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District of Kerala

Kannur District Population 2026

Population · 1 March 2026

≈ 27.28 lakh Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection 1 March 2026 How this is made →

27,28,000 2.73 million 1 March 2026

Kannur district's population is estimated at ≈27.28 lakh (27,28,000) on 1 March 2026. This is our estimate, tied to the official Kerala projection; Census 2011, the last count, recorded 25,23,003.

Estimate: method M1, constrained to the RGI projection for Kerala. Census: ORGI.

Which number do you mean?

The district, the city and the metro area are three different areas. Pick the one you mean.

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

Population 2026
≈ 27.28 lakh 27,28,000 Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection How this is made →
Census 2011
25.23 lakh 25,23,003 Census 2011 Final count, Census of India 2011 (ORGI) How this is made →
Density
852per km² 2011
Sex ratio
1136 Kerala: 1084
Child sex ratio (0–6)
971 Kerala: 964
Literacy rate
95.1% Male 97.2% · Female 93.3%
Urban share
65.0% Kerala: 47.7%
Growth 2001–11
+4.7% Kerala: +4.9%
Area
2,961km² Census 2011
Households
5.54 lakh 4.6 people per household
Villages
56 Census 2011
Towns
67 Census 2011

Where it ranks

Population over time

Census counts on 2011 boundaries, then our estimate to 2036.

Kannur: Population over time
  • Census
  • Estimate
28 L 2026
› Show the numbers as a table
YearPopulation
19519,04,470
196111,77,948
197115,52,809
198119,30,726
199122,51,727
200124,08,956
201125,23,003
2016 *26,10,000
2021 *26,76,000
2026 *27,28,000
2031 *27,62,000
2036 *27,78,000

* Estimate

How Kannur's 2011 population was spread

Sub-districts (tehsils, talukas, mandals or blocks) as they were in Census 2011. “Part” means only some of it now lies in this district.

How Kannur's 2011 population was spread
#
1 Thalassery9,73,13138.6%113695.4%63.5%
2 Kannur7,84,98431.1%118095.9%95.0%
3 Taliparamba 7,64,88830.3%109193.9%36.3%

Largest towns in Kannur (Census 2011)

Largest towns in Kannur (Census 2011)
  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

How people in Kannur worked (Census 2011)

Cultivators

4.4%

Agricultural labourers

10.1%

Household industry

1.6%

Other work

83.9%

Share of all workers, main and marginal. Work participation: 32.7%.

Age structure of Kannur

Population in five-year age groups, Census 2011. Men on the left, women on the right. Census 2011 Census 2011, as published. How this is made →

Age structure of Kannur
MenWomen
  1. 80+
  2. 75-79
  3. 70-74
  4. 65-69
  5. 60-64
  6. 55-59
  7. 50-54
  8. 45-49
  9. 40-44
  10. 35-39
  11. 30-34
  12. 25-29
  13. 20-24
  14. 15-19
  15. 10-14
  16. 5-9
  17. 0-4
› Show the numbers as a table
AgeMenWomen
0-499,75597,074
5-996,28393,311
10-141,06,2261,01,762
15-1999,22696,274
20-2494,9831,04,680
25-2986,7041,10,899
30-3485,3031,09,958
35-3984,1381,10,247
40-4480,01199,525
45-4978,84093,962
50-5466,82375,604
55-5962,51666,900
60-6451,10757,029
65-6932,42440,814
70-7424,18131,618
75-7915,24823,047
80+14,74326,027
Children (0–14)
23.6%
Kerala 23.5%
Working age (15–59)
63.8%
Kerala 64.0%
Older people (60+)
12.6%
Kerala 12.6%
Median age
31.8years
Kerala 32.0
Dependency ratio
46.8
children and 65+ per 100 aged 15–64
Kerala 46.6

Languages spoken in Kannur

Share of people by mother tongue, grouped into languages as the Census does. 45 languages recorded. Census 2011 Census 2011, as published. How this is made →

Languages spoken in Kannur
  1. Malayalam 98.9%
  2. Tamil 0.3%
  3. Hindi 0.3%
  4. Kannada 0.1%
  5. Bengali 0.1%
  6. Konkani 0.1%
  7. Telugu 0.1%
  8. Odia 0.1%
  9. All other languages 0.1%

