Explainer: How India's most populated district got its density
North 24 Parganas in West Bengal has just become India's most populated district, now home to about 10.9 million people.
Part of the Kolkata metro area, it's packed with busy urban spots like Barrackpore and Bidhannagar, all squeezed into about 4,094 square kilometers—meaning it's seriously dense.
Why the rapid growth?
Rapid urban growth is a big reason. By 2011, more than half the population already lived in cities.
The booming IT scene—over 1,500 companies and around 350,000 jobs—plus new metros and smart city projects are drawing even more people in.
Interesting stats
Population surged after Partition-era refugee settlements and steady economic growth since then.
Fun fact: Even though Uttar Pradesh is India's most crowded state overall, none of its districts crack the top five individually.
North 24 Parganas also scores high on literacy: as of 2011, about 84% overall could read and write—with men at nearly 88% and women at just over 80%.