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Literacy in Bihar
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<h2 id="overview-of-literacy-rates">Overview of literacy rates</h2> <a href="/facts/Literacy_rate/GpXB3QbJ">Literacy rates</a> in <a href="/facts/Bihar/T5Ga9JF8">Bihar</a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:1" href="#fn:1"><sup>1</sup></a><table><tbody><tr><th> </th><th>Total</th><th>Males</th><th>Females</th></tr><tr><td>Total Literacy rate<p><a href="https://www.thehinducentre.com/resources/article30980071.ece/binary/KI_Education_75th_Final_compressed.pdf#page=68">(NSC Survey 2017)</a></p></td><td>70.9%<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:2" href="#fn:2"><sup>2</sup></a></td><td>79.7%</td><td>60.5%</td></tr><tr><td>Rural areas<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:3" href="#fn:3"><sup>3</sup></a></td><td>69.5%</td><td>78.6%</td><td>58.7%</td></tr><tr><td>Urban areas<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:4" href="#fn:4"><sup>4</sup></a></td><td>83.1%</td><td>89.3%</td><td>75.9%</td></tr><tr><td>Total numbers of <a href="/facts/Literate/GpXB3QbJ">literates</a></td><td>3,16,75,607</td><td>2,09,78,955</td><td>1,06,96,652</td></tr></tbody></table> Highest and lowest literacy rates by district<table><tbody><tr><th>District</th><th>Literacy rate</th></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Rohtas_district/qad373EW">Rohtas</a></td><td>73.37%</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Bhojpur_district%2c_India/gTaUo5VB">Bhojpur</a></td><td>72.79%</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Patna_district/WNGoWfDe">Patna</a></td><td>70.68%</td></tr><tr><td> </td><td>|||</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Katihar/724g8gH1">Katihar</a></td><td>52.24%</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Purnea_district/ISCR1I55">Purnea</a></td><td>51.18%</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Sitamarhi_district/UGVeXcyU">Sitamarhi</a></td><td>51.08%</td></tr></tbody></table> <p>A recent survey by <a href="/facts/Pratham/uDdjlCj8">Pratham</a> rated the receptivity of Bihari children to their teaching as being better than those in other states. Bihar is striving to increase female literacy, now at 60.5<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:5" href="#fn:5"><sup>5</sup></a>%. At the time of independence, women's literacy in Bihar was 4.22%. </p><p>The state's low literary rates stem from the region's complex educational challenges. <a href="/facts/Education_in_Bihar/BlAbqdn0">Education in Bihar</a> significantly lags behind other states in India. </p> <h2 id="growth-in-literacy-rate">Growth in Literacy Rate</h2> Literacy Rate from 1951–2025<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:6" href="#fn:6"><sup>6</sup></a><table><tbody><tr><th>Year</th><th>Total</th><th>Males</th><th>Females</th></tr><tr><td>1951</td><td>13.45</td><td>22.68</td><td>4.20</td></tr><tr><td>1961</td><td>21.98</td><td>35.85</td><td>8.11</td></tr><tr><td>1971</td><td>22.86</td><td>35.86</td><td>9.86</td></tr><tr><td>1981</td><td>31.86</td><td>47.11</td><td>16.61</td></tr><tr><td>1991</td><td>36.68</td><td>51.37</td><td>21.99</td></tr><tr><td>2001</td><td>46.94</td><td>60.32</td><td>33.57</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/List_of_Indian_states_and_union_territories_by_literacy_rate/Y3Yoq7c0">2011</a></td><td>61.35</td><td>71.20</td><td>51.50</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/List_of_Indian_states_and_union_territories_by_literacy_rate/Y3Yoq7c0">2017</a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:7" href="#fn:7"><sup>7</sup></a></td><td>70.90</td><td>79.70</td><td>60.50</td></tr><tr><td>2025</td><td>74.30</td><td>—</td><td>—</td></tr></tbody></table> <h2 