Kanniyakumari

District in Tamil Nadu

PopulationCensus 2011, the latest complete count; Census 2027 results are expected from 2028
18.7 Lakh
State: 6.9 Crore
Area
1,736 km²
1.3% of state
Literacy RateCensus 2011: literates as a share of people aged 7 and above
91.7%
State: 79.7%
Sex RatioCensus 2011: females per 1,000 males
1,019
State: 997
DensityCensus 2011 population per km²
1,078 /km²
State: 534 /km²
Population RankBy Census 2011 population
15th of 38
In Tamil Nadu

Credit Growth (5-Year) in Kanniyakumari: 132.4%, 7th highest of 32 districts in Tamil Nadu

MSME Density in Kanniyakumari: 58.1 per 1,000 people, 16th highest of 38 districts in Tamil Nadu

Women Literacy in Kanniyakumari: 97.7%, highest of 32 districts in Tamil Nadu

Health Insurance in Kanniyakumari: 68.5%, 12th 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
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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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Kanniyakumari is a district in Tamil Nadu with a population of 18.7 Lakh (Census 2011) spread across 1,736 sq km. Its literacy rate of 91.7% is above the state average of 79.7% and above the national average of 72.9%. The district has a sex ratio of 1,019 females per 1,000 males, above the state average of 997.


Demographics

IndicatorDistrictState AvgNational
Population Density1,078 /km²▲534 /km²366 /km²
Sex Ratio1,019▲997943
Literacy Rate91.7%▲79.7%72.9%
SC Population4.0%▼20.2%16.6%
ST Population0.4%▼1.1%8.7%
Worker Participation36.3%▼45.8%39.8%

What changed in Kanniyakumari, 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 Marriage0.0%▼10.8%19.2%
Female Literacy GapLowest of 383.7 pts▼13.6 pts16.5 pts
Female Work GapHighest of 3840.2 pts▲27.0 pts27.9 pts

Economy & Infrastructure

IndicatorDistrictState AvgNational
MSME Density16th highest of 3858.1 per 1k pop▼61.7 per 1k pop39.8 per 1k pop
Total MSMEs16th highest of 381.1 Lakh—1.1 Lakh61.7k
Women Internet Use2nd highest of 3877.1%was 65.1%▲60.0%64.4%

Governance

IndicatorDistrictState AvgNational
Pending Cases12th highest of 372603 per lakh▲2436 per lakh4025 per lakh

Safety & Crime

IndicatorDistrictState AvgNational
Child Abuse (POCSO)27th highest of 375.5 per lakh▼7.0 per lakh5.3 per lakh
Cyber Crime (IT Act cases)0.0 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 Kanniyakumari district?

Kanniyakumari has a population of 18.7 Lakh according to the Census 2011, with a density of 1,078 people per sq km across 1,736 sq km.

What is the population of Kanniyakumari in 2026?

There is no official count or district estimate after 2011. The latest figure is the Census 2011 count of 18.7 Lakh. Census 2027 enumeration takes place in February 2027, with results expected from 2028.

What is the literacy rate of Kanniyakumari?

Kanniyakumari has a literacy rate of 91.7% (Census 2011), which is above the Tamil Nadu average of 79.7% and above the national average of 72.9%.

How does Kanniyakumari compare to Tamil Nadu?

Kanniyakumari is the 15th most populous of 38 districts in Tamil Nadu. Its sex ratio of 1,019 females per 1,000 males is above the state average of 997 (Census 2011).

How many children in Kanniyakumari are stunted or underweight?

In Kanniyakumari, 28.6% of children under 5 are stunted, 12.7% wasted and 16.7% 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 Kanniyakumari have health insurance?

68.5% of households in Kanniyakumari have at least one member covered by a health insurance or financing scheme (NFHS-6, 2023–24, provisional), up from 64.1% in 2019–21. The Tamil Nadu average is 61.9% and India's 58.1%.

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

Between NFHS-5 (2019–21) and NFHS-6 (2023–24), Kanniyakumari improved most in pre-school attendance (30% to 67%), 4+ antenatal visits (84% to 99%), women internet use (65% to 77%), and got worse in child stunting (17% to 29%), menstrual hygiene (99% to 89%), male diabetes (25% to 34%). Changes under 5 percentage points are not counted.

What data sources are used for Kanniyakumari?

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.