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District of West Bengal

Malda District Population 2026

Population · 1 March 2026

≈ 45.99 lakh Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection 1 March 2026 How this is made →

45,99,000 4.6 million 1 March 2026

Malda district's population is estimated at ≈45.99 lakh (45,99,000) on 1 March 2026. This is our estimate, tied to the official West Bengal projection; Census 2011, the last count, recorded 39,88,845.

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

Which number do you mean?

District totals include villages. Here is how the 2011 population splits between towns and villages.

District

Malda district

Census 2011
39,88,845
2026 Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection How this is made →
≈ 45.99 lakh

Urban population

Towns (urban)

Census 2011
5,41,660

Rural

Villages (rural)

Census 2011
34,47,185

Key figures

Population 2026
≈ 45.99 lakh 45,99,000 Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection How this is made →
Census 2011
39.89 lakh 39,88,845 Census 2011 Final count, Census of India 2011 (ORGI) How this is made →
Density
1,069per km² 2011
Sex ratio
944 West Bengal: 950
Child sex ratio (0–6)
950 West Bengal: 956
Literacy rate
61.7% Male 66.2% · Female 57.0%
Urban share
13.6% West Bengal: 31.9%
Growth 2001–11
+21.2% West Bengal: +13.8%
Area
3,733km² Census 2011
Households
8.47 lakh 4.7 people per household
Villages
1,772 Census 2011
Towns
29 Census 2011

Where it ranks

Population over time

Census counts on 2011 boundaries, then our estimate to 2036.

Malda: Population over time
  • Census
  • Estimate
49 L 2026
› Show the numbers as a table
YearPopulation
19519,37,580
196112,21,923
197116,12,657
198120,31,871
199126,37,032
200132,90,468
201139,88,845
2016 *42,19,000
2021 *44,22,000
2026 *45,99,000
2031 *47,44,000
2036 *48,52,000

* Estimate

How Malda'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 Malda's 2011 population was spread
#
1 Kaliachak - I3,92,5179.8%95865.3%31.5%
2 Kaliachak - III3,59,0719.0%94954.2%8.3%
3 Gazole3,43,8308.6%97063.1%3.4%
4 Statutory towns (counted separately in 2011)2,89,5337.3%87783.1%100.0%
5 Ratua - I2,75,3886.9%93760.1%0.0%
6 English Bazar2,74,6276.9%94963.0%11.6%
7 Manikchak2,69,8136.8%93357.8%0.0%
8 Harischandrapur - II2,51,3456.3%92854.3%0.0%
9 Habibpur2,10,6995.3%97458.8%12.0%
10 Kaliachak - II2,10,1055.3%95464.9%1.8%
11 Chanchal - II2,05,3335.1%94957.4%0.0%
12 Chanchal - I2,04,7405.1%95065.1%2.7%
13 Ratua - II2,02,0805.1%96356.2%0.0%
14 Harischandrapur - I1,99,4935.0%93352.5%0.0%
15 Maldah (Old)1,56,3653.9%95259.6%13.1%
16 Bamangola1,43,9063.6%94368.1%0.0%

Largest towns in Malda (Census 2011)

Largest towns in Malda (Census 2011)
  1. English Bazar 2,05,521
  2. Old Malda 84,012
  3. Alipur CT 17,347
  4. Krishnapur CT 16,470
  5. Bara Suzapur CT 15,808
  6. Bamangram CT 13,550
  7. Jagannathpur CT 13,454
  8. Silampur CT 12,664
  9. Milki CT 12,581
  10. Baliadanga CT 12,379

How people in Malda worked (Census 2011)

Cultivators

16.6%

Agricultural labourers

35.5%

Household industry

12.8%

Other work

35.1%

Share of all workers, main and marginal. Work participation: 38.6%.

Age structure of Malda

Population in five-year age groups, Census 2011. Men on the left, women on the right. Census 2011 Census 2011, as published. How this is made →

Age structure of Malda
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
0-42,12,2642,03,885
5-92,43,4882,31,848
10-142,57,2342,47,596
15-192,22,7992,00,587
20-241,90,4761,82,956
25-291,61,6391,56,232
30-341,30,6971,27,747
35-391,34,1301,33,812
40-441,25,7431,12,063
45-491,01,19389,898
50-5484,38869,658
55-5958,90552,557
60-6450,25647,819
65-6933,90834,015
70-7421,78622,118
75-799,3789,842
80+11,97013,522
Children (0–14)
35.0%
West Bengal 27.1%
Working age (15–59)
58.6%
West Bengal 64.4%
Older people (60+)
6.4%
West Bengal 8.5%
Median age
22.3years
West Bengal 26.9
Dependency ratio
63.8
children and 65+ per 100 aged 15–64
West Bengal 48.4

Languages spoken in Malda

Share of people by mother tongue, grouped into languages as the Census does. 44 languages recorded. Census 2011 Census 2011, as published. How this is made →