id="anubhav">Anubhav</h2> <a href="/facts/Education_in_Bihar/BlAbqdn0">Education in Bihar</a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:8" href="#fn:8"><sup>8</sup></a><table><tbody><tr><th>Level</th><th>Total</th><th>Male</th><th>Female</th></tr><tr><td>Literate with education</td><td>17,15,049</td><td>11,09,731</td><td>6,05,318</td></tr><tr><td>Below Primary</td><td>78,90,329</td><td>47,54,137</td><td>31,36,192</td></tr><tr><td>Primary</td><td>83,34,709</td><td>51,30,917</td><td>32,03,792</td></tr><tr><td>Middle</td><td>43,90,226</td><td>30,12,151</td><td>13,78,075</td></tr><tr><td>Secondary</td><td>47,51,560</td><td>34,39,918</td><td>13,11,642</td></tr><tr><td>Higher Secondary</td><td>18,26,093</td><td>13,85,282</td><td>4,40,811</td></tr><tr><td>Technical Diploma</td><td>24,989</td><td>20,088</td><td>4,901</td></tr><tr><td>Non-technical Diploma</td><td>48,532</td><td>40,458</td><td>8,074</td></tr><tr><td>Graduate & above</td><td>21,09,415</td><td>17,37,651</td><td>3,71,764</td></tr><tr><td>Unclassified</td><td>18,675</td><td>14,043</td><td>4,632</td></tr></tbody></table> <h2 id="literacy-in-districts">Literacy in Districts</h2> Literacy in Bihar<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:9" href="#fn:9"><sup>9</sup></a><table><tbody><tr><th rowspan="3"><a href="/facts/Districts_of_Bihar/UhIYulXH">Districts of Bihar</a></th><th colspan="3">2011</th><th colspan="3">2001</th><th colspan="3">1991</th></tr><tr><th rowspan="2">Total</th><th colspan="2">By gender</th><th rowspan="2">Total</th><th colspan="2">By gender</th><th rowspan="2">Total</th><th colspan="2">By gender</th></tr><tr><th>Male</th><th>Female</th><th>Male</th><th>Female</th><th>Male</th><th>Female</th></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/West_Champaran_district/1zzWIV0H">West Champaran</a></td><td>55.7</td><td></td><td></td><td>39.63</td><td>51.91</td><td>25.85</td><td>27.99</td><td>39.62</td><td>14.41</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/East_Champaran_district/Q72BX2hf">East Champaran</a></td><td>55.79</td><td></td><td></td><td>42.74</td><td>67.90</td><td>74.47</td><td>44.41</td><td>58.49</td><td>85.45</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Sheohar_district/2EY5UmWn">Sheohar</a></td><td>53.78</td><td></td><td></td><td>37.01</td><td>45.54</td><td>27.43</td><td>26.18</td><td>36.36</td><td>14.34</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Sitamarhi_district/UGVeXcyU">Sitamarhi</a></td><td>52.05</td><td></td><td></td><td>39.38</td><td>51.02</td><td>26.35</td><td>28.49</td><td>39.86</td><td>15.49</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Madhubani_district/2d7Awxnw">Madhubani</a></td><td>58.62</td><td></td><td></td><td>42.35</td><td>57.26</td><td>26.56</td><td>33.22</td><td>48.49</td><td>16.75</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Supaul_district/JkGp3TIC">Supaul</a></td><td>57.67</td><td></td><td></td><td>37.8</td><td>53.23</td><td>21.02</td><td>28.11</td><td>40.96</td><td>13.74</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Araria_district/Go719w6d">Araria</a></td><td>53.53</td><td></td><td></td><td>34.94</td><td>46.5</td><td>22.14</td><td>26.19</td><td>36.99</td><td>14.01</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Kishanganj_district/hbgVm6CS">Kishanganj</a></td><td>55.46</td><td></td><td></td><td>31.02</td><td>42.8</td><td>18.49</td><td>22.22</td><td>33.12</td><td>10.38</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Purnia_district/ISCR1I55">Purnia</a></td><td>51.08</td><td></td><td></td><td>35.51</td><td>46.16</td><td>23.72</td><td>28.52</td><td>38.92</td><td>16.8</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Katihar_district/FttnUuKB">Katihar</a></td><td>52.24</td><td></td><td></td><td>35.29