City in Tamil Nadu

Coimbatore Population 2026

Q: What was the population of Coimbatore in Census 2011?

10,50,721 within city limits (Coimbatore (M Corp.)); the Coimbatore urban agglomeration had 21,36,916; the Coimbatore district had 34,60,059.

City, metro area and district compared

Metro area (UA) · 1 March 2026

≈ 24.7 lakh Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection 1 March 2026 How this is made →

24,70,000 2.47 million 1 March 2026

The Coimbatore metro area is estimated at ≈24.7 lakh on 1 March 2026, and the city within its municipal limits at ≈11.2 lakh. Census 2011 counted 21,36,916 in the urban agglomeration and 10,50,721 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

Coimbatore (municipal limits)

Census 2011: 10,50,721
2026 Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection How this is made →: ≈ 11.2 lakh

Metro area (UA)

Coimbatore urban agglomeration

Census 2011: 21,36,916
2026 Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection How this is made →: ≈ 24.7 lakh

District

Coimbatore district

Census 2011: 34,60,059
2026 Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection How this is made →: ≈ 37.8 lakh

Key figures

City 2026: ≈ 11.2 lakh 11,20,000 Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection How this is made →
City · Census 2011: 10.51 lakh 10,50,721 Census 2011 Final count, Census of India 2011 (ORGI) How this is made →
Metro area (UA) · 2011: 21.37 lakh 21,36,916
Metro area (UA) · 2026: ≈ 24.7 lakh 24,70,000 Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection How this is made →
Sex ratio: 997 Tamil Nadu: 996
Child sex ratio (0–6): 953 Tamil Nadu: 943
Literacy rate: 91.3% Male 94.5% · Female 88.2%
Households: 2.83 lakh 3.7 people per household
Area: 105.6km² Census 2011 (A-4)
Density: 9,950per km² 2011
Growth 2001–11: +12.9% City
Work participation: 40.5% 2011

Population over time

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

Metro area (UA)
City
Census
Estimate

25 L11 L 2026

› Show the numbers as a table

Year	Metro area (UA)	City
1951	2,87,334	2,31,554
1961	4,53,601	3,66,799
1971	7,36,203	5,65,293
1981	9,20,355	7,04,514
1991	11,00,746	8,16,321
2001	16,01,194	9,30,882
2011	21,36,916	10,50,721
2016 *	22,90,000	10,80,000
2021 *	23,90,000	11,00,000
2026 *	24,70,000	11,20,000
2031 *	25,00,000	11,20,000
2036 *	25,00,000	11,20,000

* Estimate

What the Coimbatore metro area includes

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

Coimbatore 10,50,721
Kurichi 1,23,667
Kuniyamuthur 95,924
Goundampalayam 83,908
Vadavalli 39,873
Kalapatti 39,586
Gudalur 38,859
Kaurmathampatti 35,062
Thudiyalur 33,924
Saravanampatti 32,920
Madukkarai 30,357
Sulur 27,909

What the numbers say

The Coimbatore metro area (urban agglomeration) had 21.37 lakh people in 2011, 2.0 times the 10.51 lakh inside city limits.
The city accounts for 30.4% of the population of the district it lies in.
Within comparable limits, the city grew 12.9% between 2001 and 2011.
Literacy in the city was 91.3% in 2011, against 80.1% for Tamil Nadu.
By 2011 population it ranks 16th among the 150+ cities on this site and 2nd in Tamil Nadu.
Our 2026 estimate for the metro area is ≈24.7 lakh, on 2011 boundaries; it is not an official figure.

Cities of similar size

Census 2027 status

Results pending

Phase I: houselisting

Done (1 August 2026 – 30 August 2026)
Phase II: counting people

February 2027 (reference date 1 March 2027)
Results

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

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

Frequently asked questions

What is the population of Coimbatore in 2026?

There is no official figure after Census 2011. Our estimate for 1 March 2026 is ≈11.2 lakh within the 2011 city limits and ≈24.7 lakh for the metro area (urban agglomeration). Both are labelled estimates (method M1).

What was the population of Coimbatore in Census 2011?

10,50,721 within city limits (Coimbatore (M Corp.)); the Coimbatore urban agglomeration had 21,36,916; the Coimbatore district had 34,60,059.

Why do sources give such different numbers for Coimbatore?

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 Coimbatore?

91.3% in Census 2011 (men 94.5%, women 88.2%). The sex ratio was 997 females per 1,000 males.

Sources and method

Data updated: 4 October 2026 · Report a correction