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District of Tamil Nadu

Tirunelveli District Population 2026

Population · 1 March 2026

≈ 17.34 lakh Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection 1 March 2026 How this is made →

17,34,000 1.73 million 1 March 2026

Tirunelveli district's population is estimated at ≈17.34 lakh (17,34,000) on 1 March 2026. This is our estimate, tied to the official Tamil Nadu projection; Census 2011, the last count, recorded 16,36,438 on the district’s present boundaries.

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

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

Population 2026
≈ 17.34 lakh 17,34,000 Estimate Our estimate, method M1, constrained to the official state projection How this is made →
Census 2011
16.36 lakh 16,36,438 Reconstructed Census figures re-added on today’s boundaries How this is made →
Density
≈ 521per km² 2011
Sex ratio
1029 Tamil Nadu: 996
Child sex ratio (0–6)
955 Tamil Nadu: 943
Literacy rate
86.6% Male 91.7% · Female 81.6%
Urban share
55.4% Tamil Nadu: 48.4%
Growth 2001–11
+13.8% Tamil Nadu: +15.6%
Area
≈ 3,138km² approx., from 2011 sub-district areas
Households
4.28 lakh 3.8 people per household
Villages
257 Census 2011
Towns
26 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.

Tirunelveli: Population over time
  • Reconstructed
  • Estimate
17 L 2026
› Show the numbers as a table
YearPopulation
199113,19,836
200114,37,687
201116,36,438
2016 *16,85,000
2021 *17,17,000
2026 *17,34,000
2031 *17,37,000
2036 *17,27,000

* Estimate

How Tirunelveli'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 Tirunelveli's 2011 population was spread
#
1 Tirunelveli6,42,83539.3%102587.4%77.4%
2 Ambasamudram(part)3,39,62620.8%103586.1%65.8%
3 Radhapuram3,04,65218.6%102788.6%35.8%
4 Nanguneri2,25,60213.8%103485.8%33.7%
5 Palayamkottai91,1765.6%101583.5%0.0%
6 Sankarankoil(part)32,5472.0%103870.1%0.0%

Largest towns in Tirunelveli (Census 2011)

Largest towns in Tirunelveli (Census 2011)
  1. Tirunelveli 4,73,637
  2. Vikramasingapuram 47,241
  3. Ambasamudram 35,645
  4. Kalakad 30,921
  5. Panagudi 29,895
  6. Vadakkuvalliyur 29,417
  7. Kalladaikurichi 26,398
  8. Thisayanvilai 23,702
  9. Veeravanallur 19,585
  10. Cheranmadevi 18,327

How people in Tirunelveli worked (Census 2011)

Cultivators

7.1%

Agricultural labourers

21.2%

Household industry

13.2%

Other work

58.5%

Share of all workers, main and marginal. Work participation: 43.2%.

Age structure of Tirunelveli

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 Tirunelveli
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
0-461,37359,043
5-967,28764,611
10-1473,98970,551
15-1972,87070,356
20-2469,02271,708
25-2971,75873,978
30-3463,54564,242
35-3959,98063,680
40-4455,12556,752
45-4950,99551,597
50-5441,35443,168
55-5934,89237,743
60-6430,32233,754
65-6922,31226,238
70-7416,74618,910
75-798,78810,117
80+7,81910,609
Children (0–14)
24.3%
Tamil Nadu 23.6%
Working age (15–59)
64.4%
Tamil Nadu 66.0%
Older people (60+)
11.4%
Tamil Nadu 10.4%
Median age
29.7years
Tamil Nadu 29.8
Dependency ratio
46.4
children and 65+ per 100 aged 15–64
Tamil Nadu 43.2

Languages spoken in Tirunelveli

Share of people by mother tongue, grouped into languages as the Census does. 31 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 Tirunelveli
  1. Tamil 98.4%
  2. Telugu 0.6%
  3. Gujarati 0.4%
  4. Malayalam 0.2%
  5. Urdu 0.2%
  6. Hindi 0.1%
  7. Marathi 0.1%
  8. Kannada 0.0%

