Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Madhya Pradesh continues to face a shortage of police personnel compared to the national average, with just 143.82 police personnel per lakh population against the national average of 197.44.
The gap has been highlighted in the MP Police Statistical Data 2025, released on Tuesday, which also reveals that the state lags behind national benchmarks in civil police strength and geographical coverage.
The state police are far behind several national standards and also other states of the country.
When it comes to civil police coverage, only 110.27 police personnel are available per lakh population against the national average of 138.40.
In terms of total police personnel per 100 square kilometres, the state average is 40.67 against the national average of 83.81, which is more than double the state average.
Police station coverage
The state has 1,175 police stations, with each covering an average area of 274 square kilometres, compared to 307.93 square kilometres in 2011. On average, each police station serves 77,350 people. Only 31 police personnel are deployed per 100 square kilometres, which is too few to ensure a timely police response.
Police budget rises to Rs 10,564.15 crore
The police budget in Madhya Pradesh has increased substantially over the years, rising from Rs 5.24 crore in 1956, when the state was formed, to Rs 10,564.15 crore in 2025.
Year
Police budget
1956
Rs 5.24 crore
1961
Rs 6.57 crore
1971
Rs 15.73 crore
1981
Rs 61.25 crore
1991
Rs 294.15 crore
2001
Rs 1,002.32 crore
2011
Rs 2,151.87 crore
2025
Rs 10,564.15 crore
Growth of police since 1956
The strength of the police force in Madhya Pradesh has increased since the formation of the state in 1956. However, recruitment has failed to keep pace with population growth, leading to a gap between population and police strength.
Year
Population
Police strength
1956
1.86 crore
36,671
1961
2.32 crore
48,995
1971
3 crore
53,205
1981
3.81 crore
75,487
1991
6.61 crore
91,325
2001
6 crore
74,128
2011
7.26 crore
87,291
2025
8.64 crore
1,29,005
Figures from MP Police Statistical Data 2025
