| Barisal District | |
| Native Name: | বরিশাল জেলা |
| Native Name Lang: | bn |
| Official Name: | Barishal District |
| Type: | District |
| Map Caption1: | Expandable map of Barisal District |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Location of Barisal District in Bangladesh |
| Coordinates: | 22.8°N 90.37°W |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: |  Bangladesh |
| Subdivision Type1: | Division |
| Subdivision Name1: | Barisal |
| Established Title: | Bakerganj District |
| Established Date: | 1797 |
| Seat: | Barisal |
| Leader Title: | Deputy Commissioner |
| Leader Name: | S.M. Ajior Rahman |
| Leader Title1: | District Council Chairman |
| Leader Name1: | Md. Moidul Islam[1] |
| Leader Title2: | Chief Executive Officer |
| Leader Name2: | Md. Monik-har Rahman |
| Area Total Km2: | 2,784.52 |
| Population Total: | 2570446 |
| Population As Of: | 2022 |
| Population Density Km2: | auto |
| Population Demonyms: | Borishailla |
| Timezone1: | BST |
| Utc Offset1: | +06:00 |
| Postal Code Type: | Postal code |
| Postal Code: | 8200 |
| Blank Name Sec1: | HDI (2018) |
| Blank Info Sec1: | 0.672[2] · 2nd of 21 |
Barisal District, officially spelled Barishal District from April 2018,[3] is a district in south-central Bangladesh, formerly called Bakerganj district, established in 1797.[4] Its headquarters are in the city of Barisal, which is also the headquarters of Barisal Division.[5]
Barisal District traces its origins to Bakerganj district which was established in 1797. It was placed in Barisal Division on 1 January 1993.
Notable educational institutions in Barisal include
At the 2022 Census, Barisal District had 629,626 households and a population of 2,570,446. 475,192 (18.49%) were under 10 years of age. The population density was 923 people per km2. Barisal district had a literacy rate (age 7 and over) of 79.85%, compared to the national average of 74.80%, and a sex ratio of 1047 females per 1000 males. 30.23% of the population lived in urban areas.[6]
| 724,289 | 66.17% | 2,283,658 | 88.84% | ||
| 361,602 | 33.04% | 275,258 | 10.71% | ||
| 8,536 | 0.78% | 11,138 | 0.43% | ||
| Others | 173 | 0.02% | 392 | 0.02% | |
| Total Population | 1,094,600 | 100% | 2,570,446 | 100% |
Islam is the predominant religion in the district with a large Hindu population. Historically, the Barisal region has seen one of the highest concentration of Hindus since the area had been part of the British Raj, through the rule of East Pakistan and subsequently after the independence of Bangladesh. However, since Partition Hindus have been fleeing the district in large numbers. Among the 10 upazilas of the district, the Agailjhara Upazila has the highest percentage share of Hindus at 42 per cent, while the Muladi Upazila has the lowest at just 1.8 per cent, according to the 2011 Bangladesh census.
Overall, minority populations have seen a steep drop in their share of the total population, as well as a fall in their absolute numbers in Barisal district. The trend is similar to other districts in the wider Barisal division.
Barisal District is divided into the following Upazilas (formerly called Thanas):