Patna is a densely populated and rapidly growing metropolis. The 2011 Census recorded the city proper's population at approximately 1.68 million, but modern estimates place the greater metropolitan population well over 2.5 million, fueled by persistent rural-to-urban migration from across Bihar in search of education and employment.
The city's demographic is young, with a large percentage of the population under the age of 30. Hinduism is the majority religion, practiced by about 86% of the residents, followed by Islam at roughly 12%. Small but culturally significant communities of Sikhs, Christians, Jains, and Buddhists also call the city home.
Linguistically, Hindi is the official language and the lingua franca, while Magahi is the native regional dialect. Bhojpuri, Maithili, Urdu, and English are also widely spoken, making Patna a vibrant, multilingual melting pot of eastern Indian culture.
