Tamil Nadu
District-Level Data & Statistics
- PopulationCensus 2011, the latest complete count; Census 2027 results are expected from 2028
- 6.9 Crore
- 5.8% of India
- Projected 2026: 7.8 CroreOfficial projection for 1 March 2026, not a count: Technical Group on Population Projections, National Commission on Population, MoHFW (2020)
- Districts
- 38
- Avg 18.3 Lakh each
- AreaDensity uses the Census 2011 population
- 1,30,058 km²
- 534 people /km²
- Literacy RateCensus 2011: literates as a share of people aged 7 and above
- 79.7%
- India: 72.9%
- Sex RatioCensus 2011: females per 1,000 males
- 997
- India: 943
- RankBy Census 2011 population
- 6th
- of 36 by population
Tamil Nadu is India's 6th most populous state with a population of 6.9 Crore (Census 2011) spread across 38 districts covering 1,30,058 sq km. The state's literacy rate stands at 79.7%, above the national average of 72.9%. With a sex ratio of 997 females per 1,000 males, it is above the national figure of 943.
Credit Growth (5-Year) in Tamil Nadu · district average 97.0%, 24th of 36 states
All 32 on the map →MSME Density in Tamil Nadu · population-weighted average 61.7 per 1,000 people, 4th of 36 states
Women Literacy in Tamil Nadu · population-weighted average 84.4%, 12th of 36 states
All 32 on the map →Health Insurance in Tamil Nadu · population-weighted average 61.9%, 17th of 34 states
All 38 on the map →Demographics
What changed in Tamil Nadu, 2019–21 to 2023–24
Got worse
Male Diabetes22% → 27%NFHS-5 → NFHS-6, changes of 5 points or more. Same districts in both rounds.
Health & Development
NFHS-6 (2023–24, provisional)
State and National are population-weighted averages of districts, not official NFHS figures.
Women & Gender
Economy & Infrastructure
Governance
Safety & Crime
Climate Vulnerability
Tamil Nadu districts ranked
Population (Census 2011)
- 1Chennai 46.5 Lakh
- 2Salem 34.8 Lakh
- 3Coimbatore 34.6 Lakh
- 4Madurai 30.4 Lakh
- 5Tiruchirappalli 27.2 Lakh
- 1Perambalur 5.7 Lakh
- 2Nagapattinam 7 Lakh
- 3The Nilgiris 7.4 Lakh
- 4Ariyalur 7.5 Lakh
- 5Mayiladuthurai 9.2 Lakh
Population Density (per km²)
- 1Chennai 10,879
- 2Kanniyakumari 1,078
- 3Madurai 804
- 4Mayiladuthurai 773
- 5Coimbatore 724
- 1The Nilgiris 286
- 2Sivaganga 310
- 3Perambalur 319
- 4Ramanathapuram 322
- 5Dharmapuri 334
Literacy Rate
- 1Kanniyakumari 91.7%
- 2Chennai 90.2%
- 3Tirunelveli 86.7%
- 4Thoothukudi 86.2%
- 5The Nilgiris 85.2%
- 1Kallakurichi 68.2%
- 2Dharmapuri 68.5%
- 3Ariyalur 71.3%
- 4Krishnagiri 71.5%
- 5Erode 72.6%
Sex Ratio (females per 1,000 males)
- 1The Nilgiris 1,042
- 2Thanjavur 1,035
- 3Mayiladuthurai 1,029
- 4Tirunelveli 1,028
- 5Thoothukudi 1,023
- 1Dharmapuri 946
- 2Salem 954
- 3Krishnagiri 958
- 4Kallakurichi 980
- 5Ramanathapuram 983
Underweight Children
- 1Kallakurichi 31.1%
- 2Madurai 30.8%
- 3Nagapattinam 29.4%
- 4Mayiladuthurai 28.2%
- 5Dindigul 27.8%
- 1Namakkal 15.6%
- 2Kanniyakumari 16.7%
- 3Tiruppur 16.8%
- 4Tirupathur 16.9%
- 5Chengalpattu 17.9%
Electricity Access
- 1Thoothukudi 100.0%
- 2Virudhunagar 99.9%
- 3Viluppuram 99.9%
- 4Tiruvallur 99.9%
- 5Chennai 99.8%
- 1The Nilgiris 97.0%
- 2Dindigul 98.2%
- 3Thanjavur 98.2%
- 4Ariyalur 98.4%
- 5Cuddalore 98.6%
Small Business Density
- 1Kancheepuram 114.2
- 2Chennai 97.2
- 3Coimbatore 89.9
- 4Tiruppur 81.5
- 5Chengalpattu 80.8
- 1Mayiladuthurai 37.9
- 2Perambalur 39.5
- 3Tiruvannamalai 40.1
- 4Ramanathapuram 42.3
- 5Ranipet 42.4
All Districts
38 districts| District | Population (2011) | Literacy % | Sex Ratio | Density /km² |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chennai | 46,46,732 | 90.2% | 989 | 10,879 |
| Salem | 34,82,056 | 72.9% | 954 | 661 |
| Coimbatore | 34,58,045 | 84.0% | 1,000 | 724 |
| Madurai | 30,38,252 | 83.5% | 990 | 804 |
| Tiruchirappalli | 27,22,290 | 83.2% | 1,013 | 599 |
| Cuddalore | 26,05,914 | 78.0% | 987 | 699 |
| Tiruppur | 24,79,052 | 78.7% | 989 | 471 |
| Tiruvannamalai | 24,64,875 | 74.2% | 994 | 398 |
| Thanjavur | 24,05,890 | 82.6% | 1,035 | 696 |
| Erode | 22,51,744 | 72.6% | 993 | 388 |
