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City in Kerala

Kannur Population 2026

City, metro area and district compared

Metro area (UA) · 1 March 2026

≈ 17.7 lakh Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection 1 March 2026 How this is made →

17,70,000 1.77 million 1 March 2026

The Kannur metro area is estimated at ≈17.7 lakh on 1 March 2026, and the city within its municipal limits at ≈57 thousand. Census 2011 counted 16,40,986 in the urban agglomeration and 56,823 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

Kannur (municipal limits)

Census 2011
56,823
2026 Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection How this is made →
≈ 57 thousand

Metro area (UA)

Kannur urban agglomeration

Census 2011
16,40,986
2026 Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection How this is made →
≈ 17.7 lakh

District

Kannur district

Census 2011
25,23,003
2026 Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection How this is made →
≈ 27.28 lakh

Key figures

City 2026
≈ 57 thousand 57,000 Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection How this is made →
City · Census 2011
56.8 thousand 56,823 Census 2011 Final count, Census of India 2011 (ORGI) How this is made →
Metro area (UA) · 2011
16.41 lakh 16,40,986
Metro area (UA) · 2026
≈ 17.7 lakh 17,70,000 Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection How this is made →
Sex ratio
1161 Kerala: 1084
Child sex ratio (0–6)
961 Kerala: 964
Literacy rate
96.2% Male 97.4% · Female 95.2%
Households
11.4 thousand 5.0 people per household
Area
11.0km² Census 2011 (A-4)
Density
5,152per km² 2011
Growth 2001–11
−10.9% City
Work participation
27.0% 2011

Where it ranks

Population over time

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

Kannur: Population over time
  • Metro area (UA)
  • City
  • Census
  • Estimate
18 L57k 2026
› Show the numbers as a table
YearMetro area (UA)City
195182,47142,431
19612,11,19346,101
19712,10,97555,162
19816,12,65960,904
199111,45,47665,238
200112,12,89863,797
201116,40,98656,823
2016 *17,00,00057,000
2021 *17,40,00057,000
2026 *17,70,00057,000
2031 *18,00,00057,000
2036 *18,10,00057,000

* Estimate

What the Kannur metro area includes

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

What the Kannur metro area includes
  1. Thalassery 92,558
  2. Taliparamba 72,465
  3. Payyannur 72,111
  4. Kannur 56,823
  5. Mattannur 47,078
  6. Chirakkal CT 45,601
  7. Thottada CT 40,818
  8. Peringathur CT 40,292
  9. Madayi CT 35,888
  10. Puzhathi CT 35,212
  11. Pappinisseri CT 35,134
  12. Elayavoor CT 33,853

What the numbers say

  • The Kannur metro area (urban agglomeration) had 16.41 lakh people in 2011, 28.9 times the 56.8 thousand inside city limits.
  • The city accounts for 2.3% of the population of the district it lies in.
  • Within comparable limits, the city grew -10.9% between 2001 and 2011, one of the few large cities to shrink.
  • Literacy in the city was 96.2% in 2011, against 94.0% for Kerala.
  • There were 1161 females per 1,000 males, more than in the state (1084).
  • By 2011 population it ranks 29th among the 150+ cities on this site and 6th in Kerala.
  • Our 2026 estimate for the metro area is ≈17.7 lakh, on 2011 boundaries; it is not an official figure.

Cities of similar size

Census 2027 status

Results pending

  1. Phase I: houselisting

    Done (1 July 2026 – 30 July 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 Kannur, they will appear on this page, at this address. Census 2027 explained →

Frequently asked questions

What is the population of Kannur in 2026?
There is no official figure after Census 2011. Our estimate for 1 March 2026 is ≈57 thousand within the 2011 city limits and ≈17.7 lakh for the metro area (urban agglomeration). Both are labelled estimates (method M1).

What was the population of Kannur in Census 2011?
56,823 within city limits (Kannur (M)); the Kannur urban agglomeration had 16,40,986; the Kannur district had 25,23,003.

Why do sources give such different numbers for Kannur?
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 Kannur?
96.2% in Census 2011 (men 97.4%, women 95.2%). The sex ratio was 1161 females per 1,000 males.

Sources and method

Data updated: · Report a correction