</td><td>45.51</td><td>24.03</td><td>28.7</td><td>39.24</td><td>16.88</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Madhepura_district/TzYsk29X">Madhepura</a></td><td>52.25</td><td></td><td></td><td>36.19</td><td>48.87</td><td>22.31</td><td>27.72</td><td>39.31</td><td>14.41</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Saharsa_district/tAj9rhy9">Saharsa</a></td><td>53.2</td><td></td><td></td><td>39.28</td><td>52.04</td><td>25.31</td><td>29.98</td><td>42.37</td><td>15.83</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Darbhanga_district/Y08gyxF0">Darbhanga</a></td><td>56.56</td><td></td><td></td><td>44.32</td><td>54.15</td><td>45.35</td><td>35.94</td><td>48.31</td><td>20.09</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Muzaffarpur_district/uNW610CQ">Muzaffarpur</a></td><td>63.43</td><td></td><td></td><td>48.15</td><td>82.19</td><td>87.2</td><td>74.11</td><td>48.44</td><td>22.33</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Gopalganj_district%2c_India/PxgbbJeg">Gopalganj</a></td><td>65.47</td><td></td><td></td><td>48.19</td><td>63.81</td><td>32.81</td><td>34.96</td><td>51.62</td><td>17.75</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Siwan_district/ssYUyA4n">Siwan district</a></td><td>69.45</td><td></td><td></td><td>52.01</td><td>67.67</td><td>37.26</td><td>39.13</td><td>57.51</td><td>21.33</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Saran_district/CTn6Abxw">Saran</a></td><td>65.96</td><td></td><td></td><td>52.01</td><td>67.81</td><td>35.74</td><td>41.79</td><td>60.18</td><td>22.71</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Vaishali_district/Uu157m6n">Vaishali</a></td><td>66.66</td><td></td><td></td><td>51.63</td><td>64</td><td>38.14</td><td>40.56</td><td>55.62</td><td>24.08</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Samastipur_district/bGVBIwUN">Samastipur</a></td><td>61.86</td><td></td><td></td><td>69.76</td><td>80.83</td><td>90.69</td><td>60.37</td><td>76.39</td><td>85.17</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Begusarai_district/GJ0Ql6bQ">Begusarai</a></td><td>63.87</td><td></td><td></td><td>48.55</td><td>59.71</td><td>36.21</td><td>36.88</td><td>48.66</td><td>23.52</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Khagaria_district/ugqJ4oDP">Khagaria</a></td><td>57.92</td><td></td><td></td><td>41.56</td><td>52.02</td><td>29.62</td><td>32.33</td><td>42.97</td><td>19.79</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Bhagalpur_district/nRxTLua6">Bhagalpur</a></td><td>63.14</td><td></td><td></td><td>50.28</td><td>60.11</td><td>38.83</td><td>41.84</td><td>53.41</td><td>28.11</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Banka_district/c0mbqDkf">Banka</a></td><td>58.17</td><td></td><td></td><td>43.4</td><td>56.28</td><td>29.1</td><td>34.55</td><td>48.17</td><td>18.99</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Munger_district/fTC2K4Pz">Munger</a></td><td>70.46</td><td></td><td></td><td>60.11</td><td>70.68</td><td>47.97</td><td>52.25</td><td>64.95</td><td>37.07</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Lakhisarai_district/mEEUzMh7">Lakhisarai</a></td><td>62.42</td><td></td><td></td><td>48.21</td><td>60.97</td><td>34.26</td><td>39.4</td><td>53.12</td><td>23.48</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Sheikhpura_district/vM9A3ESB">Sheikhpura</a></td><td>63.86</td><td></td><td></td><td>49.01</td><td>62.56</td><td>34.13</td><td>40.92</td><td>55.43</td><td>24.41</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Nalanda_district/Pd023FdY">Nalanda</a></td><td>64.43</td><td></td><td></td><td>53.64</td><td>66.94</td><td>39.03</td><td>46.95</td><td>61.95</td><td>29.97</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Patna_district/WNGoWfDe">Patna</a></td><td>70.68</td><td></td><td