The district was carved out of Gorakhpur district on 2, October 1989. The town of Maharajganj is the district headquarters. This district is part of Gorakhpur Division. According to the 2011 census, Maharajganj district has a population of 2,665,292, whichis roughly equaI to the nation of Kuwait or the US state of Nevada.

 This gives it a ranking of 151st out of a total of 640districts in the country.

 The district has a population density of 903 inhabitants per Sq. Km. and

its population growth rate over the decade 2001-2011 was 22.61 %.

Maharajganj has a sex ratio of 938 females for every 1000 males and a

literacy rate of 64.3 %.