City in Kerala

Kozhikode Population 2026

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

4,31,560 within city limits (Kozhikode (M Corp.)); the Kozhikode urban agglomeration had 20,28,399; the Kozhikode district had 30,86,293.

City, metro area and district compared

Metro area (UA) · 1 March 2026

≈ 22.3 lakh Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection 1 March 2026 How this is made →

22,30,000 2.23 million 1 March 2026

The Kozhikode metro area is estimated at ≈22.3 lakh on 1 March 2026, and the city within its municipal limits at ≈4.7 lakh. Census 2011 counted 20,28,399 in the urban agglomeration and 4,31,560 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

Kozhikode (municipal limits)

Census 2011: 4,31,560
2026 Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection How this is made →: ≈ 4.7 lakh

Metro area (UA)

Kozhikode urban agglomeration

Census 2011: 20,28,399
2026 Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection How this is made →: ≈ 22.3 lakh

District

Kozhikode district

Census 2011: 30,86,293
2026 Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection How this is made →: ≈ 33.96 lakh

Key figures

City 2026: ≈ 4.7 lakh 4,70,000 Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection How this is made →
City · Census 2011: 4.32 lakh 4,31,560 Census 2011 Final count, Census of India 2011 (ORGI) How this is made →
Metro area (UA) · 2011: 20.28 lakh 20,28,399
Metro area (UA) · 2026: ≈ 22.3 lakh 22,30,000 Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection How this is made →
Sex ratio: 1093 Kerala: 1084
Child sex ratio (0–6): 965 Kerala: 964
Literacy rate: 96.5% Male 97.7% · Female 95.5%
Households: 94.9 thousand 4.6 people per household
Area: 84.3km² Census 2011 (A-4)
Density: 5,120per km² 2011
Work participation: 32.2% 2011
Children 0–6: 43.1 thousand 0–6 · 2011

Population over time

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

Metro area (UA)
City
Census
Estimate

23 L4.9 L 2026

› Show the numbers as a table

Year	Metro area (UA)	City
1951	2,28,152	1,58,724
1961	3,48,587	2,20,943
1971	5,34,742	3,33,979
1981	6,10,232	3,94,447
1991	9,45,802	4,19,831
2001	11,01,157	5,12,857
2011	20,28,399	4,31,560
2016 *	21,10,000	4,50,000
2021 *	21,80,000	4,60,000
2026 *	22,30,000	4,70,000
2031 *	22,70,000	4,80,000
2036 *	23,00,000	4,90,000

* Estimate

What the Kozhikode metro area includes

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

Kozhikode OG 5,50,440
Vadakara 75,295
Quilandy 71,873
Beypore CT 69,752
Cheruvannur CT 61,614
Kunnamangalam CT 47,396
Olavanna CT 43,895
Kakkodi CT 42,866
Chelannur CT 40,697
Nadapuram CT 40,230
Chorode CT 38,245
Ramanattukara CT 35,937

What the numbers say

The Kozhikode metro area (urban agglomeration) had 20.28 lakh people in 2011, 4.7 times the 4.32 lakh inside city limits.
The city accounts for 14.0% of the population of the district it lies in.
Literacy in the city was 96.5% in 2011, against 94.0% for Kerala.
By 2011 population it ranks 19th among the 150+ cities on this site and 2nd in Kerala.
Our 2026 estimate for the metro area is ≈22.3 lakh, on 2011 boundaries; it is not an official figure.

Cities of similar size

Census 2027 status

Results pending

Phase I: houselisting

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

Frequently asked questions

What is the population of Kozhikode in 2026?

There is no official figure after Census 2011. Our estimate for 1 March 2026 is ≈4.7 lakh within the 2011 city limits and ≈22.3 lakh for the metro area (urban agglomeration). Both are labelled estimates (method M1).

What was the population of Kozhikode in Census 2011?

4,31,560 within city limits (Kozhikode (M Corp.)); the Kozhikode urban agglomeration had 20,28,399; the Kozhikode district had 30,86,293.

Why do sources give such different numbers for Kozhikode?

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 Kozhikode?

96.5% in Census 2011 (men 97.7%, women 95.5%). The sex ratio was 1093 females per 1,000 males.

Sources and method

Data updated: 4 October 2026 · Report a correction