Districts of Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu has 38 districts, home to 8.1 Cr people across 1.3 Lakh km². Each district below opens its full profile — Census 2011 and NFHS-5 figures, and how it ranks against the rest of Tamil Nadu and against India.
- Districts
- 38
- Population
- 8.1 Cr
- WorldPop 2020
- #7 of 36 states
- Area
- 1.3 Lakh km²
- #11 of 36 states
- Density
- 623
- per km²
- #11 of 36 states
How Tamil Nadu's districts spread
Across Tamil Nadu's districts: the middle value, where the state ranks among all states (1 = highest median), and which district is highest and lowest. Medians rather than totals, since most of these are rates that cannot be added up.
Amenities & Infrastructure
| Indicator | Median | Rank | Highest | Lowest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clean Cooking Fuel2021 | 83.6% | 6 / 31 | Chennai97.7% | Pudukkottai42.0% |
| Drinking Water Access2021 | 98.7% | 8 / 31 | Nagapattinam100.0% | Ariyalur93.2% |
| Electricity Access2011 | 92.0% | 8 / 31 | Chennai99.1% | Tenkasi73.2% |
| Electricity Access2021 | 99.3% | 12 / 31 | Tuticorin100.0% | Ariyalur98.2% |
| Improved Sanitation2021 | 74.8% | 20 / 31 | Kanniyakumari96.2% | Kallakurichi53.8% |
| Primary & Community Health Centres2011 | 51.5 | 11 / 30 | Tiruvannamalai91 | Theni30 |
| Sub-Divisional & District Hospitals2011 | 9 | 1 / 23 | Thanjavur13 | Dharmapuri4 |
| Tap Water Access2011 | 78.5% | 6 / 31 | Theni94.0% | Mayiladuthurai51.6% |
Demography
| Indicator | Median | Rank | Highest | Lowest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Birth Registration, Under 52021 | 98.7% | 4 / 31 | Kallakurichi100.0% | Dharmapuri93.0% |
| Death Registration2021 | 93.3% | 6 / 31 | Kanniyakumari100.0% | Thanjavur82.6% |
| Population Under 152021 | 21.4% | 28 / 31 | Villupuram24.8% | Namakkal17.3% |
| Scheduled Caste Population2011 | 4.0 Lakh | 4 / 32 | Villupuram10 Lakh | Kanniyakumari74,249 |
| Scheduled Tribe Population2011 | 10,909 | 24 / 32 | Salem1.2 Lakh | Karur575 |
| Sex Ratio at Birth2021per 1,000 males | 883.5 | 26 / 31 | Namakkal1,130 | Vellore722 |
| Teenage Pregnancy, Age 15–192021 | 5.2% | 14 / 31 | Erode14.8% | Tuticorin0.9% |
| Women Married Before 182021 | 12.9% | 20 / 31 | Salem23.7% | Chennai1.9% |
| Workers2011 | 8.9 Lakh | 5 / 32 | Chennai18 Lakh | Perambalur3.0 Lakh |
Education
| Indicator | Median | Rank | Highest | Lowest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Females 6+ Who Ever Attended School2021 | 80.0% | 11 / 31 | Kanniyakumari92.9% | Dharmapuri72.6% |
| Literacy2011 | 14 Lakh | 6 / 32 | Chennai38 Lakh | Perambalur3.8 Lakh |
| Pre-Primary Attendance, Age 52021 | 22.9% | 9 / 31 | Coimbatore52.9% | Salem3.4% |
| Women with 10+ Years of Schooling2021 | 54.2% | 6 / 31 | Kanniyakumari77.1% | Kallakurichi45.7% |
| Women's Literacy2021 | 83.6% | 13 / 31 | Kanniyakumari97.7% | Ariyalur74.6% |
Health & Nutrition
| Indicator | Median | Rank | Highest | Lowest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adequate Diet, Children 6–23 Months2021 | 16.4% | 11 / 31 | Thiruvallur26.3% | Tiruvannamalai3.6% |
| Child Anaemia2021 | 58.6% | 22 / 31 | Tiruchirappalli82.3% | Coimbatore37.8% |
