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City in Tamil Nadu

Tirunelveli Population 2026

City, metro area and district compared

Metro area (UA) · 1 March 2026

≈ 5.3 lakh Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection 1 March 2026 How this is made →

5,30,000 530,000 1 March 2026

The Tirunelveli metro area is estimated at ≈5.3 lakh on 1 March 2026, and the city within its municipal limits at ≈5.1 lakh. Census 2011 counted 4,97,826 in the urban agglomeration and 4,73,637 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

Tirunelveli (municipal limits)

Census 2011
4,73,637
2026 Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection How this is made →
≈ 5.1 lakh

Metro area (UA)

Tirunelveli urban agglomeration

Census 2011
4,97,826
2026 Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection How this is made →
≈ 5.3 lakh

District

Tirunelveli district

Census 2011
16,36,438
2026 Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection How this is made →
≈ 17.34 lakh

Key figures

City 2026
≈ 5.1 lakh 5,10,000 Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection How this is made →
City · Census 2011
4.74 lakh 4,73,637 Census 2011 Final count, Census of India 2011 (ORGI) How this is made →
Metro area (UA) · 2011
4.98 lakh 4,97,826
Metro area (UA) · 2026
≈ 5.3 lakh 5,30,000 Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection How this is made →
Sex ratio
1027 Tamil Nadu: 996
Child sex ratio (0–6)
951 Tamil Nadu: 943
Literacy rate
90.4% Male 94.8% · Female 86.2%
Households
1.2 lakh 3.9 people per household
Area
108.7km² Census 2011 (A-4)
Density
4,359per km² 2011
Growth 2001–11
+15.0% City
Work participation
38.5% 2011

Where it ranks

Population over time

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

Tirunelveli: Population over time
  • Metro area (UA)
  • City
  • Census
  • Estimate
5.4 L 2026
› Show the numbers as a table
YearMetro area (UA)City
19511,60,9291,60,929
19611,90,0481,90,048
19712,60,9452,47,365
19813,16,4662,99,818
19913,59,0153,39,598
20014,33,3524,11,831
20114,97,8264,73,637
2016 *5,10,0004,90,000
2021 *5,30,0005,00,000
2026 *5,30,0005,10,000
2031 *5,40,0005,10,000
2036 *5,40,0005,10,000

* Estimate

What the Tirunelveli metro area includes

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

What the Tirunelveli metro area includes
  1. Tirunelveli 4,73,637
  2. Naranammalpuram 17,094
  3. Sankarnagar 7,095

What the numbers say

  • The Tirunelveli metro area (urban agglomeration) had 4.98 lakh people in 2011, 1.1 times the 4.74 lakh inside city limits.
  • The city accounts for 28.9% of the population of the district it lies in.
  • Within comparable limits, the city grew 15.0% between 2001 and 2011.
  • Literacy in the city was 90.4% in 2011, against 80.1% for Tamil Nadu.
  • There were 1027 females per 1,000 males, more than in the state (996).
  • By 2011 population it ranks 105th among the 150+ cities on this site and 8th in Tamil Nadu.
  • Our 2026 estimate for the metro area is ≈5.3 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 August 2026 – 30 August 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 Tirunelveli, they will appear on this page, at this address. Census 2027 explained →

Frequently asked questions

What is the population of Tirunelveli in 2026?
There is no official figure after Census 2011. Our estimate for 1 March 2026 is ≈5.1 lakh within the 2011 city limits and ≈5.3 lakh for the metro area (urban agglomeration). Both are labelled estimates (method M1).

What was the population of Tirunelveli in Census 2011?
4,73,637 within city limits (Tirunelveli (M Corp.)); the Tirunelveli urban agglomeration had 4,97,826; the Tirunelveli district had 16,36,438.

Why do sources give such different numbers for Tirunelveli?
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 Tirunelveli?
90.4% in Census 2011 (men 94.8%, women 86.2%). The sex ratio was 1027 females per 1,000 males.

Sources and method

Data updated: · Report a correction