List of districts of Karnataka

comprises 29 districts, grouped into four divisions.

A district of an Indian state is an administrative geographical unit, headed by a or District Magistrate, an officer belonging to the. The district magistrate or the deputy commissioner is assisted by a number of officers belonging to Karnataka Civil Service and other Karnataka state services.

A, usually an officer belonging to the is entrusted with the responsibility of maintaining law and order and related issues of the district. He is assisted by the officers of the Karnataka Police Service and other Karnataka Police officials. Cities like, and  are headed by a  holding the rank of Deputy Inspector General (DIG) or Inspector General of Police (IGP).

A, an officer belonging to the is responsible for managing the Forests, environment and wild-life related issues of the district. He is assisted by the officers of the Karnataka Forest Service and other Karnataka Forest officials and Karnataka Wild-Life officials.

Sectoral development is looked after by the district head of each development department such as PWD, Health, Education, Agriculture, Animal husbandry, etc. These officers belong to the various State Services

Population is from the 2001, followed by the percentage increase in population, 1991-2001.

Divisions and Districts


 state (52,850,562, 17.25%)


 * (1,651,892, 18.84%)
 * (4,214,505, 17.40%)
 * (1,806,918, 17.63%)
 * (1,604,253, 16.65%)
 * (971,835, 13.14%)
 * (1,439,116, 13.29%)
 * (1,439,116, 13.29%)


 * (2,027,140, 22.30%)
 * (1,502,373, 19.56%)
 * (3,130,922, 21.02%)
 * (1,196,089, 24.57%)
 * (1,669,762, 21.93%)
 * (1,669,762, 21.93%)


 * (6,537,124, 34.80%)
 * District (1,881,514, 12.21%)
 * - Newly created
 * (1,517,896, 15.05%)
 * (1,790,952, 14.78%)
 * (2,536,069, 13.83%)
 * - Newly created
 * (1,642,545, 12.90%)
 * (2,584,711, 11.87%)
 * (2,584,711, 11.87%)


 * (965,462, 9.16%)
 * (1,140,905, 11.98%)
 * (1,721,669, 9.66%)
 * (1,763,705, 7.14%)
 * (2,641,027, 15.04%)
 * (2,641,027, 15.04%)


 * District (1,897,730, 14.51%)
 * (1,112,243, 6.88%)
 * District (1,353,644, 10.90%)
 * District (1,353,644, 10.90%)


 * District (548,561, 11.64%)
 * District (548,561, 11.64%)

District History
Karnataka took its present shape in, when the states of and  (Kodagu) were merged with the Kannada-speaking districts of the former states of  and , and. Mysore state was made up of ten districts, Bangalore, Kolar, Tumkur, Mandya, Mysore, Hassan, Chikmagalur (Kadur), Shimoga and Chitradurga; had been transferred from  state to Mysore in 1953, when the new state of  was created out of Madras' northern districts. Kodagu became a district, and (South Kanara) district was transferred from Madras state,, , , and   from Bombay state, and , , and  from Hyderabad state.

In, Bangalore Rural district was split from Bangalore. and in 1997 Bagalkot district split from Bijapur, Chamrajnagar district split from Mysore, Gadag district split from Dharwad, Haveri district split from Dharwad, Koppal district split from Raichur, Udupi district split from Dakshina Kannada, and Davanagere district was created from parts of Bellary, Chitradurga, Dharwad, and Shimoga.

On  the  announced the cabinet approval for the creation of two more districts:  and. Ramanagara District and Chikballapura District are being formed by the bifurcation of and s respectively. The new districts have been officially notified by the Karnataka Government, thereby making the number of districts in Karnataka to 29.