Rae Bareli district, a part of Lucknow division is a district of Uttar Pradesh state with its administrative headquarters located at Rae Bareli town. The district was named after the name of the town Rae Bareli. According to the legends the town was established by the Bhar. So, at that time it was known as Bharauli or Barauli which in the passage of time changed into Bareli. The first half of the name i.e. Rae means the common title of the Kayasths who were ruled over the place for a significant period of time. From the very beginning period, Raebareli is politically active district of the state of Uttar Pradesh. During the time of Indian struggle independence, the natives of this place participated very actively. Many freedom fighters who fought against the British hail were from Raebareli. Furthermore, there is a place called Mushiganj situated at the bank of Sai river also well known as UP's Jallianwala Bagh. The district of Raebareli was created by the British in 1858, and is named after its headquarters town. In the year 1858 the Rae Bareli district was emerged as a separate district in the map of Uttar Pradesh state.

Geographically, the district lies at 26°23'N latitude, 81°23'E longitude and 120 m altitude. In the year 2023, there was a total 2.73% forest area of total geographical area. The district encompasses a geographical area of 4,609 sq kms. and in terms of geographical area it occupies the ranks of 10th in the state and 243th in India. It is bounded by Lucknow district and Barabanki district on the north, Unnao district on the north west, Chhatrapati Shahuji Maharaj Nagar district on the east, Fatehpur district on the south west and Pratapgarh district on the south east. The prominent rivers that flows through the district are Ganga and Sai. The climate of the district is characterised as warm sub tropical climate. The actual rainfall in the district was 275.8 mm in the year of 2024-25.

Administration wise, the district is divided into 5 tehsils namely Rae Bareli, Lalganj, Dalmau, Unchahar and Maharajganj. There are 1 Lok Sabha seat and 5 Assembly constituencies in the district. Moreover, the district comprises 7 sub-districts, 9 towns and 1,773 villages. The administrative language in the district is Hindi.

According to 2011 the district has a population of 34,05,559 including 17,52,542 are males and 16,53,017 are females. The district has a sex ratio of 943 females for every 1000 males. Furthermore, the district has projected population of 41,53,045 comprising 21,40,156 males and 20,12,889 females for the year 2026. According to the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5, 2019–21), the district has an estimated sex ratio of 1,102 females and a child sex ratio of 1,012 females per 1,000 males. During the year 2001-2011 the population growth rate in the district was 18.56% out of which 19.04% were males and 18.06% were females. The population density in the district is 739 persons per sq. kms. In the year 2023 the number of live births in the district was 76,476 out of which 39,673 were males and 36,803 were females. In the same year the number of deaths in the district was 20,632 out of which 13,109 were males and 7,523 were females. As per 2011 census the major religion in the district is Hindu with 87.39% of the total population. According to 2011 census the principal language in the district is Hindi with 98.31%.

Agriculture is the backbone of the economy of the district. Some of its chief agricultural products are rice, pulse, wheat, barley, millet, poppy, etc. The adoption of the new agricultural technologies amongst the famers of the district helps to increase the production of various agricultural items. Most of the population in the district are engaged in agriculture since it is scantily industrialized. Only a few industries like Indian Telephone Industries, Cocepta Cables Ltd, Shri Bhawani Paper Mills Ltd, Nandganj Sirohi Sugar Mill, Feroz Gandhi Thermal Power Project, Birla Cement Factory, etc are available in the district. In 2006 the Ministry of Panchayati Raj declared Raebareli as one of the country's 250 most backward districts which is currently receiving funds from the Backward Regions Grant Fund Programme (BRGF). In the year 2023-2024 the Gross Domestic Product in the district was Rs. 24,97,935 lakh at current price and Rs. 12,81,182 lakh at constant 2011-2012 prices. The Net Domestic Product in the district during the period 2023-2024 was Rs. 21,29,496 lakh at current price and Rs. 10,53,013 lakh at constant 2011-2012 prices. The Per Capita Income or NDDP, At Factor Cost in the district during the period 2023-2024 was Rs. 53,871 at current price and Rs. 26,639 at constant 2011-2012 prices.

The district is a hub of numerous reputed educational institutions. It provides platform for higher education. Some of its recognised educational institutions are Panchsheel Degree College, Feroz Gandhi Degree College, Indira Gandhi Rajkiya Mahila Degree College, Sanskrit Degree College, Gurukul Degree College, Swami Satyamitranand Degree College, Baiswara Post Graduate College, Kamla Nehru Post Graduate College, Gurukul Post Graduate College etc. As per 2011 census the literacy rate in the district is 67.25% including 77.63% are males and 56.29% are females. In addition, according to the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) for the period July 2023-June 2024 estimated literacy rate in the district is 73.00% including 78.60% are males and 67.46% are females (Age 7 Years and Above).

Ashok Singh, an eminent Indian politician and a member of 11th and 12th Lok Sabha was born on 12th January, 1955 at Laloopur Chauhan village in the Rae Bareli district. He is a member of Bharatiya Janata Party.

During the year 2023, there were 1,02,368 domestic tourists who visited these places of the district. The district has numerous centres of attraction with historical and religious significance which allures many travellers from different parts of the country as well as world. Samaspur Bird Sanctuary, situated at a distance of 122 kms. from Lucknow was established in 1987 occupies a total area of about 799.371 hectare. One can found many rare migratory birds in this place. Dalmau, a place located on the banks of Ganga River is a well known place since ancient times. Dalmau has various notable places of interest includes King Dal's Fort, Bara Math, Mahesh Giri Math, Nirala memorial Institute, palace of Nawab Shuza-ud-daula, Baithak of Alhaa Udal, Dalmau Pump canal, etc. Indira Gandhi Memorial Botanical Garden, established in 1986 is situated on the left side of Lucknow-Varanasi highway. The main purpose behind the establishment of this botanical garden is to restore the ecological balance. Behta Bridge situated in the outskirts region of the Rae Bareli city is also a prominent attraction among its visitors.