Quick answer
Bihar has 9 divisions, 38 districts, 534 development blocks and 8,387 gram panchayats. It has 243 assembly and 40 Lok Sabha constituencies.
About Bihar
Bihar (बिहार) has three tiers of Panchayati Raj: the Gram Panchayat in the village, the Panchayat Samiti at block level and the Zila Parishad at district level. The state has 9 divisions, 38 districts, 534 anchals (circles) and 534 development blocks, with 8,387 gram panchayats and 43,975 revenue villages between them.
Every gram panchayat has its own page here, with its villages, representatives, polling centres, nearby facilities, schemes and how to get common documents. Pick your division or district below, or type your panchayat’s name in the search box.
Bihar at a glance
| Name | Bihar / बिहार |
|---|---|
| Type | State |
| LGD code | 10 |
| Gram Panchayats | 8,387 |
| Villages | 43,975 |
| Blocks | 534 |
| Anchals (Circles) | 534 |
| Population (2011) | 10,40,99,452 |
| Households | 1,89,13,565 |
| Literacy rate | 61.8% |
| Sex ratio | 918 |
| Area | 94,163.0 km² |
| Coordinates | 25.3700° N, 85.1300° E |
| Wikidata | Q1165 |
| Schools | 84,351 |
| Bank Branches | 4,825 |
| Post Offices | 9,105 |
Districts in Bihar
| District | Name in Hindi | Division | Blocks | Gram Panchayats | Population |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Araria | अररिया | Purnia Division | 9 | 218 | 28.12 lakh |
| Arwal | अरवल | Magadh Division | 5 | 65 | 7.01 lakh |
| Aurangabad | औरंगाबाद | Magadh Division | 11 | 204 | 25.40 lakh |
| Banka | बांका | Bhagalpur Division | 11 | 185 | 20.35 lakh |
| Begusarai | बेगूसराय | Munger Division | 18 | 229 | 29.71 lakh |
| Bhagalpur | भागलपुर | Bhagalpur Division | 16 | 242 | 30.38 lakh |
| Bhojpur | भोजपुर | Patna Division | 14 | 228 | 27.28 lakh |
| Buxar | बक्सर | Patna Division | 11 | 142 | 17.06 lakh |
| Darbhanga | दरभंगा | Darbhanga Division | 18 | 324 | 39.37 lakh |
| East Champaran | पूर्वी चंपारण | Tirhut Division | 27 | 405 | 50.99 lakh |
| Gaya | गया | Magadh Division | 24 | 332 | 43.91 lakh |
| Gopalganj | गोपालगंज | Saran Division | 14 | 234 | 25.62 lakh |
| Jamui | जमुई | Munger Division | 10 | 153 | 17.60 lakh |
| Jehanabad | जहानाबाद | Magadh Division | 7 | 93 | 11.25 lakh |
| Kaimur | कैमूर | Patna Division | 11 | 149 | 16.26 lakh |
| Katihar | कटिहार | Purnia Division | 16 | 236 | 30.71 lakh |
| Khagaria | खगड़िया | Munger Division | 7 | 129 | 16.67 lakh |
| Kishanganj | किशनगंज | Purnia Division | 7 | 126 | 16.90 lakh |
| Lakhisarai | लखीसराय | Munger Division | 7 | 80 | 10.01 lakh |
| Madhepura | मधेपुरा | Kosi Division | 13 | 170 | 20.02 lakh |
| Madhubani | मधुबनी | Darbhanga Division | 21 | 399 | 44.87 lakh |
| Munger | मुंगेर | Munger Division | 9 | 101 | 13.68 lakh |
| Muzaffarpur | मुज़फ़्फ़रपुर | Tirhut Division | 16 | 385 | 48.01 lakh |
| Nalanda | नालंदा | Patna Division | 20 | 249 | 28.78 lakh |
| Nawada | नवादा | Magadh Division | 14 | 187 | 22.19 lakh |
| Patna | पटना | Patna Division | 23 | 322 | 58.38 lakh |
| Purnia | पूर्णिया | Purnia Division | 14 | 246 | 32.65 lakh |
| Rohtas | रोहतास | Patna Division | 19 | 245 | 29.60 lakh |
| Saharsa | सहरसा | Kosi Division | 10 | 151 | 19.01 lakh |
| Samastipur | समस्तीपुर | Darbhanga Division | 20 | 381 | 42.62 lakh |
| Saran | सारण | Saran Division | 20 | 323 | 39.52 lakh |
| Sheikhpura | शेखपुरा | Munger Division | 6 | 54 | 6.36 lakh |
| Sheohar | शिवहर | Tirhut Division | 5 | 53 | 6.56 lakh |
| Sitamarhi | सीतामढ़ी | Tirhut Division | 17 | 270 | 34.24 lakh |
| Siwan | सीवान | Saran Division | 19 | 293 | 33.30 lakh |
| Supaul | सुपौल | Kosi Division | 11 | 181 | 22.29 lakh |
