Nagaland has the highest police-population ratio in India among the states, with 1,136 police officials per one lakh people, according to the latest ‘Data on Police Organizations’ from the Union Home Ministry, sourced from the Bureau of Police Research & Development. The sanctioned strength in the state stands at 1,201 police officials per lakh population, making Nagaland one of only two regions in the country with a ratio exceeding 1,000. Andaman and Nicobar Islands follow closely with 1,050 police personnel per lakh people.
The police-population ratio represents the number of police officers available for every one lakh residents. Nationally, the sanctioned average is 197, but the actual strength is only 155 per lakh people. In contrast, Nagaland significantly surpasses this national benchmark, which means greater police presence and accessibility.
According to the data, each police official in Nagaland is responsible for 88 people instead of the sanctioned load of 83. This is the lowest police-to-population ratio in the country, followed by Andaman and Nicobar Islands, where one police officer caters to 95 people.
In stark contrast, Bihar has the lowest police-population ratio in the country, with just 81 police officials per one lakh people. The sanctioned strength for Bihar stands at 115 per lakh, but the actual force falls short, leaving each officer responsible for 1,227 people—the highest in the country. Other states with below-average police strength include Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu (94), West Bengal (101), and Rajasthan (118).
The gap between sanctioned and actual police strength varies across states. In Mizoram, for instance, the sanctioned ratio is 917 per lakh, but only 595 are currently serving. In Delhi, the sanctioned figure is 445, but the actual number stands at 380.
Across India, the total sanctioned strength for state police forces is 27.23 lakh, but only 21.41 lakh positions are filled, leaving a shortfall of 5.81 lakh personnel. Uttar Pradesh has the highest number of vacancies at 1.09 lakh, followed by Maharashtra (60,583), West Bengal (65,072), and Bihar (41,686).
Law and order fall under the jurisdiction of individual states, with the Union government overseeing policing in Union Territories and specialized agencies. While there are no universal standards for assessing optimal police strength, factors such as crime volume, societal structures, and technological use influence the required police force in each state.