Districts of Tamil Nadu

The 2011 Census counted 32 districts in what is now Tamil Nadu, home to 7.21 crore people. Chennai was the largest, with 46.47 lakh; Kanniyakumari had the highest literacy rate at 91.8%.

Population, 2011

7.21 crore

32 districts

Literacy rate

80.1%

India 73.0%

Sex ratio

996

females per 1,000 males; India 943

Urban population

48.4%

India 31.1%

All districts of Tamil Nadu

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1	Chennai	46,46,732	90.2%	989	100.0%
2	Kancheepuram	39,98,252	84.5%	986	63.5%
3	Vellore	39,36,331	79.2%	1007	43.2%
4	Thiruvallur	37,28,104	84.0%	987	65.1%
5	Salem	34,82,056	72.9%	954	51.0%
6	Viluppuram	34,58,873	71.9%	987	15.0%
7	Coimbatore	34,58,045	84.0%	1000	75.7%
8	Tirunelveli	30,77,233	82.5%	1023	49.4%
9	Madurai	30,38,252	83.5%	990	60.8%
10	Tiruchirappalli	27,22,290	83.2%	1013	49.1%
11	Cuddalore	26,05,914	78.0%	987	34.0%
12	Tiruppur	24,79,052	78.7%	989	61.4%
13	Tiruvannamalai	24,64,875	74.2%	994	20.1%
14	Thanjavur	24,05,890	82.6%	1035	35.4%
15	Erode	22,51,744	72.6%	993	51.4%
16	Dindigul	21,59,775	76.3%	998	37.4%
17	Virudhunagar	19,42,288	80.2%	1007	50.5%
18	Krishnagiri	18,79,809	71.5%	958	22.8%
19	Kanniyakumari	18,70,374	91.8%	1019	82.3%
20	Thoothukkudi	17,50,176	86.2%	1023	50.1%
21	Namakkal	17,26,601	74.6%	986	40.3%
22	Pudukkottai	16,18,345	77.2%	1015	19.6%
23	Nagapattinam	16,16,450	83.6%	1025	22.6%
24	Dharmapuri	15,06,843	68.5%	946	17.3%
25	Ramanathapuram	13,53,445	80.7%	983	30.3%
26	Sivaganga	13,39,101	79.8%	1003	30.8%
27	Thiruvarur	12,64,277	82.9%	1017	20.4%
28	Theni	12,45,899	77.3%	991	53.8%
29	Karur	10,64,493	75.6%	1015	40.8%
30	Ariyalur	7,54,894	71.3%	1015	11.1%
31	The Nilgiris	7,35,394	85.2%	1042	59.2%
32	Perambalur	5,65,223	74.3%	1003	17.2%

Census 2011. Click a column to sort. Literacy is for people aged seven and over; sex ratio is females per 1,000 males.

Districts of all states · State-wise GDP · Population by state

Questions

How many districts were there in Tamil Nadu in the 2011 Census?

32. Districts created since 2011 are not shown separately here, because the Census reports figures for the districts as they were then.

Which is the most populous district of Tamil Nadu?

Chennai, with 46,46,732 people in 2011. The smallest was Perambalur, with 5,65,223.

Which district of Tamil Nadu has the highest literacy rate?

Kanniyakumari, at 91.75% in 2011. The lowest was Dharmapuri, at 68.54%.

Which district of Tamil Nadu has the best sex ratio?

The Nilgiris, with 1042 females per 1,000 males in 2011. The lowest was Dharmapuri, at 946.

Use this data

Download the figures on this page. If you use them, please credit India in Data and the original source.

Cite this

India in Data, "Districts of Tamil Nadu: Census 2011 population, literacy and sex ratio". https://indiaindata.online/districts/tamil-nadu. Original source: Census of India 2011, Primary Census Abstract (Office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner, India).

About these figures

All figures are from the 2011 Census, the most recent completed census of India, published in the Primary Census Abstract by the Office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner. The next census, Census 2027, will replace them.

Districts are shown as they were in 2011. Many states have created new districts since, so a district today may be smaller than the one shown here. Districts are grouped under today's states and union territories: the ten 2011 districts now in Telangana are under Telangana, Leh and Kargil are under Ladakh, and Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu are shown together. Districts renamed since 2011 carry their current name, with the Census name in brackets.

Literacy rate is the share of people aged seven and over who can read and write with understanding. Sex ratio is females per 1,000 males; child sex ratio is the same for children aged 0 to 6. Workers include main workers (six months or more of work in the year) and marginal workers (less than six months).