| Vaishali | वैशाली | Tirhut Division | 16 | 288 | 34.95 lakh |
| West Champaran | पश्चिम चंपारण | Tirhut Division | 18 | 315 | 39.35 lakh |
Divisions
- Bhagalpur Division, 2 districts
- Darbhanga Division, 3 districts
- Kosi Division, 3 districts
- Magadh Division, 5 districts
- Munger Division, 6 districts
- Patna Division, 6 districts
- Purnia Division, 4 districts
- Saran Division, 3 districts
- Tirhut Division, 6 districts
Population of Bihar
- Population
- 10,40,99,452
- Households
- 1,89,13,565
- Literacy rate
- 61.8%
- Sex ratio
- 918
At the 2011 Census, Bihar had 10,40,99,452 residents, 5,42,78,157 male and 4,98,21,295 female, in 1,89,13,565 households: about 5.5 people per household. Male literacy is 71.2% against 51.5% for women, a gap of 19.7 percentage points.
There are 918 females for every 1,000 males. Scheduled Castes make up 15.9% of the population and Scheduled Tribes 1.3%. Children aged 0–6 make up 18.4% of residents.
Administration
The state Panchayati Raj Department gives gram panchayats their policy, funds (State and Union Finance Commission grants) and training. The State Election Commission holds elections for Mukhiyas, the Panchayat Samiti and the Zila Parishad every five years. The Rural Development Department runs VB-G RAM G (earlier MGNREGA), rural housing and the livelihood mission through the development blocks.
Vidhan Sabha and Lok Sabha seats in Bihar
Seats held by each party in the 243 assembly constituencies of Bihar: Bharatiya Janata Party 89, Janata Dal (United) 85, Rashtriya Janata Dal 25, Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) 19, Indian National Congress 6, All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen 5, Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) 5, Rashtriya Lok Morcha 4, Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) (Liberation) 2, Communist Party of India (Marxist) 1, Bahujan Samaj Party 1, Indian Inclusive Party 1.
Full lists: Assembly Constituencies and Lok Sabha Constituencies.
Panchayat elections
- Mukhiya seats won by women
- 52%2021CalculatedState Election Commission, Bihar
- Candidates per Mukhiya seat
- 8.22021CalculatedState Election Commission, Bihar
Women won 4,206 of the 8,050 Mukhiya seats in Bihar in the 2021 panchayat election (52%), 663 of them on seats not reserved for women. 2021CalculatedState Election Commission, Bihar
In the 2021 panchayat election, an average of 8.2 candidates stood for each Mukhiya's seat in Bihar.
How Bihar scores on the Panchayat Advancement Index
The Ministry of Panchayati Raj's Panchayat Advancement Index (PAI 2.0) gives every gram panchayat a score from 0 to 100 on nine themes of the Localised Sustainable Development Goals. It uses about 150 indicators that panchayats report and block and district officials check.
- PAI score
- 51.9/1002023-24CalculatedPanchayat Advancement Index (PAI 2.0)
The panchayats of Bihar average 51.9 out of 100 in the Panchayat Advancement Index 2023-24. 2023-24CalculatedPanchayat Advancement Index (PAI 2.0)
2 of 8,052 panchayats in Bihar (0.0%) scored 75 or more, the Front Runner band or above.
Scores on the nine development themes
Bihar does best on “Socially just and secured” (68.0) and worst on “Child-friendly panchayat” (43.3). That 25-point gap shows where the next Gram Panchayat Development Plan could focus. 2023-24CalculatedPanchayat Advancement Index (PAI 2.0)
How far Bihar is from everyday services
Straight-line distances from the panchayat's mapped centre to the nearest facility of each kind. By road, expect them to be 20–40% longer.