| Child Overweight2021 | 3.7% | 17 / 31 | Krishnagiri10.1% | Kallakurichi0.0% |
| Child Stunting2021 | 26.5% | 24 / 31 | Karur33.6% | Kanniyakumari17.3% |
| Child Underweight2021 | 21.6% | 21 / 31 | Karur36.3% | Kanniyakumari14.5% |
| Child Wasting2021 | 14.6% | 21 / 31 | Sivaganga22.8% | Coimbatore7.0% |
| Iodized Salt Use2021 | 93.3% | 28 / 31 | Coimbatore98.8% | Theni76.8% |
| Women Overweight or Obese, BMI ≥ 252021 | 39.0% | 4 / 31 | Kanniyakumari53.0% | Mayiladuthurai31.9% |
| Women Underweight, BMI < 18.52021 | 12.6% | 20 / 31 | Pudukkottai20.3% | Kanniyakumari5.9% |
| Women's Anaemia, 15–492021 | 55.3% | 18 / 31 | Perambalur66.1% | Theni41.2% |
Health Coverage
| Indicator | Median | Rank | Highest | Lowest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4+ Antenatal Care Visits2021 | 92.3% | 1 / 31 | Theni98.7% | Kanchipuram76.1% |
| Alcohol Consumption, Age 15+2021 | 13.1% | 15 / 31 | Kallakurichi19.3% | Kanniyakumari7.4% |
| Breast Cancer Screening, Women 30–492021 | 5.3% | 1 / 31 | Salem14.6% | Krishnagiri0.4% |
| Caesarean Delivery Rate2021 | 46.4% | 2 / 31 | Kanniyakumari68.3% | Tiruvannamalai27.7% |
| Cervical Cancer Screening, Women 30–492021 | 9.9% | 1 / 31 | The Nilgiris23.2% | Krishnagiri0.9% |
| Elevated Blood Pressure2021 | 26.9% | 9 / 31 | The Nilgiris33.6% | Virudhunagar21.5% |
| Full Immunization2021 | 90.8% | 4 / 30 | Tuticorin100.0% | Kanchipuram69.1% |
| Health Insurance Coverage2021 | 69.7% | 4 / 31 | Erode77.7% | Virudhunagar51.3% |
| Institutional Births2021 | 100.0% | 1 / 31 | Tenkasi100.0% | Dindigul97.0% |
| Menstrual Hygiene, Age 15–242021 | 98.3% | 3 / 31 | Chennai100.0% | Pudukkottai95.1% |
| Modern Contraceptive Use2021 | 65.2% | 6 / 31 | The Nilgiris74.7% | Perambalur58.9% |
| Oral Cancer Screening, Women 30–492021 | 0.7% | 5 / 31 | Thiruvallur3.9% | Namakkal0.0% |
| Out-of-Pocket Cost per Public-Facility Delivery2021Rs. | 3,281 | 14 / 31 | Coimbatore5,609 | Theni1,773 |
| Tobacco Use, Age 15+2021 | 13.1% | 28 / 31 | Erode18.7% | Chennai4.8% |
| Unmet Need for Family Planning2021 | 7.2% | 21 / 31 | Pudukkottai12.2% | Tiruppur4.6% |
| Very High Blood Sugar, >160 mg/dl2021 | 11.7% | 3 / 31 | Kanniyakumari16.5% | The Nilgiris6.2% |
Population & Density
| Indicator | Median | Rank | Highest | Lowest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population2011 | 19 Lakh | 7 / 32 | Chennai46 Lakh | Perambalur5.7 Lakh |
| Population2020 | 20 Lakh | 7 / 32 | Chennai57 Lakh | Perambalur5.9 Lakh |
| Population Density2011/km² | 533 | 10 / 32 | Chennai13,650 | The Nilgiris303 |
| Population Density2020/km² | 532 | 9 / 32 | Chennai16,686 | The Nilgiris287 |
Railway
| Indicator | Median | Rank | Highest | Lowest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Distance to Nearest Railway Stationkm | 5.529 | 27 / 32 | Erode34.922 | Chennai0.875 |
| Railway Line Densitykm per 100 km² | 3.383 | 9 / 32 | Chennai21.305 | Perambalur0.479 |
| Railway Line Kilometreskm | 95.264 | 11 / 32 | Salem266.541 | Perambalur8.465 |
| Railway Line Km per Million Peoplekm per million | 52.465 | 12 / 32 | Thiruvarur108.332 | Kanchipuram11.62 |
| Railway Station Densityper 1,000 km² | 4.698 | 6 / 32 | Chennai129.866 | Perambalur0.566 |
