Palakkad
District in Kerala
Credit Growth (5-Year) in Palakkad: 80.3%, 5th highest of 14 districts in Kerala
MSME Density in Palakkad: 32.3 per 1,000 people, 7th highest of 14 districts in Kerala
Women Literacy in Palakkad: 94.4%, 3rd lowest of 14 districts in Kerala
Health Insurance in Palakkad: 56.0%, 9th highest of 14 districts in Kerala
Palakkad is a district in Kerala with a population of 28.1 Lakh (Census 2011) spread across 4,538 sq km. Its literacy rate of 89.3% is below the state average of 94.0% and above the national average of 72.9%. The district has a sex ratio of 1,067 females per 1,000 males, below the state average of 1,084.
Demographics
What changed in Palakkad, 2019–21 to 2023–24
Got worse
Women Overweight or Obese33% → 46%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 | 78.4% | 86.9% | 46.7% | National Family Health Survey (NFHS-6) (2023–24) |
| Male Tobacco Use | 18.2% | 15.7% | 37.0% | National Family Health Survey (NFHS-6) (2023–24) |
| Menstrual Hygiene | 88.0% | 92.8% | 81.2% | National Family Health Survey (NFHS-6) (2023–24) |
| Child Sex Ratio (0–6) | 967 | 964 | 926 | Census 2011 (2011) |
| Average Holding Size | 0.2 | 0.2 | 1.4 | Agricultural Census 2015-16 (2015–16) |
| Marginal Farmers (%) | 94.6% | 96.7% | 66.3% | Agricultural Census 2015-16 (2015–16) |
| MGNREGA Days per Household | 44.0 | 51.6 | 43.4 | Climate Vulnerability Index (2021) |
| Women's Court Cases | 15.3 | 11.7 | 9.2 | National Judicial Data Grid (2024) |
| Banking | 209 | 319 | 81.1 | Town Amenities Census 2011 (2011) |
| Explore all indicators for Palakkad on the live map → | ||||
More Districts in Kerala
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the population of Palakkad district?
Palakkad has a population of 28.1 Lakh according to the Census 2011, with a density of 619 people per sq km across 4,538 sq km.
What is the population of Palakkad in 2026?
There is no official count or district estimate after 2011. The latest figure is the Census 2011 count of 28.1 Lakh. Census 2027 enumeration takes place in February 2027, with results expected from 2028.
What is the literacy rate of Palakkad?
Palakkad has a literacy rate of 89.3% (Census 2011), which is below the Kerala average of 94.0% and above the national average of 72.9%.
How does Palakkad compare to Kerala?
Palakkad is the 6th most populous of 14 districts in Kerala. Its sex ratio of 1,067 females per 1,000 males is below the state average of 1,084 (Census 2011).
How many children in Palakkad are stunted or underweight?
In Palakkad, 19.9% of children under 5 are stunted, 10.9% wasted and 17.8% 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 Palakkad have health insurance?
56.0% of households in Palakkad have at least one member covered by a health insurance or financing scheme (NFHS-6, 2023–24, provisional), down from 60.8% in 2019–21. The Kerala average is 56.9% and India's 58.1%.
What changed in Palakkad between NFHS-5 and NFHS-6?
Between NFHS-5 (2019–21) and NFHS-6 (2023–24), Palakkad improved most in women internet use (50% to 86%), 4+ antenatal visits (68% to 91%), women 10+ year schooling (63% to 78%), and got worse in women overweight or obese (33% to 46%). Changes under 5 percentage points are not counted.
What data sources are used for Palakkad?
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.