- Nearest bank branch
- 7.5 kmCalculatedRBI bank branch list
- Nearest railway station
- 9.0 kmCalculatedDataMeet railways
On average, a gram panchayat in Bihar is 7.5 km from the nearest bank branch. CalculatedRBI bank branch list
A typical gram panchayat in Bihar is 9.0 km from the nearest railway station. Gram panchayats in Bihar are, on average, 3.6 km from the nearest post office.
Government schemes for residents of Bihar
These schemes, from the central government and the Government of Bihar, matter most to households in Bihar. Each card says who can apply, what you get and where to apply locally. Open a scheme for the full rules, the documents you need and the steps.
Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana – Gramin (PMAY-G)
Financial help to build a pucca house with basic amenities for rural families who are homeless or live in kutcha houses.
| Benefit | ₹1.20 lakh in plain areas (plus rural job scheme wages (VB-G RAM G, earlier MGNREGA) and a Swachh Bharat toilet) |
|---|---|
| Who can apply | Houseless or kutcha-house families identified through SECC/Awaas+ survey and approved by the Gram Sabha |
| Where to apply | the panchayat secretary and the block office |
Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin), VB-G RAM G (earlier MGNREGA)
From 1 July 2026 this Act replaces MGNREGA. Every rural household can get at least 125 days of paid unskilled work a year on works the Gram Sabha approves, such as ponds, roads, plantations and farm bunds. Old e-KYC'd MGNREGA job cards stay valid until the new Gramin Rozgar Guarantee Cards are issued.
| Benefit | At least 125 days of work a year at the notified wage, paid weekly or within 15 days into your bank or post office account |
|---|---|
| Who can apply | Any adult member of a rural household willing to do unskilled manual work |
| Where to apply | the panchayat secretary and the block office |
PM Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN)
Income support of ₹6,000 a year, paid in three instalments of ₹2,000 directly to the bank accounts of land-holding farmer families.
| Benefit | ₹6,000 per year in three instalments |
|---|---|
| Who can apply | Farmer families owning cultivable land (with exclusions for taxpayers, pensioners and officials); e-KYC and land seeding required |
| Where to apply | the nearest Common Service Centre (CSC), online and the block office |
Ayushman Bharat – PM Jan Arogya Yojana (Ayushman card)
Cashless hospital treatment up to ₹5 lakh per family per year at empanelled government and private hospitals; all citizens aged 70+ are also covered.
| Benefit | Health cover of ₹5 lakh per family per year |
|---|---|
| Who can apply | SECC-listed deprived families, NFSA ration-card families covered by the UP extension, and senior citizens 70+ |
| Where to apply | the nearest Common Service Centre (CSC) and online |
Swachh Bharat Mission – Gramin (household toilet)
Incentive to build an individual household toilet, plus solid and liquid waste management works in villages under ODF Plus.
| Benefit | ₹12,000 incentive for a household toilet |
|---|---|
| Who can apply | Rural households without a toilet (BPL and identified APL categories) |
| Where to apply | the panchayat secretary, the block office and online |
Jal Jeevan Mission – Har Ghar Jal
Functional household tap connection providing safe drinking water to every rural home, managed with the village water and sanitation committee.
| Benefit | Free household tap connection |
|---|---|
| Who can apply | All rural households |
| Where to apply | the panchayat secretary |
Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (free LPG connection)
Deposit-free LPG connection with first refill and stove for women from poor households.
| Benefit | Free LPG connection, first refill and stove |
|---|---|
| Who can apply | Adult women from poor households without an existing LPG connection |
| Where to apply | online and the nearest Common Service Centre (CSC) |
Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY)
Maternity benefit for pregnant and lactating mothers to compensate wage loss and support nutrition.
| Benefit | ₹5,000 for the first child; ₹6,000 if the second child is a girl |
|---|---|
| Who can apply | Pregnant women and lactating mothers (excluding regular government employees) |
| Where to apply | the Anganwadi centre and online |
Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (zero-balance account)
Basic savings bank account with no minimum balance, RuPay debit card with accident insurance and overdraft facility.
| Benefit | Zero-balance account, RuPay card, ₹2 lakh accident cover |
|---|---|
| Who can apply | Any Indian resident aged 10+ without a bank account |
| Where to apply | your bank branch |
Kisan Credit Card (KCC)
Short-term crop loans at a subsidised interest rate for farmers, livestock and fisheries, with interest subvention for prompt repayment.
