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City in Kerala

Malappuram Population 2026

City, metro area and district compared

Metro area (UA) · 1 March 2026

≈ 19.5 lakh Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection 1 March 2026 How this is made →

19,50,000 1.95 million 1 March 2026

The Malappuram metro area is estimated at ≈19.5 lakh on 1 March 2026, and the city within its municipal limits at ≈88 thousand. Census 2011 counted 16,99,060 in the urban agglomeration and 68,127 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

Malappuram (municipal limits)

Census 2011
68,127
2026 Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection How this is made →
≈ 88 thousand

Metro area (UA)

Malappuram urban agglomeration

Census 2011
16,99,060
2026 Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection How this is made →
≈ 19.5 lakh

District

Malappuram district

Census 2011
41,12,920
2026 Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection How this is made →
≈ 47.22 lakh

Key figures

City 2026
≈ 88 thousand 88,000 Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection How this is made →
City · Census 2011
68.1 thousand 68,127 Census 2011 Final count, Census of India 2011 (ORGI) How this is made →
Metro area (UA) · 2011
16.99 lakh 16,99,060
Metro area (UA) · 2026
≈ 19.5 lakh 19,50,000 Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection How this is made →
Sex ratio
1066 Kerala: 1084
Child sex ratio (0–6)
957 Kerala: 964
Literacy rate
96.3% Male 97.6% · Female 95.2%
Households
13.3 thousand 5.1 people per household
Area
33.6km² Census 2011 (A-4)
Density
2,028per km² 2011
Growth 2001–11
+16.5% City
Work participation
25.0% 2011

Where it ranks

Population over time

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

Malappuram: Population over time
  • Metro area (UA)
  • City
  • Census
  • Estimate
21 L94k 2026
› Show the numbers as a table
YearMetro area (UA)City
195145,793–
196148,650–
19711,15,73132,002
19811,77,77439,786
19912,43,42749,692
20013,11,55858,491
201116,99,06068,127
2016 *17,90,00076,000
2021 *18,80,00083,000
2026 *19,50,00088,000
2031 *20,20,00092,000
2036 *20,70,00094,000

* Estimate

What the Malappuram metro area includes

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

What the Malappuram metro area includes
  1. Malappuram OG 1,01,386
  2. Manjeri 97,102
  3. Ponnani 90,491
  4. Tirurangadi CT 56,632
  5. Thennala CT 56,546
  6. Tirur 56,058
  7. Moonniyur CT 55,535
  8. Vengara CT 48,600
  9. Tanalur CT 47,976
  10. Pallikkal CT 46,962
  11. Kodur CT 45,459
  12. Kottakkal CT 44,382

What the numbers say

  • The Malappuram metro area (urban agglomeration) had 16.99 lakh people in 2011, 24.9 times the 68.1 thousand inside city limits.
  • The city accounts for 1.7% of the population of the district it lies in.
  • Within comparable limits, the city grew 16.5% between 2001 and 2011.
  • Literacy in the city was 96.3% in 2011, against 94.0% for Kerala.
  • There were 1066 females per 1,000 males, fewer than in the state (1084), typical of cities that draw male migrants for work.
  • By 2011 population it ranks 27th among the 150+ cities on this site and 4th in Kerala.
  • Our 2026 estimate for the metro area is ≈19.5 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 Malappuram, they will appear on this page, at this address. Census 2027 explained →

Frequently asked questions

What is the population of Malappuram in 2026?
There is no official figure after Census 2011. Our estimate for 1 March 2026 is ≈88 thousand within the 2011 city limits and ≈19.5 lakh for the metro area (urban agglomeration). Both are labelled estimates (method M1).

What was the population of Malappuram in Census 2011?
68,127 within city limits (Malappuram (M)); the Malappuram urban agglomeration had 16,99,060; the Malappuram district had 41,12,920.

Why do sources give such different numbers for Malappuram?
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 Malappuram?
96.3% in Census 2011 (men 97.6%, women 95.2%). The sex ratio was 1066 females per 1,000 males.

Sources and method

Data updated: · Report a correction