Which district in Uttar Pradesh has highest density of population according to 2011 Census ?

Density is population divided by area, so a district can have a huge population and still rank low if it is spread over a large area. Ghaziabad wins on the combination of a compact area and a very large urban population. It was carved out of the old Meerut-linked territory and, after Gautam Buddh Nagar was separated in 1997, it became a smaller, heavily urbanised district on the Delhi border. Census 2011 put it at the top of UP's districts on persons per square km.

• Varanasi (A): Dense, but its area is small and its population is smaller than Ghaziabad's, so it ranks below in the 2011 figures. Aspirants pick it because of its fame and old-city crowding.
• Lucknow (B): Large population but a much bigger area, which pulls its density down.
• Kanpur Nagar (D): Among the largest districts by area in this list, so its density is lower despite a big population.

Core concept: district-wise density from Census 2011 (Census data is the standard source for Prelims). For Mains, the same pattern links to urban pressure on the NCR-adjacent districts, housing and civic infrastructure, and the case for splitting administrative units.

Trap: Choosing Varanasi or Lucknow because they are the most famous or largest cities. Check area as well as population before you rank density.