| Benefit | Crop loan at an effective 4% interest on timely repayment (up to ₹3 lakh) |
|---|---|
| Who can apply | Owner and tenant farmers, sharecroppers, SHGs/JLGs of farmers, animal husbandry and fisheries farmers |
| Where to apply | your bank branch |
Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY)
Cash assistance for institutional delivery in government hospitals, with free transport and care arranged through the ASHA.
| Benefit | ₹1,400 to rural mothers for institutional delivery |
|---|---|
| Who can apply | Pregnant women delivering in a government or accredited facility |
| Where to apply | the Anganwadi centre |
Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (crop insurance)
Crop insurance against natural calamities, pests and diseases at a low farmer premium (2% Kharif, 1.5% Rabi).
| Benefit | Compensation for notified crop losses |
|---|---|
| Who can apply | All farmers growing notified crops in notified areas |
| Where to apply | your bank branch, the nearest Common Service Centre (CSC) and online |
PM Jeevan Jyoti Bima & PM Suraksha Bima Yojana
Low-cost life cover (₹2 lakh for ₹436 a year) and accident cover (₹2 lakh for ₹20 a year) through your bank account.
| Benefit | ₹2 lakh life cover and ₹2 lakh accident cover |
|---|---|
| Who can apply | Bank account holders aged 18–50 (life) and 18–70 (accident) |
| Where to apply | your bank branch |
DAY-NRLM / UP State Rural Livelihood Mission (women's self-help groups)
Organises rural women into self-help groups with revolving funds, bank credit and livelihood training; members can become BC Sakhi, Lakhpati Didi and more.
| Benefit | Revolving fund, community investment fund and low-interest bank loans |
|---|---|
| Who can apply | Women from rural households, especially poor and vulnerable families |
| Where to apply | the block office |
PM Vishwakarma Yojana
Recognition, skill training, toolkit incentive and collateral-free credit for traditional artisans and craftspeople in 18 trades.
| Benefit | ₹15,000 toolkit incentive and loans up to ₹3 lakh at 5% |
|---|---|
| Who can apply | Artisans aged 18+ working in the listed trades (one member per family) |
| Where to apply | the nearest Common Service Centre (CSC) |
Atal Pension Yojana
Guaranteed monthly pension of ₹1,000 to ₹5,000 after age 60 for unorganised-sector workers who contribute through their bank account.
| Benefit | ₹1,000–₹5,000 monthly pension after 60 |
|---|---|
| Who can apply | Bank account holders aged 18–40 who are not income-tax payers |
| Where to apply | your bank branch |
PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana (rooftop solar)
Subsidy for installing rooftop solar panels on homes, providing up to 300 units of free electricity a month.
| Benefit | Subsidy up to ₹78,000 for rooftop solar |
|---|---|
| Who can apply | Households with their own roof and a valid electricity connection |
| Where to apply | online |
Land cover around Bihar
Land cover within about 2 km
- Cropland 74%
- Tree cover 17%
- Built-up land 4.9%
- Water and wetland 1.9%
- Grass and scrub 2.6%
- Bare or sparse land 0.4%
Averaged over its gram panchayats, the land around Bihar's villages is about 74% cropland, 17% tree cover and 5% built-up (ESA WorldCover 2021). 2021CalculatedESA WorldCover 2021
From the blog
Stories from Bihar
Bihar Panchayat Chunav 2026: When Are the Next Mukhiya and Sarpanch Elections?
The Mukhiyas and Sarpanchs elected in 2021 finish their five-year term in late 2026. What is confirmed so far and how to get ready.
Bihar: frequently asked questions
How many districts are there in Bihar?
Bihar has 38 districts, grouped into 9 divisions.
What is the population of Bihar?
The 2011 Census counted 10,40,99,452 people in Bihar, living in 1,89,13,565 households.
How many gram panchayats are there in Bihar?
There are 8,387 gram panchayats in Bihar.
How many villages are there in Bihar?
Bihar has 43,975 revenue villages.
How many blocks are there in Bihar?
Bihar has 534 development blocks.
How many anchals are there in Bihar?
Bihar has 534 anchals.
