Kannur

District in Kerala

PopulationCensus 2011, the latest complete count; Census 2027 results are expected from 2028
25.2 Lakh
State: 3.3 Crore
Area
2,977 km²
7.5% of state
Literacy RateCensus 2011: literates as a share of people aged 7 and above
95.1%
State: 94.0%
Sex RatioCensus 2011: females per 1,000 males
1,136
State: 1,084
DensityCensus 2011 population per km²
848 /km²
State: 860 /km²
Population RankBy Census 2011 population
8th of 14
In Kerala

Credit Growth (5-Year) in Kannur: 77.0%, 6th highest of 14 districts in Kerala

MSME Density in Kannur: 31.5 per 1,000 people, 8th highest of 14 districts in Kerala

Women Literacy in Kannur: 99.1%, 8th highest of 14 districts in Kerala

Health Insurance in Kannur: 45.8%, 2nd lowest of 14 districts in Kerala

60%85%110%140%200%+No data
RBI Bank Credit (BSR-1) · 2026
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5204080150+No data
Udyam Registration (MSME) · 2026
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40%55%65%80%90%+No data
National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5) · 2019–21
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5%20%40%60%85%+No data
National Family Health Survey (NFHS-6) · 2023–24
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Kannur is a district in Kerala with a population of 25.2 Lakh (Census 2011) spread across 2,977 sq km. Its literacy rate of 95.1% is above the state average of 94.0% and above the national average of 72.9%. The district has a sex ratio of 1,136 females per 1,000 males, above the state average of 1,084.


Demographics

IndicatorDistrictState AvgNational
Population Density848 /km²▼860 /km²366 /km²
Sex Ratio1,136▲1,084943
Literacy Rate95.1%▲94.0%72.9%
SC Population3.3%▼9.1%16.6%
ST Population1.6%▲1.5%8.7%
Worker Participation32.7%▼34.8%39.8%

What changed in Kannur, 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

IndicatorDistrictState AvgNational
Teen Pregnancy0.0%▼1.4%6.5%
Female Work Gap4th highest of 1435.6 pts▲34.4 pts27.9 pts

Economy & Infrastructure

IndicatorDistrictState AvgNational
MSME Density8th highest of 1431.5 per 1k pop▼33.1 per 1k pop39.8 per 1k pop
Women Internet Use2nd highest of 1492.3%was 62.1%▲87.4%64.4%

Governance

IndicatorDistrictState AvgNational
Pending Cases3rd lowest of 142852 per lakh▼5374 per lakh4025 per lakh

Safety & Crime

IndicatorDistrictState AvgNational
Child Abuse (POCSO)8th highest of 148.3 per lakh▼9.4 per lakh5.3 per lakh
Cyber Crime (IT Act cases)8th highest of 140.6 per lakh▼1.0 per lakh2.7 per lakh

Climate Vulnerability

IndicatorDistrictState AvgNational
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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the population of Kannur district?

Kannur has a population of 25.2 Lakh according to the Census 2011, with a density of 848 people per sq km across 2,977 sq km.

What is the population of Kannur in 2026?

There is no official count or district estimate after 2011. The latest figure is the Census 2011 count of 25.2 Lakh. Census 2027 enumeration takes place in February 2027, with results expected from 2028.

What is the literacy rate of Kannur?

Kannur has a literacy rate of 95.1% (Census 2011), which is above the Kerala average of 94.0% and above the national average of 72.9%.

How does Kannur compare to Kerala?

Kannur is the 8th most populous of 14 districts in Kerala. Its sex ratio of 1,136 females per 1,000 males is above the state average of 1,084 (Census 2011).

How many children in Kannur are stunted or underweight?

In Kannur, 17.0% of children under 5 are stunted, 4.9% wasted and 12.1% underweight (NFHS-6, 2023–24, provisional). Stunting compares with a Kerala average of 19.6% and an India average of 28.0%.

How many households in Kannur have health insurance?

45.8% of households in Kannur have at least one member covered by a health insurance or financing scheme (NFHS-6, 2023–24, provisional), down from 52.0% in 2019–21. The Kerala average is 56.9% and India's 58.1%.

What changed in Kannur between NFHS-5 and NFHS-6?

Between NFHS-5 (2019–21) and NFHS-6 (2023–24), Kannur improved most in women internet use (62% to 92%), 4+ antenatal visits (78% to 98%), women with a bank account (74% to 93%), and got worse in women overweight or obese (32% to 48%), male diabetes (25% to 36%), modern contraception (54% to 48%). Changes under 5 percentage points are not counted.

What data sources are used for Kannur?

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.