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District of Tamil Nadu

The Nilgiris District Population 2026

Population · 1 March 2026

≈ 6.88 lakh Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection 1 March 2026 How this is made →

6,88,000 688,000 1 March 2026

The Nilgiris district's population is estimated at ≈6.88 lakh (6,88,000) on 1 March 2026. This is our estimate, tied to the official Tamil Nadu projection; Census 2011, the last count, recorded 7,35,394 on the district’s present boundaries.

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

Which number do you mean?

District totals include villages. Here is how the 2011 population splits between towns and villages.

District

The Nilgiris district

Census 2011
7,35,394
2026 Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection How this is made →
≈ 6.88 lakh

Urban population

Towns (urban)

Census 2011
4,35,655

Rural

Villages (rural)

Census 2011
2,99,739

Key figures

Population 2026
≈ 6.88 lakh 6,88,000 Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection How this is made →
Census 2011
7.35 lakh 7,35,394 Reconstructed Census figures re-added on today’s boundaries How this is made →
Density
≈ 287per km² 2011
Sex ratio
1042 Tamil Nadu: 996
Child sex ratio (0–6)
985 Tamil Nadu: 943
Literacy rate
85.2% Male 91.7% · Female 79.0%
Urban share
59.2% Tamil Nadu: 48.4%
Growth 2001–11
−3.5% Tamil Nadu: +15.6%
Area
≈ 2,565km² approx., from 2011 sub-district areas
Households
1.98 lakh 3.7 people per household
Villages
42 Census 2011
Towns
18 Census 2011

Where it ranks

Population over time

Census figures re-added on today’s boundaries (parts of earlier districts apportioned by their 2011 population), then our estimate to 2036.

The Nilgiris: Population over time
  • Reconstructed
  • Estimate
6.3 L 2026
› Show the numbers as a table
YearPopulation
19917,10,214
20017,62,141
20117,35,394
2016 *7,27,000
2021 *7,10,000
2026 *6,88,000
2031 *6,62,000
2036 *6,31,000

* Estimate

How The Nilgiris'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 The Nilgiris's 2011 population was spread
#
1 Udhagamandalam1,91,96026.1%104982.5%55.6%
2 Coonoor1,57,74421.5%101488.3%82.8%
3 Panthalur1,25,93117.1%104386.7%35.4%
4 Kotagiri1,08,68414.8%106483.0%39.2%
5 Gudalur1,04,76814.2%103486.7%92.0%
6 Kundah46,3076.3%107383.5%31.9%
7 Mettupalayam(part)00.0%–––

Largest towns in The Nilgiris (Census 2011)

Largest towns in The Nilgiris (Census 2011)
  1. Udhagamandalam 88,430
  2. Gudalur 49,535
  3. Coonoor 45,494
  4. Nelliyalam 44,590
  5. Kotagiri 28,207
  6. Devarshola 24,954
  7. Kethi 23,229
  8. O' Valley 21,943
  9. Wellington Cantonment 19,462
  10. Jagathala 14,383

How people in The Nilgiris worked (Census 2011)

Cultivators

4.5%

Agricultural labourers

22.6%

Household industry

1.1%

Other work

71.8%

Share of all workers, main and marginal. Work participation: 47.6%.

Age structure of The Nilgiris

Population in five-year age groups, Census 2011. Men on the left, women on the right. Census 2011, approx. Census 2011 on today’s boundaries; approximate, because some 2011 units were split between districts and are apportioned by population. How this is made →

Age structure of The Nilgiris
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
0-423,52523,063
5-927,02026,657
10-1432,87332,540
15-1931,31130,104
20-2431,10931,049
25-2930,32332,942
30-3428,58131,245
35-3928,43832,726
40-4427,67228,805
45-4926,59327,391
50-5422,14722,149
55-5917,46117,742
60-6413,98514,936
65-698,4129,843
70-745,5236,590
75-792,5333,417
80+2,3353,731
Children (0–14)
22.5%
Tamil Nadu 23.6%
Working age (15–59)
67.7%
Tamil Nadu 66.0%
Older people (60+)
9.7%
Tamil Nadu 10.4%
Median age
31.2years
Tamil Nadu 29.8
Dependency ratio
39.5
children and 65+ per 100 aged 15–64
Tamil Nadu 43.2

Languages spoken in The Nilgiris

Share of people by mother tongue, grouped into languages as the Census does. 46 languages recorded. Census 2011, approx. Census 2011 on today’s boundaries; approximate, because some 2011 units were split between districts and are apportioned by population. How this is made →

Languages spoken in The Nilgiris
  1. Tamil 49.6%
  2. Kannada 24.4%
  3. Malayalam 17.9%
  4. Telugu 3.6%
  5. Urdu 1.6%
  6. Hindi 1.2%
  7. Others 0.6%
  8. Marathi 0.3%
  9. All other languages 0.8%

Largest mother tongues

  1. Tamil49.9%
  2. Badaga18.9%
  3. Malayalam13.1%
  4. Kannada7.0%
  5. Telugu4.0%
  6. Urdu1.7%
  7. Irula/Irular Mozhi1.2%
  8. Hindi1.0%