Largest mother tongues

  1. Malayalam98.9%
  2. Tamil0.3%
  3. Hindi0.2%
  4. Kannada0.1%
  5. Bengali0.1%
  6. Konkani0.1%
  7. Telugu0.1%
  8. Odia0.1%

Housing and amenities in Kannur

Share of households, Houselisting Census 2011. Census 2011 Census 2011, as published. How this is made →

Basic services

  • Electricity for lighting 94.1%

    Kerala 94.4%

  • Tap water 11.7%

    Kerala 29.3%

  • Water source within premises 81.1%

    Kerala 77.7%

  • Toilet within premises 97.6%

    Kerala 95.2%

  • Open defecation (no latrine) (Lower is better for this one.) 1.8%

    Kerala 3.8%

  • Bathing area within premises 91.5%

    Kerala 85.8%

  • Closed drainage 34.3%

    Kerala 25.3%

  • Cooking with LPG/PNG 21.2%

    Kerala 35.9%

  • Cooking with wood, crop waste or dung (Lower is better for this one.) 77.5%

    Kerala 62.8%

What households own

  • Mobile phone 81.2%

    Kerala 78.1%

  • Television 77.9%

    Kerala 76.8%

  • Scooter or motorcycle 14.1%

    Kerala 24.1%

  • Computer or laptop 15.4%

    Kerala 15.8%

  • Car, jeep or van 8.1%

    Kerala 10.2%

  • Use banking services 86.6%

    Kerala 74.3%

  • None of the listed assets (Lower is better for this one.) 3.4%

    Kerala 4.8%

The home itself

  • Own their home 93.4%

    Kerala 90.7%

  • Rent their home 5.3%

    Kerala 7.3%

  • Permanent (pucca) house 85.7%

    Kerala 83.6%

  • House in good condition 72.7%

    Kerala 66.3%

  • Concrete roof 52.4%

    Kerala 48.0%

  • Cement or tiled floor 81.4%

    Kerala 84.3%

  • One room or less (Lower is better for this one.) 5.3%

    Kerala 8.4%

Kerala

What the numbers say

  • Kannur district held 7.6% of Kerala's population in 2011, 8th of 14 districts.
  • Literacy is 95.1%, 1.1 points above the Kerala average of 94.0%.
  • The sex ratio of 1136 females per 1,000 males is higher than the state's 1084.
  • 65.0% of residents lived in towns in 2011, more urban than Kerala as a whole (47.7%).
  • Our 2026 estimate, ≈27.28 lakh, implies growth of about 8% since 2011; it is tied to the official Kerala projection.
  • Its largest town, Thalassery, had 92.6 thousand people in 2011, 3.7% of the district.

Compare with

All districts of Kerala →

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 →

Population by religion in Kannur (Census 2011)

Official figures as published by the Office of the Registrar General. Shown without commentary. Census 2011 Census 2011, as published. How this is made →

Population by religion in Kannur (Census 2011)
ReligionPersonsShareKerala
Hindu 15,09,592 59.8% 54.7%
Muslim 7,42,483 29.4% 26.6%
Christian 2,62,526 10.4% 18.4%
Sikh 424 0.0% 0.0%
Buddhist 1,118 0.0% 0.0%
Jain 193 0.0% 0.0%
Other religions and persuasions 722 0.0% 0.0%
Religion not stated 5,945 0.2% 0.3%
Total25,23,003100%

Frequently asked questions

What is the population of Kannur district in 2026?
Our estimate for 1 March 2026 is ≈27,28,000 (27.28 lakh). It is not an official figure: it applies Kannur's 2001–2011 trend, damped, to the official Kerala projection (method M1). Census 2011 counted 25,23,003.

What was the population of Kannur district in Census 2011?
25,23,003: 11,81,446 males and 13,41,557 females, of whom 16,40,986 lived in towns and 8,82,017 in villages.

What is the literacy rate and sex ratio of Kannur?
Literacy was 95.1% in 2011 (men 97.2%, women 93.3%). The sex ratio was 1136 females per 1,000 males, and 971 among children aged 0–6.

Which is the largest town in Kannur district?
Thalassery, with 92,558 people in Census 2011.

How many villages and towns are in Kannur district?
On today's boundaries the district contains 56 Census 2011 villages and 67 towns.

⤓ Download Kerala district data (CSV)

Sources and method

Data updated: · Report a correction