Pragnya IAS · Map 66 · People & economy
India: density of population, 2011 map study
The density companion map: from Bihar’s 1,106 per km² to Arunachal’s 17.
STUDY NOTE 1
The extremes
Bihar (about 1,106/km²) and West Bengal (about 1,028/km²) top the states; Arunachal Pradesh (17/km²) is the lowest. The national average was 382/km².
STUDY NOTE 2
Why the Ganga plain crowds
Fertile alluvium, perennial water, flat land and two millennia of settled agriculture sustain rural densities that rival urban ones elsewhere.
STUDY NOTE 3
Density drives policy
High-density states face land fragmentation and service pressure; low-density states face connectivity and delivery costs — both appear in Mains answers.
Map reading task
Place the national average on a number line between the highest and lowest state densities and memorise the three figures.
What does this india: density of population, 2011 lesson explain?
Bihar (about 1,106/km²) and West Bengal (about 1,028/km²) top the states; Arunachal Pradesh (17/km²) is the lowest. The national average was 382/km².
UPSC map practice & Geography Optional connection
For UPSC Prelims, pair the location with its state, neighbouring relief and relevant geographic process. For GS I and Geography Optional Indian geography revision, use a simple labelled sketch to explain the relationship rather than replacing the answer with place names. These are Pragnya-authored exercises, not official UPSC previous-year questions.
References & map credits
Pragnya IAS explanations and practice are independently authored. The uploaded geography compilation informed topic selection only; its pages, illustrations, advertisements and personal watermarks are not republished. Licensed base data retain their original attribution. These lessons are educational references, not navigation, legal boundary or live hazard maps.