Dakshina Kannada
District in Karnataka
Credit Growth (5-Year) in Dakshina Kannada: 85.1%, 6th lowest of 29 districts in Karnataka
MSME Density in Dakshina Kannada: 47.8 per 1,000 people, 6th highest of 31 districts in Karnataka
Women Literacy in Dakshina Kannada: 92.7%, highest of 30 districts in Karnataka
Health Insurance in Dakshina Kannada: 80.4%, 4th highest of 30 districts in Karnataka
Dakshina Kannada is a district in Karnataka with a population of 20.9 Lakh (Census 2011) spread across 4,835 sq km. Its literacy rate of 88.6% is above the state average of 75.4% and above the national average of 72.9%. The district has a sex ratio of 1,020 females per 1,000 males, above the state average of 973.
Demographics
What changed in Dakshina Kannada, 2019–21 to 2023–24
NFHS-5 → NFHS-6, changes of 5 points or more.
Health & Development
NFHS-6 (2023–24, provisional) · “was”: the 2019–21 value, where it moved 5 points or more
State Avg and National are population-weighted averages, not official NFHS figures. “Was” is NFHS-5 as reprinted on the NFHS-6 sheet, which can differ from the NFHS-5 layer. Small districts can swing on sampling noise.
Women & Gender
Economy & Infrastructure
Governance
Safety & Crime
Climate Vulnerability
More Indicators
| Indicator | District | State Avg | National Avg | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Women 10+ Yr Schooling | 67.2% | 56.4% | 46.7% | National Family Health Survey (NFHS-6) (2023–24) |
| Male Tobacco Use | 15.5% | 24.7% | 37.0% | National Family Health Survey (NFHS-6) (2023–24) |
| Menstrual Hygiene | 94.3% | 84.4% | 81.2% | National Family Health Survey (NFHS-6) (2023–24) |
| Child Sex Ratio (0–6) | 947 | 952 | 926 | Census 2011 (2011) |
| Average Holding Size | 0.8 | 1.4 | 1.4 | Agricultural Census 2015-16 (2015–16) |
| Marginal Farmers (%) | 74.2% | 56.6% | 66.3% | Agricultural Census 2015-16 (2015–16) |
| MGNREGA Days per Household | 47.3 | 49.8 | 43.4 | Climate Vulnerability Index (2021) |
| Women's Court Cases | 8.3 | 10.2 | 9.2 | National Judicial Data Grid (2024) |
| Banking | 344 | 143 | 81.1 | Town Amenities Census 2011 (2011) |
| Explore all indicators for Dakshina Kannada on the live map → | ||||
More Districts in Karnataka
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the population of Dakshina Kannada district?
Dakshina Kannada has a population of 20.9 Lakh according to the Census 2011, with a density of 432 people per sq km across 4,835 sq km.
What is the population of Dakshina Kannada in 2026?
There is no official count or district estimate after 2011. The latest figure is the Census 2011 count of 20.9 Lakh. Census 2027 enumeration takes place in February 2027, with results expected from 2028.
What is the literacy rate of Dakshina Kannada?
Dakshina Kannada has a literacy rate of 88.6% (Census 2011), which is above the Karnataka average of 75.4% and above the national average of 72.9%.
How does Dakshina Kannada compare to Karnataka?
Dakshina Kannada is the 7th most populous of 31 districts in Karnataka. Its sex ratio of 1,020 females per 1,000 males is above the state average of 973 (Census 2011).
How many children in Dakshina Kannada are stunted or underweight?
In Dakshina Kannada, 19.2% of children under 5 are stunted, 20.2% wasted and 22.6% underweight (NFHS-6, 2023–24, provisional). Stunting compares with a Karnataka average of 26.3% and an India average of 28.0%.
How many households in Dakshina Kannada have health insurance?
80.4% of households in Dakshina Kannada have at least one member covered by a health insurance or financing scheme (NFHS-6, 2023–24, provisional), up from 39.1% in 2019–21. The Karnataka average is 63.7% and India's 58.1%.
What changed in Dakshina Kannada between NFHS-5 and NFHS-6?
Between NFHS-5 (2019–21) and NFHS-6 (2023–24), Dakshina Kannada improved most in health insurance (39% to 80%), women internet use (51% to 76%), women owning a mobile phone (78% to 91%), and got worse in modern contraception (60% to 38%), male diabetes (15% to 31%), women overweight or obese (22% to 38%). Changes under 5 percentage points are not counted.
What data sources are used for Dakshina Kannada?
Data comes from Census 2011, NFHS-5 (2019–21), NFHS-6 (2023–24), NJDG (2024), Udyam/MSME (2026), NCRB SLL (2022), CVI (2021), Ag Census 2015–16, RBI BSR (2026), and other official sources.
Data Sources
Each indicator keeps its own source and vintage. How they are crosswalked onto one district geography is on the methodology page, with the per-source limits on the caveats page.