Explained: How the number and size of districts vary from state to state

For example, Andhra Pradesh is the seventh largest state by area but has among the smallest counts of districts at 13. As such, it has only one district for every 12,000 sq km, which is the largest average size for a district in any Indian state. At the other end of the scale is Tripura. Being a small state, it has only eight districts, but even that is high, when compared to any other states, in terms of the number of districts per unit area. Tripura has one district for every 1,300 sq km, the smallest average district size in the country. It means an average Andhra Pradesh district is more than nine times the size of an average Tripura district. An Andhra Pradesh district has an average population of 38 lakh while a Tripura district has only 4.5 lakh. Most of the Northeastern states have smaller districts — which means a higher number of districts per unit area.

Source: Census 2011 and state government websites

Tamil Nadu’s 37 districts will be the fourth highest count in the country, just behind Bihar’s 38. The average size of a Tamil Nadu district will now be around 3,500 sq km, down from 4,000 sq km before January.

Explained: Why Tamil Nadu is in a rush to create new districts

Behind UP, MP, Bihar and Tamil Nadu, the highest district counts are 36 in Maharashtra (average 8,547 sq km); 33 each in Assam (average 2,377 sq km), Rajasthan (10,371 sq km) and Gujarat (5,940 sq km); 31 in Telangana (3,615 sq km); and 30 each in Karnataka (6,393 sq km) and Odisha (5,190 sq km).

Curated For You

‘He’s been playing for a year and I’m dropped after 2-3 innings’: Former India batter wants Shubman Gill to be replaced for remaining SA T20s

SIR Draft Roll West Bengal 2025: Here’s how to check your name

SIR draft roll West Bengal: What to do if you can’t find your name