></td><td>63.82</td><td>73.81</td><td>52.17</td><td>56.33</td><td>69.07</td><td>41.35</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Bhojpur_District%2c_Bihar/gTaUo5VB">Bhojpur</a></td><td>70.47</td><td></td><td></td><td>59.71</td><td>74.78</td><td>42.81</td><td>48.18</td><td>66.35</td><td>27.95</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Buxar_district/GeUQ9nNY">Buxar</a></td><td>70.14</td><td></td><td></td><td>57.49</td><td>72.82</td><td>40.36</td><td>33.49</td><td>62.94</td><td>25.74</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Kaimur_district/trpujjyV">Kaimur</a></td><td>69.34</td><td></td><td></td><td>55.57</td><td>70.57</td><td>38.9</td><td>39.35</td><td>55.68</td><td>20.69</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Rohtas_district/qad373EW">Rohtas</a></td><td>73.37</td><td></td><td></td><td>62.36</td><td>76.54</td><td>46.62</td><td>48.52</td><td>64.5</td><td>30.29</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Jehanabad_district/a8pj26jF">Jehanabad</a></td><td>66.8</td><td></td><td></td><td>56.03</td><td>70.9</td><td>40.08</td><td>45.83</td><td>63.11</td><td>26.81</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Aurangabad_district%2c_Bihar/H8Q6EDPl">Aurangabad</a></td><td>70.32</td><td></td><td></td><td>57.5</td><td>71.99</td><td>42.04</td><td>45.14</td><td>61.8</td><td>26.67</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Gaya_district/fbzuuppk">Gaya</a></td><td>63.67</td><td></td><td></td><td>61.07</td><td>73.81</td><td>47.4</td><td>50.47</td><td>65.22</td><td>34.2</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Nawada_district/0ee6zNQJ">Nawada</a></td><td>59.76</td><td></td><td></td><td>47.36</td><td>61.22</td><td>32.64</td><td>38.96</td><td>54.85</td><td>21.82</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Jamui_district/RJ7vNckM">Jamui</a></td><td>59.79</td><td></td><td></td><td>42.74</td><td>57.1</td><td>26.92</td><td>33.41</td><td>48.48</td><td>16.41</td></tr></tbody></table> <h2 id="key-data">Key data</h2> <ul><li><a href="/facts/Literacy/GpXB3QbJ">Literacy</a> <ul><li>In Absolute Numbers - 5,96,75,607 <ul><li><i><a href="/facts/Male/tl3uj6Y7">Male</a></i> - 3,99,78,955</li> <li><i><a href="/facts/Female/hk4wM9y1">Female</a></i> - 1,97,96,652</li></ul></li> <li>Percentage of Total Population - 70.90% <ul><li><i><a href="/facts/Male/tl3uj6Y7">Male</a></i> - 79.70%</li> <li><i><a href="/facts/Female/hk4wM9y1">Female</a></i> - 60.50%</li></ul></li> <li>Percentage of Urban Population - 83.1% <ul><li><i><a href="/facts/Male/tl3uj6Y7">Male</a></i> - 89.3%</li> <li><i><a href="/facts/Female/hk4wM9y1">Female</a></i> - 75.9%</li></ul></li> <li>Percentage of Rural Population - 69.5% <ul><li><i><a href="/facts/Male/tl3uj6Y7">Male</a></i> - 78.6%</li> <li><i><a href="/facts/Female/hk4wM9y1">Female</a></i> - 58.7%</li></ul></li> <li>Highest <a href="/facts/Literacy_Rate/GpXB3QbJ">Literacy Rate</a> <ul><li><a href="/facts/Rohtas_district/qad373EW">Rohtas</a> - 75.59%</li></ul></li> <li>Lowest Literacy Rate <ul><li><a href="/facts/Purnia_district/ISCR1I55">Purnia</a>, 52.49%</li></ul></li></ul></li></ul> <h2 id="see-also">See also</h2> <ul><li><a href="/facts/Education_in_Bihar/BlAbqdn0">Education in Bihar</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/Literacy_in_India/0Tdr5mLo">Literacy in India</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/Education_in_India/HkfsQHhM">Education in India</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/Literacy/GpXB3QbJ">Literacy</a></li></ul> <h2 id="external-links">External links</h2> <ul><li><a href="http://www.censusindia.gov.in">Official website</a> of <a href="/facts/Census_of_India/V7tGhT6y">Census of India</a></li> <li><a href="http://gov.bih.nic.in/Profile/">Official website</a> of <a href="/facts/Government_of_Bihar/qtxIXxSq">Government of Bihar</a></li></ul> <h2 id="references">References</h2> <ol> <li id="fn:1"><p>"NSC Report 2017-18 List of Indian States and UT by literacy rate" (PDF). 