Dindigul

District in Tamil Nadu

PopulationCensus 2011, the latest complete count; Census 2027 results are expected from 2028
21.6 Lakh
State: 6.9 Crore
Area
6,145 km²
4.7% of state
Literacy RateCensus 2011: literates as a share of people aged 7 and above
76.3%
State: 79.7%
Sex RatioCensus 2011: females per 1,000 males
998
State: 997
DensityCensus 2011 population per km²
351 /km²
State: 534 /km²
Population RankBy Census 2011 population
12th of 38
In Tamil Nadu

Credit Growth (5-Year) in Dindigul: 104.4%, 20th highest of 32 districts in Tamil Nadu

MSME Density in Dindigul: 52.4 per 1,000 people, 21st highest of 38 districts in Tamil Nadu

Women Literacy in Dindigul: 78.2%, 3rd lowest of 32 districts in Tamil Nadu

Health Insurance in Dindigul: 58.4%, 28th highest of 38 districts in Tamil Nadu

60%85%110%140%200%+No data
RBI Bank Credit (BSR-1) · 2026
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5204080150+No data
Udyam Registration (MSME) · 2026
Open Dindigul on the map →
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
Open Dindigul on the map →

Dindigul is a district in Tamil Nadu with a population of 21.6 Lakh (Census 2011) spread across 6,145 sq km. Its literacy rate of 76.3% is below the state average of 79.7% and above the national average of 72.9%. The district has a sex ratio of 998 females per 1,000 males, above the state average of 997.


Demographics

IndicatorDistrictState AvgNational
Population Density351 /km²▼534 /km²366 /km²
Sex Ratio998▲997943
Literacy Rate76.3%▼79.7%72.9%
SC Population20.9%▲20.2%16.6%
ST Population0.4%▼1.1%8.7%
Worker Participation51.2%▲45.8%39.8%

What changed in Dindigul, 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
Female Work Gap9th lowest of 3820.8 pts▼27.0 pts27.9 pts

Economy & Infrastructure

IndicatorDistrictState AvgNational
MSME Density21st highest of 3852.4 per 1k pop▼61.7 per 1k pop39.8 per 1k pop
Total MSMEs14th highest of 381.1 Lakh—1.1 Lakh61.7k
Women Internet Use8th lowest of 3851.3%was 43.2%▼60.0%64.4%

Governance

IndicatorDistrictState AvgNational
Pending Cases17th highest of 372152 per lakh▼2436 per lakh4025 per lakh

Safety & Crime

IndicatorDistrictState AvgNational
Child Abuse (POCSO)28th highest of 375.4 per lakh▼7.0 per lakh5.3 per lakh
Cyber Crime (IT Act cases)18th highest of 331.9 per lakh▼2.2 per lakh2.7 per lakh

Climate Vulnerability

IndicatorDistrictState AvgNational
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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the population of Dindigul district?

Dindigul has a population of 21.6 Lakh according to the Census 2011, with a density of 351 people per sq km across 6,145 sq km.

What is the population of Dindigul in 2026?

There is no official count or district estimate after 2011. The latest figure is the Census 2011 count of 21.6 Lakh. Census 2027 enumeration takes place in February 2027, with results expected from 2028.

What is the literacy rate of Dindigul?

Dindigul has a literacy rate of 76.3% (Census 2011), which is below the Tamil Nadu average of 79.7% and above the national average of 72.9%.

How does Dindigul compare to Tamil Nadu?

Dindigul is the 12th most populous of 38 districts in Tamil Nadu. Its sex ratio of 998 females per 1,000 males is above the state average of 997 (Census 2011).

How many children in Dindigul are stunted or underweight?

In Dindigul, 19.6% of children under 5 are stunted, 18.5% wasted and 27.8% underweight (NFHS-6, 2023–24, provisional). Stunting compares with a Tamil Nadu average of 20.7% and an India average of 28.0%.

How many households in Dindigul have health insurance?

58.4% of households in Dindigul have at least one member covered by a health insurance or financing scheme (NFHS-6, 2023–24, provisional), down from 71.9% in 2019–21. The Tamil Nadu average is 61.9% and India's 58.1%.

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

Between NFHS-5 (2019–21) and NFHS-6 (2023–24), Dindigul improved most in pre-school attendance (62% to 72%), iodized salt (82% to 91%), women internet use (43% to 51%), and got worse in 4+ antenatal visits (96% to 77%), health insurance (72% to 58%), women overweight or obese (39% to 47%). Changes under 5 percentage points are not counted.

What data sources are used for Dindigul?

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.