Tenkasi

District in Tamil Nadu

PopulationCensus 2011, counted on today's district boundary: the district was split, merged or created after 2011
13.8 Lakh
State: 6.9 Crore
Area
2,898 km²
2.2% of state
Literacy RateCensus 2011: literates as a share of people aged 7 and above
77.4%
State: 79.7%
Sex RatioCensus 2011: females per 1,000 males
1,017
State: 997
DensityCensus 2011 population per km²
478 /km²
State: 534 /km²
Population RankBy Census 2011 population
25th of 38
In Tamil Nadu

MSME Density in Tenkasi: 70.6 per 1,000 people, 8th highest of 38 districts in Tamil Nadu

Health Insurance in Tenkasi: 64.8%, 17th highest of 38 districts in Tamil Nadu

5204080150+No data
Udyam Registration (MSME) · 2026
Open Tenkasi on the map →
5%20%40%60%85%+No data
National Family Health Survey (NFHS-6) · 2023–24
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Tenkasi is a district in Tamil Nadu with a population of 13.8 Lakh (Census 2011, counted on today's district boundary) spread across 2,898 sq km. Its literacy rate of 77.4% is below the state average of 79.7% and above the national average of 72.9%. The district has a sex ratio of 1,017 females per 1,000 males, above the state average of 997. Some values for this district are estimates: area-proportional, or copied from the district it was carved from.


Demographics

IndicatorDistrictState AvgNational
Population Density478 /km²▼534 /km²366 /km²
Sex Ratio1,017▲997943
Literacy Rate77.4%▼79.7%72.9%
SC Population20.2%—20.2%16.6%
ST Population0.3%▼1.1%8.7%
Worker Participation50.6%▲45.8%39.8%

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. No “was”: the district boundary changed after 2019–21.

Women & Gender

IndicatorDistrictState AvgNational
Female Literacy Gap5th highest of 3817.1 pts▲13.6 pts16.5 pts
Female Work Gap4th lowest of 3816.2 pts▼27.0 pts27.9 pts

Economy & Infrastructure

IndicatorDistrictState AvgNational
MSME Density8th highest of 3870.6 per 1k pop▲61.7 per 1k pop39.8 per 1k pop

Governance

IndicatorDistrictState AvgNational
Pending CasesHighest of 376345 per lakh▲2436 per lakh4025 per lakh

Safety & Crime

IndicatorDistrictState AvgNational
Child Abuse (POCSO)7th highest of 379.4 per lakh▲7.0 per lakh5.3 per lakh
Cyber Crime (IT Act cases)19th highest of 331.9 per lakh▼2.2 per lakh2.7 per lakh

Climate Vulnerability

IndicatorDistrictState AvgNational
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~ Values marked with ~ are area-proportional estimates or inherited from a parent district.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the population of Tenkasi district?

Tenkasi has a population of 13.8 Lakh according to the Census 2011, counted on the district's present boundary, with a density of 478 people per sq km across 2,898 sq km.

What is the population of Tenkasi in 2026?

There is no official count or district estimate after 2011. The latest figure is the Census 2011 count of 13.8 Lakh. Census 2027 enumeration takes place in February 2027, with results expected from 2028.

What is the literacy rate of Tenkasi?

Tenkasi has a literacy rate of 77.4% (Census 2011), which is below the Tamil Nadu average of 79.7% and above the national average of 72.9%.

How does Tenkasi compare to Tamil Nadu?

Tenkasi is the 25th most populous of 38 districts in Tamil Nadu. Its sex ratio of 1,017 females per 1,000 males is above the state average of 997 (Census 2011).

How many children in Tenkasi are stunted or underweight?

In Tenkasi, 22.4% of children under 5 are stunted, 12.6% wasted and 22.1% 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 Tenkasi have health insurance?

64.8% of households in Tenkasi have at least one member covered by a health insurance or financing scheme (NFHS-6, 2023–24, provisional). The Tamil Nadu average is 61.9% and India's 58.1%.

What data sources are used for Tenkasi?

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.