Malappuram

District in Kerala

PopulationCensus 2011, the latest complete count; Census 2027 results are expected from 2028
41.1 Lakh
State: 3.3 Crore
Area
3,589 km²
9.1% of state
Literacy RateCensus 2011: literates as a share of people aged 7 and above
93.6%
State: 94.0%
Sex RatioCensus 2011: females per 1,000 males
1,098
State: 1,084
DensityCensus 2011 population per km²
1,146 /km²
State: 860 /km²
Population RankBy Census 2011 population
1st of 14
In Kerala

Credit Growth (5-Year) in Malappuram: 84.4%, 4th highest of 14 districts in Kerala

MSME Density in Malappuram: 24.7 per 1,000 people, lowest of 14 districts in Kerala

Women Literacy in Malappuram: 99.2%, 6th highest of 14 districts in Kerala

Health Insurance in Malappuram: 57.1%, 7th 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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Malappuram is a district in Kerala with a population of 41.1 Lakh (Census 2011) spread across 3,589 sq km. Its literacy rate of 93.6% is below the state average of 94.0% and above the national average of 72.9%. The district has a sex ratio of 1,098 females per 1,000 males, above the state average of 1,084.


Demographics

IndicatorDistrictState AvgNational
Population Density1,146 /km²▲860 /km²366 /km²
Sex Ratio1,098▲1,084943
Literacy Rate93.6%▼94.0%72.9%
SC Population7.5%▼9.1%16.6%
ST Population0.6%▼1.5%8.7%
Worker Participation25.8%▼34.8%39.8%

What changed in Malappuram, 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 Marriage4th highest of 114.8%was 15.3%▲2.8%19.2%
Female Work Gap2nd highest of 1438.2 pts▲34.4 pts27.9 pts

Economy & Infrastructure

IndicatorDistrictState AvgNational
MSME DensityLowest of 1424.7 per 1k pop▼33.1 per 1k pop39.8 per 1k pop
Women Internet Use5th highest of 1489.8%was 57.2%▲87.4%64.4%

Governance

IndicatorDistrictState AvgNational
Pending Cases2nd lowest of 142250 per lakh▼5374 per lakh4025 per lakh

Safety & Crime

IndicatorDistrictState AvgNational
Child Abuse (POCSO)10th highest of 146.2 per lakh▼9.4 per lakh5.3 per lakh
Cyber Crime (IT Act cases)11th highest of 140.3 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 Malappuram district?

Malappuram has a population of 41.1 Lakh according to the Census 2011, with a density of 1,146 people per sq km across 3,589 sq km.

What is the population of Malappuram in 2026?

There is no official count or district estimate after 2011. The latest figure is the Census 2011 count of 41.1 Lakh. Census 2027 enumeration takes place in February 2027, with results expected from 2028.

What is the literacy rate of Malappuram?

Malappuram has a literacy rate of 93.6% (Census 2011), which is below the Kerala average of 94.0% and above the national average of 72.9%.

How does Malappuram compare to Kerala?

Malappuram is the 1st most populous of 14 districts in Kerala. Its sex ratio of 1,098 females per 1,000 males is above the state average of 1,084 (Census 2011).

How many children in Malappuram are stunted or underweight?

In Malappuram, 29.8% of children under 5 are stunted, 10.6% wasted and 23.5% 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 Malappuram have health insurance?

57.1% of households in Malappuram have at least one member covered by a health insurance or financing scheme (NFHS-6, 2023–24, provisional), up from 47.9% in 2019–21. The Kerala average is 56.9% and India's 58.1%.

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

Between NFHS-5 (2019–21) and NFHS-6 (2023–24), Malappuram improved most in women internet use (57% to 90%), women 10+ year schooling (70% to 85%), women with a bank account (73% to 85%), and got worse in women overweight or obese (37% to 49%), male diabetes (24% to 31%). Changes under 5 percentage points are not counted.

What data sources are used for Malappuram?

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.