Introduction: Urinary retention is defined as the inability to urinate voluntarily. Acute urinary retention (AUR) is the sudden and painful inability to void, despite having a full bladder. Chronic urinary retention (CUR) is painless retention associated with an increased volume of residual urine. Despite the worldwide interest in the subject, there exist only a limited amount of data with respect to the causes of AUR and CUR. The main aim of study was to study the main aspects of causes and frequency of different causes of urinary retention with their age and incidence in this part of India. Materials and methods: In this study, 100 patients presenting to the outpatient department (OPD) and emergency of a tertiary care hospital in Amritsar with urinary retention were evaluated and categorized into two groups: AUR and CUR. Further, these patients were subdivided into etiological classification according to the study. Results: In men, benign prostatic enlargement is the leading cause of urinary retention, with second being stricture urethra. In women, urinary retention was mainly caused by meatal stenosis and blood clots due to urinary bladder growth. We also found some correlation of urinary retention with health negligence and less personal hygiene, which was more common in below-poverty-line patients.