GlobeMetrics
EN

Try “Pune”, “Poona” or “पुणे”

City in Tamil Nadu

Chennai Population 2026

City, metro area and district compared

Metro area (UA) · 1 March 2026

≈ 98.4 lakh Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection 1 March 2026 How this is made →

98,40,000 9.84 million 1 March 2026

The Chennai metro area is estimated at ≈98.4 lakh on 1 March 2026, and the city within its municipal limits at ≈48.1 lakh. Census 2011 counted 86,53,521 in the urban agglomeration and 46,46,732 in the city.

Estimates: method M1 on 2011 boundaries, not official figures. Census: ORGI.

Which number do you mean?

Three areas share the name. Quoting the district figure as the “city population” is the most common mistake.

City

Chennai (municipal limits)

Census 2011
46,46,732
2026 Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection How this is made →
≈ 48.1 lakh

Metro area (UA)

Chennai urban agglomeration

Census 2011
86,53,521
2026 Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection How this is made →
≈ 98.4 lakh

District

Chennai district

Census 2011
61,97,479
2026 Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection How this is made →
≈ 65.44 lakh

Key figures

City 2026
≈ 48.1 lakh 48,10,000 Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection How this is made →
City · Census 2011
46.47 lakh 46,46,732 Census 2011 Final count, Census of India 2011 (ORGI) How this is made →
Metro area (UA) · 2011
86.54 lakh 86,53,521
Metro area (UA) · 2026
≈ 98.4 lakh 98,40,000 Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection How this is made →
Sex ratio
989 Tamil Nadu: 996
Child sex ratio (0–6)
950 Tamil Nadu: 943
Literacy rate
90.2% Male 93.7% · Female 86.6%
Households
11.55 lakh 4.0 people per household
Area
175.0km² Census 2011 (A-4)
Density
26,553per km² 2011
Growth 2001–11
+7.0% City
Work participation
39.1% 2011

Where it ranks

Population over time

Census counts within the limits of each year, then our estimates on 2011 boundaries.

Chennai: Population over time
  • Metro area (UA)
  • City
  • Census
  • Estimate
1 cr48 L 2026
› Show the numbers as a table
YearMetro area (UA)City
195115,42,33314,27,420
196119,44,50217,49,600
197131,55,94425,72,967
198142,73,32932,76,622
199154,16,90338,41,396
200166,86,14043,43,645
201186,53,52146,46,732
2016 *91,20,00047,20,000
2021 *95,10,00047,70,000
2026 *98,40,00048,10,000
2031 *1,01,00,00048,20,000
2036 *1,03,00,00048,20,000

* Estimate

What the Chennai metro area includes

Constituent units of the urban agglomeration, Census 2011. CT = census town; OG = outgrowth.

What the Chennai metro area includes
  1. Chennai 46,46,732
  2. Ambattur 4,66,205
  3. Avadi 3,45,996
  4. Tiruvottiyur 2,49,446
  5. Pallavaram OG 2,33,984
  6. Tambaram 1,74,787
  7. Alandur 1,64,430
  8. Madavaram 1,19,105
  9. Maduravoyal 86,195
  10. Maraimalainagar 81,872
  11. Oggiyamduraipakkam CT 76,600
  12. Pammal 75,870

What the numbers say

  • The Chennai metro area (urban agglomeration) had 86.54 lakh people in 2011, 1.9 times the 46.47 lakh inside city limits.
  • The city accounts for 75.0% of the population of the district it lies in.
  • Within comparable limits, the city grew 7.0% between 2001 and 2011.
  • Literacy in the city was 90.2% in 2011, against 80.1% for Tamil Nadu.
  • By 2011 population it ranks 4th among the 150+ cities on this site and 1st in Tamil Nadu.
  • Our 2026 estimate for the metro area is ≈98.4 lakh, on 2011 boundaries; it is not an official figure.

Note: Corporation limits expanded in 2011 after the census; 2011 figure is the pre-expansion area.

Cities of similar size

Census 2027 status

Results pending

  1. Phase I: houselisting

    Done (1 August 2026 – 30 August 2026)

  2. Phase II: counting people

    February 2027 (reference date 1 March 2027)

  3. Results

    Not yet released. In 2011, first figures came about a month after counting ended.

When the Registrar General publishes Census 2027 figures for Chennai, they will appear on this page, at this address. Census 2027 explained →

Frequently asked questions

What is the population of Chennai in 2026?
There is no official figure after Census 2011. Our estimate for 1 March 2026 is ≈48.1 lakh within the 2011 city limits and ≈98.4 lakh for the metro area (urban agglomeration). Both are labelled estimates (method M1).

What was the population of Chennai in Census 2011?
46,46,732 within city limits (Chennai (M Corp.)); the Chennai urban agglomeration had 86,53,521; the Chennai district had 61,97,479.

Why do sources give such different numbers for Chennai?
They measure different areas. The municipal body covers the city proper; the urban agglomeration adds the contiguous towns and outgrowths around it; the district adds rural areas too. Quoting the district figure as the "city population" is the most common mistake.

What is the literacy rate of Chennai?
90.2% in Census 2011 (men 93.7%, women 86.6%). The sex ratio was 989 females per 1,000 males.

Sources and method

Data updated: · Report a correction