| Tiruvallur | 22,25,368 | 80.0% | 992 | 691 |
| Dindigul | 21,59,775 | 76.3% | 998 | 351 |
| Virudhunagar | 19,42,288 | 80.2% | 1,007 | 448 |
| Krishnagiri | 18,79,809 | 71.5% | 958 | 367 |
| Kanniyakumari | 18,70,374 | 91.7% | 1,019 | 1,078 |
| Viluppuram | 17,64,615 | 75.4% | 993 | 451 |
| Thoothukudi | 17,50,176 | 86.2% | 1,023 | 359 |
| Namakkal | 17,26,601 | 74.6% | 986 | 501 |
| Kallakurichi | 16,94,258 | 68.2% | 980 | 512 |
| Tirunelveli | 16,92,296 | 86.7% | 1,028 | 424 |
| Chengalpattu | 16,35,993 | 82.6% | 986 | 616 |
| Pudukkottai | 16,18,345 | 77.2% | 1,015 | 342 |
| Vellore | 15,12,563 | 80.9% | 1,016 | 672 |
| Dharmapuri | 15,06,843 | 68.5% | 946 | 334 |
| Tenkasi | 13,84,937 | 77.4% | 1,017 | 478 |
| Ramanathapuram | 13,53,445 | 80.7% | 983 | 322 |
| Sivaganga | 13,39,101 | 79.9% | 1,003 | 310 |
| Thiruvarur | 12,64,277 | 82.9% | 1,017 | 548 |
| Theni | 12,45,899 | 77.3% | 991 | 426 |
| Tirupathur | 12,24,467 | 76.6% | 995 | 623 |
| Ranipet | 11,99,301 | 79.6% | 1,007 | 650 |
| Kancheepuram | 11,56,680 | 81.0% | 988 | 680 |
| Karur | 10,64,493 | 75.6% | 1,015 | 362 |
| Mayiladuthurai | 9,18,356 | 83.4% | 1,029 | 773 |
| Ariyalur | 7,54,894 | 71.3% | 1,015 | 386 |
| The Nilgiris | 7,35,394 | 85.2% | 1,042 | 286 |
| Nagapattinam | 6,98,094 | 83.9% | 1,021 | 496 |
| Perambalur | 5,65,223 | 74.3% | 1,003 | 319 |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the population of Tamil Nadu in crore?
Tamil Nadu has a population of 6.9 Crore (6,94,38,715) according to the Census 2011, making it India's 6th most populous state, across 38 districts.
What is the total area of Tamil Nadu in sq km?
Tamil Nadu covers a total area of 1,30,058 sq km, divided into 38 districts.
What is the literacy rate of Tamil Nadu?
Tamil Nadu's literacy rate is 79.7% (Census 2011), above the national average of 72.9%. Kanniyakumari has the highest literacy rate (91.7%) and Kallakurichi the lowest (68.2%). Female literacy is lowest in Kallakurichi (58.9%).
What is the population density of Tamil Nadu?
Tamil Nadu has 534 people per sq km, against a national average of 366. Chennai has the highest population density and The Nilgiris the lowest.
What is the sex ratio of Tamil Nadu?
Tamil Nadu has a sex ratio of 997 females per 1,000 males, above the national average of 943. The Nilgiris has the highest sex ratio (1,042) and Dharmapuri the lowest (946).
Which district of Tamil Nadu has the highest and lowest population?
Chennai has the highest population in Tamil Nadu (46.5 Lakh) and Perambalur the lowest (5.7 Lakh), per the Census 2011.
Which is the largest district of Tamil Nadu by area?
Tiruvannamalai is the largest district of Tamil Nadu by area, and Chennai the smallest.
How many children in Tamil Nadu are stunted or underweight?
In Tamil Nadu, 20.7% of children under 5 are stunted, 17.5% wasted and 23.2% underweight (NFHS-6, 2023–24, provisional). Stunting compares with an India average of 28.0%.
How many households in Tamil Nadu have health insurance?
61.9% of households in Tamil Nadu have at least one member covered by a health insurance or financing scheme (NFHS-6, 2023–24, provisional). The India average is 58.1%.
What changed in Tamil Nadu between NFHS-5 and NFHS-6?
Between NFHS-5 (2019–21) and NFHS-6 (2023–24), Tamil Nadu improved most in pre-school attendance (43% to 67%), women internet use (47% to 59%), women 10+ year schooling (57% to 64%), and got worse in male diabetes (22% to 27%). Changes under 5 percentage points are not counted.
Is there newer population data for Tamil Nadu than the Census 2011?
Not yet. The Census 2011 is the latest complete count. Census 2027 is under way: the population count uses a reference date of 1 March 2027, with provisional results expected by late 2028. Until then, the official projection for Tamil Nadu on 1 March 2026 is 7.8 Crore (Technical Group on Population Projections, National Commission on Population, MoHFW, 2020); it is a projection, not a count. Census 2027 timeline
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.