How many assembly seats are there in Bihar?
Bihar Vidhan Sabha has 243 seats, and the state elects 40 members to the Lok Sabha.
What is the literacy rate of Bihar?
The literacy rate of Bihar was 61.8% in the 2011 Census (men 71.2%, women 51.5%).
Show 8 more questions
What is the sex ratio of Bihar?
In the 2011 Census, Bihar had 918 females for every 1,000 males.
When were the last gram panchayat elections held in Bihar?
The last gram panchayat elections in Bihar were held in 2021, in 11 phases from September to December, electing Mukhiyas and ward members for five-year terms.
Which law governs gram panchayats in Bihar?
Gram panchayats in Bihar work under the Bihar Panchayat Raj Act, 2006.
Where can I see panchayat election results and voter lists for Bihar?
Panchayat elections in Bihar are conducted by the State Election Commission, Bihar (sec.bihar.gov.in), which publishes the results and ward-wise voter lists.
How many Mukhiyas in Bihar are women?
In the 2021 panchayat election, women won 4,206 of the 8,050 Mukhiya seats here (52%).
How many candidates contested each Mukhiya seat in Bihar in 2021?
In the 2021 panchayat election, an average of 8.2 candidates contested each Mukhiya seat in Bihar. No Mukhiya seat was won unopposed.
How do the panchayats of Bihar perform in the Panchayat Advancement Index?
The gram panchayats of Bihar average 51.9 out of 100 in PAI 2023-24.
How many banks and post offices are there in Bihar?
We list 4,825 bank branches and 9,105 post offices in Bihar.
Data sources and updates
We built this page from public, open government data. Each figure is as of its source’s date and may have changed since, so check with the office concerned before using it for anything official.
- Assembly constituency boundaries (post-2008 delimitation), datameet/maps, CC BY 2.5 IN
- Airports (OurAirports), Public domain
- Aspirational Districts and Aspirational Blocks Programmes, Public government data
- NASA POWER agro-climatology (long-term monthly normals), Public domain (NASA) (as of 2026-10-16)
- Zoloth curated tables (divisions, ODOP, schemes), CC BY 4.0
- Village boundaries with Census 2001 codes (datameet/indian_village_boundaries), ODbL 1.0 (as of 2001)
- Calculated by Zoloth from the sources cited alongside, CC BY 4.0
- DIGIPIN national addressing grid, computed from the panchayat's reference point, Open algorithm
- SRTM 1-arc-second elevation (AWS Terrain Tiles, Skadi), Public domain (SRTM); see terrain-tiles attribution (as of 2026-10-16)
- Hindi names of assembly and Lok Sabha constituencies (Hindi Wikipedia state lists), CC BY-SA 4.0 (page text); the names themselves are facts (as of 2026-10-16)
- Bank branches with IFSC/MICR (razorpay/ifsc-api), MIT (public RBI data)
- ESA WorldCover 10 m land cover 2021 (v200), CC BY 4.0 (as of 2026-10-16)
- Local Government Directory snapshot (planemad/india-local-government-directory), GODL-India (as of 2022-03-11)
- Lok Sabha 2024 constituency results, Public results (as of 2024)
- Government schemes (myScheme.gov.in), Public scheme information (dataset Apache-2.0)
- National Family Health Survey 5 district fact sheets, Public fact sheets (as of 2019-21)
- Panchayat Advancement Index, theme-wise gram panchayat scores, Public government data (as of 2026-10-16)
- Census of India 2011 Primary Census Abstract (district), Public (as of 2011)
- All-India post office and PIN directory with coordinates, GODL-India
- Hindi spellings derived from a place-name token dictionary (learnt from LGD and SEC names), CC BY 4.0
- Railway stations (datameet/railways), CC0
- Bihar panchayat general election 2021, Mukhiya and Sarpanch results (in-rolls/local_elections_bihar), MIT (compilation); public election results (as of 2026-10-16)
- UDISE+ Basic Details of Schools (school directory with locations), via India Data Portal, ODC-BY 1.0 (India Data Portal); underlying UDISE+ data is public government data (as of 2026-10-16)
- Bihar Vidhan Sabha 2025 results by constituency, Public results (ECI); Wikipedia compilation CC BY-SA 4.0 (as of 2025)
- Wikidata, CC0
Data last refreshed: October 18, 2026
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