Tamil Nadu Population & Demographics

Comprehensive census data showing population distribution and literacy rates for Tamil Nadu.

Total Population
7,21,47,030
Male
3,61,37,975
50.1%
Female
3,60,09,055
49.9%
Sex Ratio
996
per 1000 males
Literacy Rate
71.85%
Density
555
per km²

Administrative Details of Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu comprises 15,979 villages, of which 15,049 are inhabited and 930 are uninhabited. There are 1,097 urban towns in Tamil Nadu. The total number of households stands at 1,85,24,982, spread across 1,30,060 square kilometers.

Villages15,979(15,049 inhabited930 uninhabited)
Urban Towns1,097
Households1,85,24,982
Total Area1,30,060 km²

Tamil Nadu Urban & Rural Population

According to Census data, Tamil Nadu had 3,49,17,440 people in urban areas (48.4%) and 3,72,29,590 people in rural areas (51.6%).

Area TypePopulationPercentage
🌾 Rural3,72,29,59051.6%
🏙️ Urban3,49,17,44048.4%
Total7,21,47,030100%

Data from Census 2011. Bars show relative proportion.

Rural Population3,72,29,590
Urban Population3,49,17,440

Gender Distribution in Tamil Nadu

The total population of Tamil Nadu comprises 3,61,37,975 males (50.1%) and 3,60,09,055 females (49.9%). The sex ratio in Tamil Nadu is 996 females per 1000 males.

Male and Female Population — Urban & Rural

GenderRuralUrbanTotal
👨 Male1,86,79,0651,74,58,9103,61,37,975
👩 Female1,85,50,5251,74,58,5303,60,09,055

Blue bars represent male, pink bars represent female.

Male Population3,61,37,975
50.1% of total
Female Population3,60,09,055
49.9% of total

Literacy Rate in Tamil Nadu

The literacy rate in Tamil Nadu is 71.85% as per Census 2011. Male literacy stands at 77.59% while female literacy is 66.09%, indicating a gender gap of 11.50 percentage points. The total literate population is 5,18,37,507.

Literacy Statistics — Urban and Rural

CategoryRuralUrbanTotal
Literate (Male)1,36,65,8391,43,74,6522,80,40,491
Literate (Female)1,08,36,3561,29,60,6602,37,97,016
Total Literate2,45,02,1952,73,35,3125,18,37,507

Literacy rates by gender.

Male Literacy Rate77.59%
Female Literacy Rate66.09%

Tamil Nadu District-wise Population, Area, Sex Ratio & Literacy Data

Tamil Nadu has 32 districts ranked by Census 2011 population. Click any district name for detailed demographics.

#District Population Literacy % Sex Ratio Area (km²)
1Chennai46,46,73281.27%989175
2Kancheepuram39,98,25275.37%9864,483
3Vellore39,36,33170.47%10076,075
4Thiruvallur37,28,10474.88%9873,394
5Salem34,82,05665.64%9545,236.999
6Viluppuram34,58,87363.48%9877,194
7Coimbatore34,58,04576.23%10004,731.997
8Tirunelveli 30,77,23373.88%10236,693
9Madurai30,38,25274.83%9903,710.001
10Tiruchirappalli27,22,29074.9%10134,509

Click any column header to sort. Click again to reverse order.

Page 1 of 4 · 32 districts total

All States in India by Population

India's most populous states ranked by Census 2011 data. Tamil Nadu has a population of 7,21,47,030. Click any state to view detailed demographics.

Scroll to view all states. Bars show relative population size.

↕ Scroll
1. Uttar Pradesh19,98,12,341
2. Maharashtra11,23,74,333
3. Bihar10,40,99,452
4. West Bengal9,12,76,115
5. Andhra Pradesh8,45,80,777
6. Madhya Pradesh7,26,26,809
7. Tamil Nadu7,21,47,030
8. Rajasthan6,85,48,437
9. Karnataka6,10,95,297
10. Gujarat6,04,39,692
11. Odisha4,19,74,218
12. Kerala3,34,06,061
13. Jharkhand3,29,88,134
14. Assam3,12,05,576
15. Punjab2,77,43,338
16. Chhattisgarh2,55,45,198
17. Haryana2,53,51,462
18. Nct Of Delhi1,67,87,941
19. Jammu & Kashmir1,25,41,302
20. Uttarakhand1,00,86,292
21. Himachal Pradesh68,64,602
22. Tripura36,73,917
23. Meghalaya29,66,889
24. Manipur28,55,794
25. Nagaland19,78,502
26. Goa14,58,545
27. Arunachal Pradesh13,83,727
28. Puducherry12,47,953
29. Mizoram10,97,206
30. Chandigarh10,55,450
31. Sikkim6,10,577
32. Andaman & Nicobar Islands3,80,581
33. Dadra & Nagar Haveli3,43,709
34. Daman & Diu2,43,247
35. Lakshadweep64,473

List of Districts in Tamil Nadu

Complete list of all 32 districts in Tamil Nadu.