| Railway Stations | 12.5 | 11 / 32 | Chennai44 | Perambalur1 |
| Railway Stations per Million Peopleper million | 7.216 | 12 / 32 | Thiruvarur16.61 | Perambalur1.769 |
| Railway Under Constructionkm | 0 | 7 / 32 | Virudhunagar45.98 | Tiruvannamalai0 |
Roads
| Indicator | Median | Rank | Highest | Lowest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Four-Lane Highway Share | 59.3% | 13 / 26 | Tirupathur100.0% | Tenkasi1.9% |
| Four-Lane-or-Wider Highway Lengthkm | 90.401 | 4 / 32 | Dindigul231.658 | Nagapattinam1.086 |
| Highway Length With a Recorded Lane Countkm | 156.209 | 3 / 32 | Dindigul320.991 | Chennai3.397 |
| National Highway Densitykm per 100 km² | 5.059 | 16 / 32 | Cuddalore8 | Chennai1.579 |
| National Highway Lengthkm | 156.209 | 11 / 32 | Dindigul321.715 | Chennai5.35 |
| National Highway Under Construction or Proposedkm | 0 | 3 / 32 | Tiruvannamalai242.003 | Erode0 |
All districts
| District | Population 2020 | Area | Literacy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ariyalur | 7.7 Lakh | 1,923 km² | 63.7% |
| Chengalpattu | 35 Lakh | 2,751 km² | 75.3% |
| Chennai | 57 Lakh | 339 km² | 81.3% |
| Coimbatore | 44 Lakh | 4,729 km² | 76.2% |
| Cuddalore | 30 Lakh | 3,735 km² | 69.7% |
| Dharmapuri | 17 Lakh | 4,514 km² | 60.9% |
| Dindigul | 24 Lakh | 6,050 km² | 68.6% |
| Erode | 24 Lakh | 5,090 km² | 66.3% |
| Kallakurichi | 16 Lakh | 3,502 km² | 63.5% |
| Kanchipuram | 30 Lakh | 1,754 km² | 75.4% |
| Kanniyakumari | 21 Lakh | 1,686 km² | 82.8% |
| Karur | 13 Lakh | 2,921 km² | 68.3% |
| Krishnagiri | 21 Lakh | 5,121 km² | 63.2% |
| Madurai | 32 Lakh | 3,694 km² | 74.8% |
| Mayiladuthurai | 10.0 Lakh | 1,174 km² | 75.0% |
| Nagapattinam | 6.6 Lakh | 1,400 km² | 75.0% |
| Namakkal | 20 Lakh | 3,424 km² | 68.1% |
| Perambalur | 5.9 Lakh | 1,767 km² | 66.5% |
| Pudukkottai | 18 Lakh | 4,625 km² | 68.6% |
| Ramanathapuram | 15 Lakh | 4,161 km² | 72.3% |
| Ranipet | 13 Lakh | 1,851 km² | 70.5% |
| Salem | 37 Lakh | 5,993 km² | 65.6% |
| Sivaganga | 15 Lakh | 4,233 km² | 71.7% |
| Tenkasi | 15 Lakh | 2,807 km² | 74.0% |
| Thanjavur | 25 Lakh | 3,435 km² | 74.4% |
| The Nilgiris | 7.0 Lakh | 2,431 km² | 77.5% |
| Theni | 13 Lakh | 2,865 km² | 69.8% |
| Thiruvallur | 26 Lakh | 3,213 km² | 74.9% |
| Thiruvarur | 15 Lakh | 2,259 km² | 74.9% |
| Tiruchirappalli | 29 Lakh | 4,479 km² | 74.9% |
| Tirunelveli | 19 Lakh | 3,883 km² | 73.9% |
| Tirupathur | 14 Lakh | 2,102 km² | 70.4% |
| Tiruppur | 27 Lakh | 5,188 km² | 71.0% |
| Tiruvannamalai | 29 Lakh | 6,187 km² | 66.0% |
| Tuticorin | 18 Lakh | 4,764 km² | 77.1% |
| Vellore | 17 Lakh | 2,132 km² | 70.5% |
| Villupuram | 24 Lakh | 3,703 km² | 63.5% |
| Virudhunagar | 21 Lakh | 4,234 km² | 72.0% |
6 of Tamil Nadu's districts were created after the 2011 Census and have no census row of their own. Their literacy figure is their predecessor's; their census head counts are withheld rather than estimated, on their own pages and in the state totals above, which is why population here is WorldPop's 2020 measurement rather than a census sum. Methodology
Compare Tamil Nadu's districts on a map, add layers and run a scatter — open the atlas, or browse every district in India or all states.