Languages spoken in Malda
  1. Bengali 91.0%
  2. Santali 4.2%
  3. Hindi 3.8%
  4. Kisan 0.3%
  5. Savara 0.2%
  6. Kurukh/Oraon 0.1%
  7. Koda/Kora 0.1%
  8. Others 0.1%
  9. All other languages 0.2%

Largest mother tongues

  1. Bengali90.8%
  2. Santali4.2%
  3. Khortha/Khotta2.3%
  4. Hindi1.0%
  5. Bhojpuri0.4%
  6. Kisan0.3%
  7. Savara0.2%
  8. Kurukh/Oraon0.1%

Housing and amenities in Malda

Share of households, Houselisting Census 2011. Census 2011 Census 2011, as published. How this is made →

Basic services

  • Electricity for lighting 35.5%

    West Bengal 54.7%

  • Tap water 15.5%

    West Bengal 25.6%

  • Water source within premises 36.4%

    West Bengal 38.7%

  • Toilet within premises 31.7%

    West Bengal 59.0%

  • Open defecation (no latrine) (Lower is better for this one.) 66.5%

    West Bengal 38.5%

  • Bathing area within premises 20.9%

    West Bengal 36.1%

  • Closed drainage 4.5%

    West Bengal 9.4%

  • Cooking with LPG/PNG 6.5%

    West Bengal 18.2%

  • Cooking with wood, crop waste or dung (Lower is better for this one.) 83.5%

    West Bengal 68.4%

What households own

  • Mobile phone 33.8%

    West Bengal 47.1%

  • Television 17.0%

    West Bengal 35.5%

  • Scooter or motorcycle 5.0%

    West Bengal 8.6%

  • Computer or laptop 7.5%

    West Bengal 8.4%

  • Car, jeep or van 1.1%

    West Bengal 2.3%

  • Use banking services 29.8%

    West Bengal 48.9%

  • None of the listed assets (Lower is better for this one.) 36.3%

    West Bengal 22.7%

The home itself

  • Own their home 96.6%

    West Bengal 89.2%

  • Rent their home 1.5%

    West Bengal 7.4%

  • Permanent (pucca) house 43.0%

    West Bengal 50.7%

  • House in good condition 31.5%

    West Bengal 41.0%

  • Concrete roof 14.0%

    West Bengal 25.7%

  • Cement or tiled floor 16.3%

    West Bengal 37.6%

  • One room or less (Lower is better for this one.) 54.4%

    West Bengal 55.7%

West Bengal

What the numbers say

  • Malda district held 4.4% of West Bengal's population in 2011, 11th of 23 districts.
  • Literacy is 61.7%, 14.5 points below the West Bengal average of 76.3%.
  • 13.6% of residents lived in towns in 2011, more rural than West Bengal as a whole (31.9%).
  • The population grew 21.2% in 2001–11, faster than West Bengal's 13.8%.
  • Our 2026 estimate, ≈45.99 lakh, implies growth of about 15% since 2011; it is tied to the official West Bengal projection.
  • Its largest town, English Bazar, had 2.06 lakh people in 2011, 5.2% of the 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 Malda, they will appear on this page, at this address. Census 2027 explained →

Population by religion in Malda (Census 2011)

Official figures as published by the Office of the Registrar General. Shown without commentary. Census 2011 Census 2011, as published. How this is made →

Population by religion in Malda (Census 2011)
ReligionPersonsShareWest Bengal
Hindu 19,14,352 48.0% 70.5%
Muslim 20,45,151 51.3% 27.0%
Christian 13,209 0.3% 0.7%
Sikh 747 0.0% 0.1%
Buddhist 359 0.0% 0.3%
Jain 639 0.0% 0.1%
Other religions and persuasions 7,929 0.2% 1.0%
Religion not stated 6,459 0.2% 0.3%
Total39,88,845100%

Frequently asked questions

What is the population of Malda district in 2026?
Our estimate for 1 March 2026 is ≈45,99,000 (45.99 lakh). It is not an official figure: it applies Malda's 2001–2011 trend, damped, to the official West Bengal projection (method M1). Census 2011 counted 39,88,845.

What was the population of Malda district in Census 2011?
39,88,845: 20,51,541 males and 19,37,304 females, of whom 5,41,660 lived in towns and 34,47,185 in villages.

What is the literacy rate and sex ratio of Malda?
Literacy was 61.7% in 2011 (men 66.2%, women 57.0%). The sex ratio was 944 females per 1,000 males, and 950 among children aged 0–6.

Which is the largest town in Malda district?
English Bazar, with 2,05,521 people in Census 2011.

How many villages and towns are in Malda district?
On today's boundaries the district contains 1,772 Census 2011 villages and 29 towns.

⤓ Download West Bengal district data (CSV)

Sources and method

Data updated: · Report a correction