View All 32 Districts

Ariyalur

Pop: 7,54,894
Literacy: 63.67%

Chennai

Pop: 46,46,732
Literacy: 81.27%

Coimbatore

Pop: 34,58,045
Literacy: 76.23%

Cuddalore

Pop: 26,05,914
Literacy: 69.66%

Dharmapuri

Pop: 15,06,843
Literacy: 60.9%

Dindigul

Pop: 21,59,775
Literacy: 68.61%

Erode

Pop: 22,51,744
Literacy: 66.29%

Kancheepuram

Pop: 39,98,252
Literacy: 75.37%

Kanniyakumari

Pop: 18,70,374
Literacy: 82.8%

Karur

Pop: 10,64,493
Literacy: 68.3%

Krishnagiri

Pop: 18,79,809
Literacy: 63.2%

Madurai

Pop: 30,38,252
Literacy: 74.83%

Nagapattinam

Pop: 16,16,450
Literacy: 75.04%

Namakkal

Pop: 17,26,601
Literacy: 68.12%

Perambalur

Pop: 5,65,223
Literacy: 66.49%

Pudukkottai

Pop: 16,18,345
Literacy: 68.62%

Ramanathapuram

Pop: 13,53,445
Literacy: 72.33%

Salem

Pop: 34,82,056
Literacy: 65.64%

Sivaganga

Pop: 13,39,101
Literacy: 71.67%

Thanjavur

Pop: 24,05,890
Literacy: 74.44%

The Nilgiris

Pop: 7,35,394
Literacy: 77.46%

Theni

Pop: 12,45,899
Literacy: 69.84%

Thiruvallur

Pop: 37,28,104
Literacy: 74.88%

Thiruvarur

Pop: 12,64,277
Literacy: 74.86%

Thoothukkudi

Pop: 17,50,176
Literacy: 77.12%

Tiruchirappalli

Pop: 27,22,290
Literacy: 74.9%

Tirunelveli

Pop: 30,77,233
Literacy: 73.88%

Tiruppur

Pop: 24,79,052
Literacy: 71.02%

Tiruvannamalai

Pop: 24,64,875
Literacy: 66%

Vellore

Pop: 39,36,331
Literacy: 70.47%

Viluppuram

Pop: 34,58,873
Literacy: 63.48%

Virudhunagar

Pop: 19,42,288
Literacy: 72.02%

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the total population of Tamil Nadu?
According to Census 2011, Tamil Nadu has a total population of 7,21,47,030. This includes 3,72,29,590 people in rural areas and 3,49,17,440 people in urban areas.
What is the male and female population of Tamil Nadu?
Tamil Nadu has 3,61,37,975 males (50.1%) and 3,60,09,055 females (49.9%).
What is the sex ratio of Tamil Nadu?
The sex ratio of Tamil Nadu is 996 females per 1000 males. This means for every 1000 men, there are 996 women in the state.
What is the literacy rate in Tamil Nadu?
Tamil Nadu has an overall literacy rate of 71.85%. The male literacy rate is 77.59% and the female literacy rate is 66.09%. Total literate population is 5,18,37,507.
What is the total area of Tamil Nadu?
Tamil Nadu covers a total area of 1,30,060 square kilometers with a population density of 555 persons per square kilometer.
How many districts are in Tamil Nadu?
Tamil Nadu comprises 32 districts according to Census 2011.
What is the SC and ST population in Tamil Nadu?
Tamil Nadu has a Scheduled Caste (SC) population of 1,44,38,445 (20.01% of total) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) population of 7,94,697 (1.1% of total).

About Tamil Nadu Census 2011 Data

According to Census 2011, Tamil Nadu has a total population of 7,21,47,030 with a literacy rate of 71.85% and a sex ratio of 996 females per 1000 males.

Tamil Nadu comprises 32 districts. This page provides comprehensive census data for Tamil Nadu including district-wise demographics, population statistics, literacy rates, gender distribution, and social indicators for research and analysis purposes.

Data Source: Census of India 2011

All statistics based on official Census 2011 data for Tamil Nadu.