Kollam

District in Kerala

PopulationCensus 2011, the latest complete count; Census 2027 results are expected from 2028
26.4 Lakh
State: 3.3 Crore
Area
2,553 km²
6.5% of state
Literacy RateCensus 2011: literates as a share of people aged 7 and above
94.1%
State: 94.0%
Sex RatioCensus 2011: females per 1,000 males
1,113
State: 1,084
DensityCensus 2011 population per km²
1,032 /km²
State: 860 /km²
Population RankBy Census 2011 population
7th of 14
In Kerala

Credit Growth (5-Year) in Kollam: 58.6%, lowest of 14 districts in Kerala

MSME Density in Kollam: 28.4 per 1,000 people, 2nd lowest of 14 districts in Kerala

Women Literacy in Kollam: 98.2%, 10th highest of 14 districts in Kerala

Health Insurance in Kollam: 61.6%, 5th highest 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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Kollam is a district in Kerala with a population of 26.4 Lakh (Census 2011) spread across 2,553 sq km. Its literacy rate of 94.1% is above the state average of 94.0% and above the national average of 72.9%. The district has a sex ratio of 1,113 females per 1,000 males, above the state average of 1,084.


Demographics

IndicatorDistrictState AvgNational
Population Density1,032 /km²▲860 /km²366 /km²
Sex Ratio1,113▲1,084943
Literacy Rate94.1%▲94.0%72.9%
SC Population12.5%▲9.1%16.6%
ST Population0.4%▼1.5%8.7%
Worker Participation34.6%▼34.8%39.8%

What changed in Kollam, 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
Child Marriage0.0%▼2.8%19.2%
Female Work Gap10th highest of 1432.4 pts▼34.4 pts27.9 pts

Economy & Infrastructure

IndicatorDistrictState AvgNational
MSME Density2nd lowest of 1428.4 per 1k pop▼33.1 per 1k pop39.8 per 1k pop
Women Internet Use10th highest of 1483.1%was 46.4%▼87.4%64.4%

Governance

IndicatorDistrictState AvgNational
Pending Cases4th highest of 147479 per lakh▲5374 per lakh4025 per lakh

Safety & Crime

IndicatorDistrictState AvgNational
Child Abuse (POCSO)5th highest of 1414.6 per lakh▲9.4 per lakh5.3 per lakh
Cyber Crime (IT Act cases)3rd highest of 141.6 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 Kollam district?

Kollam has a population of 26.4 Lakh according to the Census 2011, with a density of 1,032 people per sq km across 2,553 sq km.

What is the population of Kollam in 2026?

There is no official count or district estimate after 2011. The latest figure is the Census 2011 count of 26.4 Lakh. Census 2027 enumeration takes place in February 2027, with results expected from 2028.

What is the literacy rate of Kollam?

Kollam has a literacy rate of 94.1% (Census 2011), which is above the Kerala average of 94.0% and above the national average of 72.9%.

How does Kollam compare to Kerala?

Kollam is the 7th most populous of 14 districts in Kerala. Its sex ratio of 1,113 females per 1,000 males is above the state average of 1,084 (Census 2011).

How many children in Kollam are stunted or underweight?

In Kollam, 15.7% of children under 5 are stunted, 15.6% wasted and 15.9% 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 Kollam have health insurance?

61.6% of households in Kollam have at least one member covered by a health insurance or financing scheme (NFHS-6, 2023–24, provisional), down from 64.3% in 2019–21. The Kerala average is 56.9% and India's 58.1%.

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

Between NFHS-5 (2019–21) and NFHS-6 (2023–24), Kollam improved most in women internet use (46% to 83%), pre-school attendance (58% to 70%), women with a bank account (85% to 94%), and got worse in menstrual hygiene (99% to 93%). Changes under 5 percentage points are not counted.

What data sources are used for Kollam?

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.