The Nagpur district consists of Nagpur Municipal Corporation, 10 municipalities, 13 panchayat samitis and 778 gram panchayats. The total area covered is about 9897 sq. km. of which Nagpur city accounts for 217.65 sq. km. (2.2%). The district population (as per Census of India - 2001) was 40.51 lakhs of which 20.52 lakhs (about 50%) were in Nagpur city. The average population density of Nagpur is quite low as compared to other comparable cities of India. The figure was 95 persons per ha in 20015.

It is estimated that 36% of the population in the city of Nagpur lives in slums. There are about 427 slum pockets in the city spread over an area of about 17 sq. km. Of the 427 slums, 292 slums are notified slums. In 1997, the slum population of Nagpur was about 6.61 lakhs, which increased to 7.4 lakhs in 2001 and 8.08 lakhs in 2005, thus showing a growth of 22% in the last eight years. Of the 8.08 lakh population, about 20% lives in non-notified slums (Source: Slum department, NMC).