Patna's 2026 population is now estimated at 2,716,691. In 1991, the population of Patna was 1,099,647. Patna has grown by 50,595 in the last year, which represents a 1.9% annual change. These population values and projections come from India census city counts via CityPopulation fallback access and World Population Review Internal Projections .
Patna is a city in India that is located in the state of Bihar. Not only is it the capital of Bihar, but it is also the most populous. It is also the 19th most populated city in the country. The city has a population of 1,683,200.
The city has an area of approximately 38.6 miles. Breaking down the population density shows that the city has approximately 43,840 residents per square mile. The larger urban area of Patna has a population that exceeds 2 million. This urban area is the 18th largest in the country.
Patna has a higher concentration of male residents than females, with a recorded 894,158 men and 789,042 women in the 2011 census. The literacy rate of the city is 83.37%, with the male literacy rate exceeding 87% and the female rate falling just short of 80%.
The major religion in Patna is Hinduism, which is followed by over 86% of Patnaites. Other religions include Islam, Jainism, Sikhism and Buddhism. Less than one percent follow other religions or don’t follow religion at all.
The official language of Patna is Hindi, although many Patnaites speak other languages and dialects. English is also a language commonly spoken in this city.
The city has the lowest percentage of people living in slums than any other city in India. However, the city does have other problems, including one of the highest rates of unemployment in the country, low education standards and poor public healthcare. This leaves Patna with an overall livability ranking of 49 out of 50 - only scoring above Gurgaon, India. Additionally, Patna scored at the bottom of the charts for education, placing 50 out of 50.
Between the 2001 and 2001 census, Patna saw its population increase by 22.2%. As with many other cities in India, Patna is expected to see continuous rapid growth throughout the coming years.
| City | 2026 Pop. ↓ | Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Delhi | 23,390,383 | 2.42% |
| Mumbai | 21,782,818 | 1.13% |
| Bengaluru | 15,565,994 | 4.1% |
| Kolkata | 15,440,671 | 0.63% |
| Chennai | 13,109,989 | 2.81% |
| Hyderabad | 11,868,136 | 2.95% |
| Ahmedabad | 10,588,126 | 3.46% |
| Surat | 9,580,601 | 5.03% |
| Pune | 7,888,467 | 3.01% |
| Ghaziabad | 5,029,611 | 5.13% |
| Jaipur | 4,575,390 | 2.75% |
| Kozhikode | 4,294,121 | 5.13% |
| Lucknow | 4,266,929 | 2.6% |
| Kochi | 4,143,068 | 4.57% |
| Thrissur | 3,940,307 | 5.13% |
| Coimbatore | 3,779,472 | 3.87% |
| Indore | 3,754,331 | 3.72% |
| Malappuram | 3,596,910 | 5.13% |
| Thiruvananthapuram | 3,556,039 | 5.13% |
| Kannur | 3,473,967 | 5.13% |
