Demographics
In 1901, Birbhum had a population of 902,280, which by 1981 rose to 2,095,829. According to the 2001 census data, the total population has further risen to 3,015,422. The following table summarises the population distribution:
| Rural/Urban | Persons | Males | Females |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 3,015,422 | 1,546,633 | 1,468,789 |
| Rural | 2,757,002 | 1,414,097 | 1,342,905 |
| Urban | 258,420 | 132,536 | 125,884 |
Hindus form around 65% of the population according to 2001 census. Muslims are about 33% of the population. There is a sprinkling of other religious groups in the population. According to the 2001 census, 29.5% of the population belong to the scheduled castes and 6.7% to the scheduled tribes. Other than the those speaking the local dialect of Bengali, there are tribal Santhals and ten other tribal communities in Birbhum with some presence, amongst whom Koda, Mahali and Oraons are more common.
According to the 2011 census Birbhum district has a population of 3,502,387, roughly equal to the nation of Lithuania or the US state of Connecticut. This gives it a ranking of 84th in India (out of a total of 640). The district has a population density of 771 inhabitants per square kilometre (2,000 /sq mi) . Its population growth rate over the decade 2001-2011 was 16.15%. Birbhum has a sex ratio of 956 females for every 1000 males, and a literacy rate of 70.9%.
Read more about this topic: Birbhum District