpuri1.2%
  8. Santali0.7%

Housing and amenities in Darjeeling

Share of households, Houselisting Census 2011. Reconstructed Census 2011, added up on today’s boundaries from village, town or sub-district records. How this is made →

Basic services

  • Electricity for lighting 78.6%

    West Bengal 54.7%

  • Tap water 33.4%

    West Bengal 25.6%

  • Water source within premises 41.8%

    West Bengal 38.7%

  • Toilet within premises 65.8%

    West Bengal 59.0%

  • Open defecation (no latrine) (Lower is better for this one.) 29.7%

    West Bengal 38.5%

  • Bathing area within premises 52.2%

    West Bengal 36.1%

  • Closed drainage 8.2%

    West Bengal 9.4%

  • Cooking with LPG/PNG 38.5%

    West Bengal 18.2%

  • Cooking with wood, crop waste or dung (Lower is better for this one.) 57.1%

    West Bengal 68.4%

What households own

  • Mobile phone 61.4%

    West Bengal 47.1%

  • Television 60.1%

    West Bengal 35.5%

  • Scooter or motorcycle 11.4%

    West Bengal 8.6%

  • Computer or laptop 10.6%

    West Bengal 8.4%

  • Car, jeep or van 4.0%

    West Bengal 2.3%

  • Use banking services 56.0%

    West Bengal 48.9%

  • None of the listed assets (Lower is better for this one.) 15.0%

    West Bengal 22.7%

The home itself

  • Own their home 78.7%

    West Bengal 89.2%

  • Rent their home 13.5%

    West Bengal 7.4%

  • Permanent (pucca) house 53.0%

    West Bengal 50.7%

  • House in good condition 49.6%

    West Bengal 41.0%

  • Concrete roof 19.3%

    West Bengal 25.7%

  • Cement or tiled floor 57.3%

    West Bengal 37.6%

  • One room or less (Lower is better for this one.) 31.9%

    West Bengal 55.7%

West Bengal

What the numbers say

  • Darjeeling district held 1.7% of West Bengal's population in 2011, 20th of 23 districts.
  • Literacy is 79.2%, 3.0 points above the West Bengal average of 76.3%.
  • The sex ratio of 972 females per 1,000 males is higher than the state's 950.
  • 42.1% of residents lived in towns in 2011, more urban than West Bengal as a whole (31.9%).
  • Our 2026 estimate, ≈17.65 lakh, implies growth of about 11% since 2011; it is tied to the official West Bengal projection.
  • Its largest town, Siliguri, had 2.95 lakh people in 2011, 18.5% of the district.

How this district was formed

Darjeeling covers land that was part of these districts in Census 2011:

  • Darjiling (2011) 100.0% of this district
    86.4% of the 2011 district

Compare with

All districts of West Bengal →

Census 2027 status

Results pending

  1. Phase I: houselisting

    Done (16 August 2026 – 14 September 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 Darjeeling, they will appear on this page, at this address. Census 2027 explained →

Population by religion in Darjeeling (Census 2011)

Official figures as published by the Office of the Registrar General. Shown without commentary. Reconstructed Census 2011 on today’s boundaries; approximate, because some 2011 units were split between districts and are apportioned by population. How this is made →

Population by religion in Darjeeling (Census 2011)
ReligionPersonsShareWest Bengal
Hindu ≈ 11,78,200 73.9% 70.5%
Muslim ≈ 1,01,900 6.4% 27.0%
Christian ≈ 1,28,000 8.0% 0.7%
Sikh ≈ 1,400 0.1% 0.1%
Buddhist ≈ 1,66,600 10.4% 0.3%
Jain ≈ 900 0.1% 0.1%
Other religions and persuasions ≈ 15,500 1.0% 1.0%
Religion not stated ≈ 2,800 0.2% 0.3%
Total15,95,181100%

Frequently asked questions

What is the population of Darjeeling district in 2026?
Our estimate for 1 March 2026 is ≈17,65,000 (17.65 lakh). It is not an official figure: it applies Darjeeling's 2001–2011 trend, damped, to the official West Bengal projection (method M1). Census 2011 counted 15,95,181.

What was the population of Darjeeling district in Census 2011?
15,95,181: 8,08,809 males and 7,86,372 females, of whom 6,71,771 lived in towns and 9,23,410 in villages. These figures are on the district’s current boundaries, rebuilt from Census 2011 village and town records.

What is the literacy rate and sex ratio of Darjeeling?
Literacy was 79.2% in 2011 (men 85.4%, women 72.9%). The sex ratio was 972 females per 1,000 males, and 955 among children aged 0–6.

Which is the largest town in Darjeeling district?
Siliguri, with 2,94,546 people in Census 2011.

How many villages and towns are in Darjeeling district?
On today's boundaries the district contains 561 Census 2011 villages and 27 towns.

⤓ Download West Bengal district data (CSV)

Sources and method

Data updated: · Report a correction