Demographic Shift in Bihar Assembly: Aging Members Increase as 40% Lack College Education

The Bihar assembly now comprises 29 women legislators, representing approximately 12 percent of the 243-member house.

New Delhi:

According to a report published by think-tank PRS Legislative Research, women's representation in the newly elected Bihar assembly has seen a slight increase to 12 percent from the previous election cycle. The report also highlights that approximately 40 percent of the assembly members do not possess college degrees.

The analysis further indicates an increase in the number of legislators aged above 55 years following the recent Bihar assembly elections.

The ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) secured a decisive victory against the Mahagathbandhan coalition by winning 202 seats in the 243-member legislative body, thereby retaining power in Bihar. The magnitude of the NDA's success is evidenced by the impressive performance of its two primary constituents—BJP and JD(U)—each achieving nearly 85 percent success rates in the 101 constituencies they contested.

An assessment of the election results by PRS Legislative Research reveals that the assembly will now include 29 women MLAs, compared to 26 in the previous assembly. Among these women legislators, 13 are between 25 and 39 years of age, while nine fall within the 40-54 age bracket. Notably, approximately half of the women MLAs—15 in total—have not completed college education.

The demographic profile of the assembly shows an aging trend. The percentage of MLAs aged 55 or older has progressively increased from 34 percent in 2015 to 40 percent in 2020, and now stands at 46 percent in 2025. Interestingly, the proportion of MLAs holding post-graduate qualifications has risen to 28 percent, up from 23 percent in 2020. Simultaneously, the percentage of members with educational qualifications up to higher secondary level has increased to 40 percent from the previous 38 percent.

Approximately 32 percent of the newly elected representatives are graduates, a decrease from 40 percent in the preceding assembly. The most common professions among the new legislators are politics, social work, and agriculture.

The report states that around 60 percent of the recently elected MLAs have identified politics and social work as their primary occupation. Agriculture is listed as the profession for 45 percent of the new assembly members, while 31 percent are engaged in business, and five percent are salaried professionals.

Regarding electoral performance, approximately 58 percent of incumbent MLAs who contested the elections managed to retain their seats. According to the PRS report, out of 250 MLAs from the previous assembly, including those who won by-elections, 192 participated in the 2025 elections, with 111 securing victories.