City in Tamil Nadu

Erode Population 2026

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

1,57,101 within city limits (Erode (M.Corp)); the Erode urban agglomeration had 5,21,891; the Erode district had 22,51,744.

City, metro area and district compared

Metro area (UA) · 1 March 2026

≈ 5.8 lakh Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection 1 March 2026 How this is made →

5,80,000 580,000 1 March 2026

The Erode metro area is estimated at ≈5.8 lakh on 1 March 2026, and the city within its municipal limits at ≈1.6 lakh. Census 2011 counted 5,21,891 in the urban agglomeration and 1,57,101 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

Erode (municipal limits)

Census 2011: 1,57,101
2026 Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection How this is made →: ≈ 1.6 lakh

Metro area (UA)

Erode urban agglomeration

Census 2011: 5,21,891
2026 Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection How this is made →: ≈ 5.8 lakh

District

Erode district

Census 2011: 22,51,744
2026 Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection How this is made →: ≈ 23.52 lakh

Key figures

City 2026: ≈ 1.6 lakh 1,60,000 Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection How this is made →
City · Census 2011: 1.57 lakh 1,57,101 Census 2011 Final count, Census of India 2011 (ORGI) How this is made →
Metro area (UA) · 2011: 5.22 lakh 5,21,891
Metro area (UA) · 2026: ≈ 5.8 lakh 5,80,000 Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection How this is made →
Sex ratio: 1008 Tamil Nadu: 996
Child sex ratio (0–6): 970 Tamil Nadu: 943
Literacy rate: 88.3% Male 93.0% · Female 83.6%
Households: 43.2 thousand 3.6 people per household
Area: 8.4km² Census 2011 (A-4)
Density: 18,614per km² 2011
Growth 2001–11: +4.4% City
Work participation: 42.1% 2011

Population over time

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

Metro area (UA)
City
Census
Estimate

5.9 L1.6 L 2026

› Show the numbers as a table

Year	Metro area (UA)	City
1951	69,709	57,576
1961	1,19,102	73,762
1971	1,79,388	1,05,111
1981	2,60,598	1,42,252
1991	3,37,885	1,59,232
2001	4,21,744	1,50,541
2011	5,21,891	1,57,101
2016 *	5,50,000	1,60,000
2021 *	5,70,000	1,60,000
2026 *	5,80,000	1,60,000
2031 *	5,90,000	1,60,000
2036 *	5,90,000	1,60,000

* Estimate

What the Erode metro area includes

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

Erode 1,57,101
Veerappanchatiram 84,453
Kasipalayam 73,425
Periyasemur 55,282
Surampatti 41,782
Bhavani 39,225
Suriyampalayam 28,585
Brahmana Periya Agraharam 24,798
Mettunasuvanpalayam CT 17,240

What the numbers say

The Erode metro area (urban agglomeration) had 5.22 lakh people in 2011, 3.3 times the 1.57 lakh inside city limits.
The city accounts for 7.0% of the population of the district it lies in.
Within comparable limits, the city grew 4.4% between 2001 and 2011.
Literacy in the city was 88.3% in 2011, against 80.1% for Tamil Nadu.
By 2011 population it ranks 99th among the 150+ cities on this site and 7th in Tamil Nadu.
Our 2026 estimate for the metro area is ≈5.8 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 Erode, they will appear on this page, at this address. Census 2027 explained →

Frequently asked questions

What is the population of Erode in 2026?

There is no official figure after Census 2011. Our estimate for 1 March 2026 is ≈1.6 lakh within the 2011 city limits and ≈5.8 lakh for the metro area (urban agglomeration). Both are labelled estimates (method M1).

What was the population of Erode in Census 2011?

1,57,101 within city limits (Erode (M.Corp)); the Erode urban agglomeration had 5,21,891; the Erode district had 22,51,744.

Why do sources give such different numbers for Erode?

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 Erode?

88.3% in Census 2011 (men 93.0%, women 83.6%). The sex ratio was 1008 females per 1,000 males.

Sources and method

Data updated: 4 October 2026 · Report a correction