2017–18. <a href="https://www.thehinducentre.com/resources/article30980071.ece/binary/KI_Education_75th_Final_compressed.pdf#page=68" target="_blank">https://www.thehinducentre.com/resources/article30980071.ece/binary/KI_Education_75th_Final_compressed.pdf#page=68</a> <a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:2"><p>"Times of India Literacy rate of Bihar 2023". The Times of India. 8 November 2023. <a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/patna/18-increase-in-literacy-rate-in-over-one-decade/articleshow/105054963.cms" target="_blank">https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/patna/18-increase-in-literacy-rate-in-over-one-decade/articleshow/105054963.cms</a> <a href="#fnref:2" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:3"><p>"NSC Report 2017-18 List of Indian States and UT by literacy rate" (PDF). 2017–18. <a href="https://www.thehinducentre.com/resources/article30980071.ece/binary/KI_Education_75th_Final_compressed.pdf#page=68" target="_blank">https://www.thehinducentre.com/resources/article30980071.ece/binary/KI_Education_75th_Final_compressed.pdf#page=68</a> <a href="#fnref:3" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:4"><p>"NSC Report 2017-18 List of Indian States and UT by literacy rate" (PDF). 2017–18. <a href="https://www.thehinducentre.com/resources/article30980071.ece/binary/KI_Education_75th_Final_compressed.pdf#page=68" target="_blank">https://www.thehinducentre.com/resources/article30980071.ece/binary/KI_Education_75th_Final_compressed.pdf#page=68</a> <a href="#fnref:4" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:5"><p>"NSC Report 2017-18 List of Indian States and UT by literacy rate" (PDF). 2017–18. <a href="https://www.thehinducentre.com/resources/article30980071.ece/binary/KI_Education_75th_Final_compressed.pdf#page=68" target="_blank">https://www.thehinducentre.com/resources/article30980071.ece/binary/KI_Education_75th_Final_compressed.pdf#page=68</a> <a href="#fnref:5" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:6"><p>"Census Statistics for Bihar". Archived from the original on 2008-05-24. Retrieved 2008-10-03. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080524094302/http://gov.bih.nic.in/Profile/CensusStats-03.htm" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20080524094302/http://gov.bih.nic.in/Profile/CensusStats-03.htm</a> <a href="#fnref:6" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:7"><p>"NSC Report 2017-18 List of Indian States and UT by literacy rate" (PDF). 2017–18. <a href="https://www.thehinducentre.com/resources/article30980071.ece/binary/KI_Education_75th_Final_compressed.pdf#page=68" target="_blank">https://www.thehinducentre.com/resources/article30980071.ece/binary/KI_Education_75th_Final_compressed.pdf#page=68</a> <a href="#fnref:7" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:8"><p>"Census of India - Literates and educational level". <a href="http://www.censusindia.gov.in/Census_Data_2001/Census_data_finder/C_Series/Literates_and_educational_level.htm" target="_blank">http://www.censusindia.gov.in/Census_Data_2001/Census_data_finder/C_Series/Literates_and_educational_level.htm</a> <a href="#fnref:8" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:9"><p>http://gov.bih.nic.in/Profile/CensusStats-03.htm Archived 2008-05-24 at the Wayback Machine Literacy in Bihar <a href="http://gov.bih.nic.in/Profile/CensusStats-03.htm" target="_blank">http://gov.bih.nic.in/Profile/CensusStats-03.htm</a> <a href="#fnref:9" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> </ol>