Housing and amenities in The Nilgiris

Share of households, Houselisting Census 2011. Reconstructed Census 2011, added up on today’s boundaries from village, town or sub-district records. How this is made →

Basic services

  • Electricity for lighting 90.7%

    Tamil Nadu 93.4%

  • Tap water 79.1%

    Tamil Nadu 79.8%

  • Water source within premises 21.8%

    Tamil Nadu 35.1%

  • Toilet within premises 52.1%

    Tamil Nadu 48.5%

  • Open defecation (no latrine) (Lower is better for this one.) 36.2%

    Tamil Nadu 45.5%

  • Bathing area within premises 77.3%

    Tamil Nadu 64.3%

  • Closed drainage 24.7%

    Tamil Nadu 25.6%

  • Cooking with LPG/PNG 43.8%

    Tamil Nadu 48.1%

  • Cooking with wood, crop waste or dung (Lower is better for this one.) 46.8%

    Tamil Nadu 44.1%

What households own

  • Mobile phone 70.8%

    Tamil Nadu 69.3%

  • Television 90.7%

    Tamil Nadu 87.0%

  • Scooter or motorcycle 7.9%

    Tamil Nadu 32.4%

  • Computer or laptop 9.1%

    Tamil Nadu 10.7%

  • Car, jeep or van 4.8%

    Tamil Nadu 4.3%

  • Use banking services 57.1%

    Tamil Nadu 52.6%

  • None of the listed assets (Lower is better for this one.) 3.6%

    Tamil Nadu 5.1%

The home itself

  • Own their home 65.5%

    Tamil Nadu 74.4%

  • Rent their home 22.7%

    Tamil Nadu 23.5%

  • Permanent (pucca) house 69.7%

    Tamil Nadu 70.8%

  • House in good condition 62.5%

    Tamil Nadu 70.2%

  • Concrete roof 22.9%

    Tamil Nadu 43.8%

  • Cement or tiled floor 77.5%

    Tamil Nadu 79.8%

  • One room or less (Lower is better for this one.) 23.0%

    Tamil Nadu 48.1%

Tamil Nadu

What the numbers say

  • The Nilgiris district held 1.0% of Tamil Nadu's population in 2011, 36th of 38 districts.
  • Literacy is 85.2%, 5.1 points above the Tamil Nadu average of 80.1%.
  • The sex ratio of 1042 females per 1,000 males is higher than the state's 996.
  • 59.2% of residents lived in towns in 2011, more urban than Tamil Nadu as a whole (48.4%).
  • The population grew -3.5% in 2001–11, slower than Tamil Nadu's 15.6% (on today’s boundaries).
  • Our 2026 estimate, ≈6.88 lakh, implies growth of about -6% since 2011; it is tied to the official Tamil Nadu projection.
  • Its largest town, Udhagamandalam, had 88.4 thousand people in 2011, 12.0% of the district.

How this district was formed

The Nilgiris covers land that was part of these districts in Census 2011:

  • The Nilgiris (2011) 100.0% of this district
    100.0% of the 2011 district

Compare with

All districts of Tamil Nadu →

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 The Nilgiris, they will appear on this page, at this address. Census 2027 explained →

Population by religion in The Nilgiris (Census 2011)

Official figures as published by the Office of the Registrar General. Shown without commentary. Reconstructed Census 2011 on today’s boundaries; approximate, because some 2011 units were split between districts and are apportioned by population. How this is made →

Population by religion in The Nilgiris (Census 2011)
ReligionPersonsShareTamil Nadu
Hindu ≈ 5,69,500 77.4% 87.6%
Muslim ≈ 78,500 10.7% 5.9%
Christian ≈ 84,600 11.5% 6.1%
Sikh ≈ 300 0.0% 0.0%
Buddhist ≈ 400 0.1% 0.0%
Jain ≈ 900 0.1% 0.1%
Other religions and persuasions ≈ 100 0.0% 0.0%
Religion not stated ≈ 1,100 0.2% 0.3%
Total7,35,394100%

Frequently asked questions

What is the population of The Nilgiris district in 2026?
Our estimate for 1 March 2026 is ≈6,88,000 (6.88 lakh). It is not an official figure: it applies The Nilgiris's 2001–2011 trend, damped, to the official Tamil Nadu projection (method M1). Census 2011 counted 7,35,394.

What was the population of The Nilgiris district in Census 2011?
7,35,394: 3,60,143 males and 3,75,251 females, of whom 4,35,655 lived in towns and 2,99,739 in villages. These figures are on the district’s current boundaries, rebuilt from Census 2011 village and town records.

What is the literacy rate and sex ratio of The Nilgiris?
Literacy was 85.2% in 2011 (men 91.7%, women 79.0%). The sex ratio was 1042 females per 1,000 males, and 985 among children aged 0–6.

Which is the largest town in The Nilgiris district?
Udhagamandalam, with 88,430 people in Census 2011.

How many villages and towns are in The Nilgiris district?
On today's boundaries the district contains 42 Census 2011 villages and 18 towns.

⤓ Download Tamil Nadu district data (CSV)

Sources and method

Data updated: · Report a correction