Theni
District in Tamil Nadu
Credit Growth (5-Year) in Theni: 125.4%, 10th highest of 32 districts in Tamil Nadu
MSME Density in Theni: 53.8 per 1,000 people, 20th highest of 38 districts in Tamil Nadu
Women Literacy in Theni: 85.7%, 10th highest of 32 districts in Tamil Nadu
Health Insurance in Theni: 55.3%, 8th lowest of 38 districts in Tamil Nadu
Theni is a district in Tamil Nadu with a population of 12.5 Lakh (Census 2011) spread across 2,923 sq km. Its literacy rate of 77.3% is below the state average of 79.7% and above the national average of 72.9%. The district has a sex ratio of 991 females per 1,000 males, below the state average of 997.
Demographics
What changed in Theni, 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 | 56.2% | 63.8% | 46.7% | National Family Health Survey (NFHS-6) (2023–24) |
| Male Tobacco Use | 22.2% | 17.8% | 37.0% | National Family Health Survey (NFHS-6) (2023–24) |
| Menstrual Hygiene | 94.9% | 97.6% | 81.2% | National Family Health Survey (NFHS-6) (2023–24) |
| Child Sex Ratio (0–6) | 934 | 944 | 926 | Census 2011 (2011) |
| Average Holding Size | 1.0 | 0.8 | 1.4 | Agricultural Census 2015-16 (2015–16) |
| Marginal Farmers (%) | 71.7% | 74.6% | 66.3% | Agricultural Census 2015-16 (2015–16) |
| MGNREGA Days per Household | 35.3 | 50.4 | 43.4 | Climate Vulnerability Index (2021) |
| Women's Court Cases | 12.6 | 12.0 | 9.2 | National Judicial Data Grid (2024) |
| Banking | 128 | 143 | 81.1 | Town Amenities Census 2011 (2011) |
| Explore all indicators for Theni on the live map → | ||||
More Districts in Tamil Nadu
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the population of Theni district?
Theni has a population of 12.5 Lakh according to the Census 2011, with a density of 426 people per sq km across 2,923 sq km.
What is the population of Theni in 2026?
There is no official count or district estimate after 2011. The latest figure is the Census 2011 count of 12.5 Lakh. Census 2027 enumeration takes place in February 2027, with results expected from 2028.
What is the literacy rate of Theni?
Theni has a literacy rate of 77.3% (Census 2011), which is below the Tamil Nadu average of 79.7% and above the national average of 72.9%.
How does Theni compare to Tamil Nadu?
Theni is the 29th most populous of 38 districts in Tamil Nadu. Its sex ratio of 991 females per 1,000 males is below the state average of 997 (Census 2011).
How many children in Theni are stunted or underweight?
In Theni, 21.0% of children under 5 are stunted, 20.7% wasted and 25.1% 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 Theni have health insurance?
55.3% of households in Theni have at least one member covered by a health insurance or financing scheme (NFHS-6, 2023–24, provisional), down from 67.4% in 2019–21. The Tamil Nadu average is 61.9% and India's 58.1%.
What changed in Theni between NFHS-5 and NFHS-6?
Between NFHS-5 (2019–21) and NFHS-6 (2023–24), Theni improved most in pre-school attendance (57% to 70%), iodized salt (77% to 83%), women owning a mobile phone (65% to 71%), and got worse in 4+ antenatal visits (99% to 57%), women with a bank account (97% to 82%), health insurance (67% to 55%). Changes under 5 percentage points are not counted.
What data sources are used for Theni?
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.