Tamil Nadu

District-Level Data & Statistics

Population

6.9 Crore

5.8% of India

Districts

38

Area

1,31,454 km²

Literacy Rate

71.5%

National: 63.0%

Sex Ratio

997

National: 943

Tamil Nadu is India's 6th most populous state with a population of 6.9 Crore spread across 38 districts covering 1,31,454 sq km. The state's literacy rate stands at 71.5%, above the national average of 63.0%. With a sex ratio of 997 females per 1,000 males, it is above the national figure of 943.


Demographics

Indicator

State

National

Population Density

528 /km²

379 /km²

Sex Ratio

997

943

Literacy Rate

71.5%

63.0%

SC Population

20.2%

16.6%

ST Population

1.1%

8.7%

Worker Participation

45.8%

39.8%

Health & Development

Indicator

State

National

Child Stunting

25.7%

33.2%

Child Wasting

14.6%

18.4%

Underweight Children

22.1%

29.1%

Child Anaemia

58.2%

65.2%

Women Anaemia

54.2%

55.3%

Full Vaccination

89.2%

77.4%

Institutional Delivery

99.6%

88.5%

Improved Sanitation

71.6%

72.4%

Clean Cooking Fuel

79.4%

54.6%

Health Insurance

68.0%

41.3%

Safe Drinking Water

98.4%

93.6%

Electricity Access

99.3%

97.0%

Women & Gender

Indicator

State

National

Child Marriage

12.8%

20.6%

Teen Pregnancy

6.4%

6.6%

Female Literacy Gap

0.1%

0.1%

Female Work Gap

0.3%

0.2%

Economy & Infrastructure

Indicator

State

National

MSME Density

58.4 per 1k pop

42.6 per 1k pop

Total MSMEs (avg per district)

1.1 Lakh

61.7k

Manufacturing Share

27.5%

24.9%

Governance

Indicator

State

National

Pending Cases

2431 per lakh

3585 per lakh

Cases Delayed (%)

0.5%

0.4%

Monthly Disposal Ratio

1.02

0.81

Safety & Crime

Indicator

State

National

SC/ST Atrocities

4.5 per lakh

17.4 per lakh

Domestic Violence

5.0 per lakh

12.6 per lakh

Child Abuse (POCSO)

131.6 per lakh

89.0 per lakh

Cyber Crime

45.6 per lakh

55.7 per lakh

Climate Vulnerability

Indicator

State

National

Climate Vulnerability Index

0.54

0.56

District Rankings

Underweight Children

Highest

1. Karur

36.3%

2. Sivaganga

28.4%

3. Dindigul

28.4%

4. Tiruchirappalli

27.4%

5. Erode

26.9%

Lowest

1. Theni

18.8%

2. Coimbatore

18.5%

3. Cuddalore

18.0%

4. Namakkal

15.7%

5. Kanniyakumari

14.5%

Electricity Access

Highest

1. Thoothukudi

100.0%

2. Chennai

99.9%

3. Kanniyakumari

99.8%

4. Tiruvallur

99.8%

5. Kallakurichi

99.7%

Lowest

1. Dindigul

98.8%

2. Karur

98.7%

3. The Nilgiris

98.6%

4. Thiruvarur

98.6%

5. Ariyalur

98.2%

Small Business Density

Highest

1. Kancheepuram

114.2

2. Chennai

97.2

3. Coimbatore

89.9

4. Tiruppur

81.5

5. Chengalpattu

80.8

Lowest

1. Ranipet

42.4

2. Ramanathapuram

42.3

3. Tiruvannamalai

40.1

4. Perambalur

39.5

5. Mayiladuthurai

37.9

All Districts

38 of 38

DistrictPopulationLiteracy %Sex RatioDensity /km²
Chennai46,46,73281.3%98910,879
Salem34,82,05665.6%954661
Coimbatore34,58,04576.2%1000724
Madurai30,38,25274.8%990804
Tiruchirappalli27,22,29074.9%1013599
Cuddalore26,05,91469.7%987699
Tiruppur24,79,05271.0%989471
Tiruvannamalai24,64,87566.0%994398
Thanjavur24,05,89074.4%1035696
Erode22,51,74466.3%993388
Tiruvallur22,25,36871.4%992691
Dindigul21,59,77568.6%998351
Virudhunagar19,42,28872.0%1007448
Krishnagiri18,79,80963.2%958367
Kanniyakumari18,70,37482.8%10191,078
Viluppuram17,64,61567.1%993451
Thoothukudi17,50,17677.1%1023359
Namakkal17,26,60168.1%986501
Kallakurichi16,94,25859.8%980512
Tirunelveli16,92,29677.6%1028424
Chengalpattu16,35,99373.9%986616
Pudukkottai16,18,34568.6%1015342
Vellore15,12,56372.3%1016672
Dharmapuri15,06,84360.9%946334
Tenkasi13,84,93769.3%1017478
Ramanathapuram13,53,44572.3%983322
Sivaganga13,39,10171.7%1003310
Thiruvarur12,64,27774.9%1017548
Theni12,45,89969.8%991426
Tirupathur12,24,46767.6%995623
Ranipet11,99,30171.0%1007650
Kancheepuram11,56,68072.2%988680
Karur10,64,49368.3%1015362
Mayiladuthurai9,18,35674.9%1029773
Ariyalur7,54,89463.7%1015386
The Nilgiris7,35,39477.5%1042286
Nagapattinam6,98,09475.3%1021496
Perambalur5,65,22366.5%1003319

Explore Tamil Nadu on the Map

View all 38 districts with 65+ indicators on the interactive map

Launch Map →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the population of Tamil Nadu?

Tamil Nadu has a population of 6.9 Crore according to the Census 2011, making it India's 6th most populous state. The population is spread across 38 districts.

How many districts are in Tamil Nadu?

Tamil Nadu has 38 districts covering a total area of 1,31,454 sq km.

Which district in Tamil Nadu has the highest literacy rate?

Kanniyakumari has the highest literacy rate in Tamil Nadu at 82.8%, compared to the state average of 71.5%.

What is Tamil Nadu's sex ratio?

Tamil Nadu has a sex ratio of 997 females per 1,000 males, which is above the national average of 943.

Data Sources

Census 2011

NFHS-5 (2019–21)

NJDG (2024)

CVI (2021)

Ag Census 2015–16

Udyam/MSME (2026)

NCRB SLL (2022)

eRaktKosh (2024)

GOBARdhan (2026)

Town Amenities (2011)