Salem
District in Tamil Nadu
Credit Growth (5-Year) in Salem: 112.6%, 16th highest of 32 districts in Tamil Nadu
MSME Density in Salem: 64.2 per 1,000 people, 9th highest of 38 districts in Tamil Nadu
Women Literacy in Salem: 81.6%, 21st highest of 32 districts in Tamil Nadu
Health Insurance in Salem: 63.1%, 21st highest of 38 districts in Tamil Nadu
Salem is a district in Tamil Nadu with a population of 34.8 Lakh (Census 2011) spread across 5,268 sq km. Its literacy rate of 72.9% is below the state average of 79.7% and below the national average of 72.9%. The district has a sex ratio of 954 females per 1,000 males, below the state average of 997.
Demographics
What changed in Salem, 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
Economy & Infrastructure
Governance
Safety & Crime
Climate Vulnerability
More Indicators
| Indicator | District | State Avg | National Avg | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Women 10+ Yr Schooling | 59.4% | 63.8% | 46.7% | National Family Health Survey (NFHS-6) (2023–24) |
| Male Tobacco Use | 14.2% | 17.8% | 37.0% | National Family Health Survey (NFHS-6) (2023–24) |
| Menstrual Hygiene | 100.0% | 97.6% | 81.2% | National Family Health Survey (NFHS-6) (2023–24) |
| Child Sex Ratio (0–6) | 916 | 944 | 926 | Census 2011 (2011) |
| Average Holding Size | 0.8 | 0.8 | 1.4 | Agricultural Census 2015-16 (2015–16) |
| Marginal Farmers (%) | 75.5% | 74.6% | 66.3% | Agricultural Census 2015-16 (2015–16) |
| MGNREGA Days per Household | 51.0 | 50.4 | 43.4 | Climate Vulnerability Index (2021) |
| Women's Court Cases | 15.0 | 12.0 | 9.2 | National Judicial Data Grid (2024) |
| Banking | 284 | 143 | 81.1 | Town Amenities Census 2011 (2011) |
| Explore all indicators for Salem on the live map → | ||||
More Districts in Tamil Nadu
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the population of Salem district?
Salem has a population of 34.8 Lakh according to the Census 2011, with a density of 661 people per sq km across 5,268 sq km.
What is the population of Salem in 2026?
There is no official count or district estimate after 2011. The latest figure is the Census 2011 count of 34.8 Lakh. Census 2027 enumeration takes place in February 2027, with results expected from 2028.
What is the literacy rate of Salem?
Salem has a literacy rate of 72.9% (Census 2011), which is below the Tamil Nadu average of 79.7% and below the national average of 72.9%.
How does Salem compare to Tamil Nadu?
Salem is the 2nd most populous of 38 districts in Tamil Nadu. Its sex ratio of 954 females per 1,000 males is below the state average of 997 (Census 2011).
How many children in Salem are stunted or underweight?
In Salem, 16.3% of children under 5 are stunted, 20.4% wasted and 27.6% 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 Salem have health insurance?
63.1% of households in Salem have at least one member covered by a health insurance or financing scheme (NFHS-6, 2023–24, provisional), down from 67.5% in 2019–21. The Tamil Nadu average is 61.9% and India's 58.1%.
What changed in Salem between NFHS-5 and NFHS-6?
Between NFHS-5 (2019–21) and NFHS-6 (2023–24), Salem improved most in pre-school attendance (39% to 73%), 4+ antenatal visits (85% to 98%), women internet use (48% to 60%), and got worse in child wasting (10% to 20%), child underweight (21% to 28%), women diabetes (18% to 24%). Changes under 5 percentage points are not counted.
What data sources are used for Salem?
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.