On 15 November 2000, southern Bihar was ceded to form the new state of Jharkhand.[13] Only 11.27% of the population of Bihar lives in urban areas as per a 2020 report.[14] Additionally, almost 58% of Biharis are below the age of 25, giving Bihar the highest proportion of young people of any Indian state.[15] The official language is Hindi, which shares official status alongside that of Urdu. Additionally, other languages are common, such as Maithili, Magahi, Bhojpuri, and several others.
In Ancient and Classical India, the area that is now Bihar was considered the centre of political and cultural power and as a haven of learning.[16] From Magadha arose India's first empire, the Maurya empire, as well as one of the world's most widely adhered-to religions: Buddhism.[17][failed verification] Magadha empires, notably under the Maurya and Gupta dynasties, unified large parts of South Asia under a central rule.[18] Another region of Bihar, Mithila, was an early centre of learning and the centre of the Videha kingdom.[19][20]
However, since the late 1970s, Bihar has lagged far behind other Indian states in terms of social and economic development.[21] Many economists and social scientists claim that this is a direct result of the policies of the central government, such as the freight equalisation policy,[22][23] its apathy towards Bihar,[24] lack of Bihari sub-nationalism,[25] and the Permanent Settlement of 1793 by the British East India Company.[23] The state government has, however, made significant strides in developing the state.[26] Improved governance has led to an economic revival in the state through increased investment in infrastructure,[27] better healthcare facilities, greater emphasis on education, and a reduction in crime and corruption.[28]
^Cite error: The named reference BiharCensus2023 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^"Bihar Profile"(PDF). census.gov.in. Archived from the original(PDF) on 9 August 2021. Retrieved 14 March 2020.
^"Bihar GDP"(PDF). prsindia.org. Archived(PDF) from the original on 24 March 2024. Retrieved 28 February 2023.
^"Sub-national HDI – Area Database". Global Data Lab. Institute for Management Research, Radboud University. Archived from the original on 23 September 2018. Retrieved 3 July 2021.
^"Table 24: gross state domestic product"(PDF). National Statistical Office, Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, Government of India. Archived(PDF) from the original on 20 December 2022 – via Reserve Bank of India.
^Guruswamy, Mohan; Kaul, Abhishek (15 December 2003). "The Economic Strangulation of Bihar"(PDF). New Delhi, India: Centre for Policy Alternatives. p. 2. Archived from the original(PDF) on 30 May 2009. Retrieved 17 August 2015.
^Bihar, Past & Present: souvenir, 13th Annual Congress of Epigraphica by P. N. Ojha, Kashi Prasad Jayaswal Research Institute
^Mishra Pankaj, The Problem, Seminar 450 – February 1997
Bal Thackeray (5 March 2008). "Biharis an unwanted lot". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 10 March 2008. Retrieved 5 March 2008.
Wajihuddin, Mohammed (10 August 2008). "'Bihari' has become an abuse". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 5 May 2013. Retrieved 10 August 2008.
^Das, Arvind N. (1992). The Republic of Bihar. New Delhi: Penguin Books. ISBN978-0-14-012351-7.
Guruswamy, Mohan; Mohanty, Jeevan Prakash (15 February 2004). "The De-urbanisation of Bihar"(PDF). New Delhi, India: Centre for Policy Alternatives. Archived from the original(PDF) on 26 March 2009. Retrieved 17 August 2015.