The Nilgiris
District in Tamil Nadu
Credit Growth (5-Year) in The Nilgiris: 71.5%, 7th lowest of 32 districts in Tamil Nadu
MSME Density in The Nilgiris: 50.8 per 1,000 people, 24th highest of 38 districts in Tamil Nadu
Women Literacy in The Nilgiris: 89.1%, 5th highest of 32 districts in Tamil Nadu
Health Insurance in The Nilgiris: 70.3%, 9th highest of 38 districts in Tamil Nadu
The Nilgiris is a district in Tamil Nadu with a population of 7.4 Lakh (Census 2011) spread across 2,567 sq km. Its literacy rate of 85.2% is above the state average of 79.7% and above the national average of 72.9%. The district has a sex ratio of 1,042 females per 1,000 males, above the state average of 997.
Demographics
What changed in The Nilgiris, 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 | 72.5% | 63.8% | 46.7% | National Family Health Survey (NFHS-6) (2023–24) |
| Male Tobacco Use | 20.9% | 17.8% | 37.0% | National Family Health Survey (NFHS-6) (2023–24) |
| Menstrual Hygiene | 95.9% | 97.6% | 81.2% | National Family Health Survey (NFHS-6) (2023–24) |
| Child Sex Ratio (0–6) | 985 | 944 | 926 | Census 2011 (2011) |
| Average Holding Size | 1.0 | 0.8 | 1.4 | Agricultural Census 2015-16 (2015–16) |
| Marginal Farmers (%) | 86.3% | 74.6% | 66.3% | Agricultural Census 2015-16 (2015–16) |
| MGNREGA Days per Household | 43.2 | 50.4 | 43.4 | Climate Vulnerability Index (2021) |
| Women's Court Cases | 8.5 | 12.0 | 9.2 | National Judicial Data Grid (2024) |
| Banking | 76 | 143 | 81.1 | Town Amenities Census 2011 (2011) |
| Explore all indicators for The Nilgiris on the live map → | ||||
More Districts in Tamil Nadu
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the population of The Nilgiris district?
The Nilgiris has a population of 7.4 Lakh according to the Census 2011, with a density of 286 people per sq km across 2,567 sq km.
What is the population of The Nilgiris in 2026?
There is no official count or district estimate after 2011. The latest figure is the Census 2011 count of 7.4 Lakh. Census 2027 enumeration takes place in February 2027, with results expected from 2028.
What is the literacy rate of The Nilgiris?
The Nilgiris has a literacy rate of 85.2% (Census 2011), which is above the Tamil Nadu average of 79.7% and above the national average of 72.9%.
How does The Nilgiris compare to Tamil Nadu?
The Nilgiris is the 36th most populous of 38 districts in Tamil Nadu. Its sex ratio of 1,042 females per 1,000 males is above the state average of 997 (Census 2011).
How many children in The Nilgiris are stunted or underweight?
In The Nilgiris, 27.6% of children under 5 are stunted, 14.0% wasted and 24.8% 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 The Nilgiris have health insurance?
70.3% of households in The Nilgiris have at least one member covered by a health insurance or financing scheme (NFHS-6, 2023–24, provisional), down from 74.5% in 2019–21. The Tamil Nadu average is 61.9% and India's 58.1%.
What changed in The Nilgiris between NFHS-5 and NFHS-6?
Between NFHS-5 (2019–21) and NFHS-6 (2023–24), The Nilgiris improved most in pre-school attendance (19% to 69%), women 10+ year schooling (63% to 73%), child overweight (9% to 3%), and got worse in women diabetes (14% to 24%), male diabetes (15% to 24%), women overweight or obese (40% to 47%). Changes under 5 percentage points are not counted.
What data sources are used for The Nilgiris?
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.