Largest mother tongues

  1. Tamil98.4%
  2. Telugu0.6%
  3. Saurashtra/Saurashtri0.3%
  4. Malayalam0.2%
  5. Urdu0.2%
  6. Hindi0.1%
  7. Marathi0.1%
  8. Kannada0.0%

Housing and amenities in Tirunelveli

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 95.4%

    Tamil Nadu 93.4%

  • Tap water 88.8%

    Tamil Nadu 79.8%

  • Water source within premises 38.3%

    Tamil Nadu 35.1%

  • Toilet within premises 57.7%

    Tamil Nadu 48.5%

  • Open defecation (no latrine) (Lower is better for this one.) 36.6%

    Tamil Nadu 45.5%

  • Bathing area within premises 56.5%

    Tamil Nadu 64.3%

  • Closed drainage 17.4%

    Tamil Nadu 25.6%

  • Cooking with LPG/PNG 47.8%

    Tamil Nadu 48.1%

  • Cooking with wood, crop waste or dung (Lower is better for this one.) 42.3%

    Tamil Nadu 44.1%

What households own

  • Mobile phone 68.1%

    Tamil Nadu 69.3%

  • Television 86.3%

    Tamil Nadu 87.0%

  • Scooter or motorcycle 26.5%

    Tamil Nadu 32.4%

  • Computer or laptop 9.8%

    Tamil Nadu 10.7%

  • Car, jeep or van 4.0%

    Tamil Nadu 4.3%

  • Use banking services 61.8%

    Tamil Nadu 52.6%

  • None of the listed assets (Lower is better for this one.) 5.2%

    Tamil Nadu 5.1%

The home itself

  • Own their home 73.8%

    Tamil Nadu 74.4%

  • Rent their home 24.1%

    Tamil Nadu 23.5%

  • Permanent (pucca) house 73.6%

    Tamil Nadu 70.8%

  • House in good condition 71.8%

    Tamil Nadu 70.2%

  • Concrete roof 47.1%

    Tamil Nadu 43.8%

  • Cement or tiled floor 81.7%

    Tamil Nadu 79.8%

  • One room or less (Lower is better for this one.) 33.8%

    Tamil Nadu 48.1%

Tamil Nadu

What the numbers say

  • Tirunelveli district held 2.3% of Tamil Nadu's population in 2011, 20th of 38 districts.
  • Literacy is 86.6%, 6.5 points above the Tamil Nadu average of 80.1%.
  • The sex ratio of 1029 females per 1,000 males is higher than the state's 996.
  • 55.4% of residents lived in towns in 2011, more urban than Tamil Nadu as a whole (48.4%).
  • Our 2026 estimate, ≈17.34 lakh, implies growth of about 6% since 2011; it is tied to the official Tamil Nadu projection.
  • Its largest town, Tirunelveli, had 4.74 lakh people in 2011, 28.9% of the district.

How this district was formed

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

  • Tirunelveli (2011) 100.0% of this district
    53.2% 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 Tirunelveli, they will appear on this page, at this address. Census 2027 explained →

Population by religion in Tirunelveli (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 Tirunelveli (Census 2011)
ReligionPersonsShareTamil Nadu
Hindu ≈ 12,25,900 74.9% 87.6%
Muslim ≈ 1,59,100 9.7% 5.9%
Christian ≈ 2,47,300 15.1% 6.1%
Sikh ≈ 200 0.0% 0.0%
Buddhist ≈ 300 0.0% 0.0%
Jain ≈ 100 0.0% 0.1%
Other religions and persuasions ≈ 300 0.0% 0.0%
Religion not stated ≈ 3,300 0.2% 0.3%
Total16,36,438100%

Frequently asked questions

What is the population of Tirunelveli district in 2026?
Our estimate for 1 March 2026 is ≈17,34,000 (17.34 lakh). It is not an official figure: it applies Tirunelveli's 2001–2011 trend, damped, to the official Tamil Nadu projection (method M1). Census 2011 counted 16,36,438.

What was the population of Tirunelveli district in Census 2011?
16,36,438: 8,06,697 males and 8,29,741 females, of whom 9,06,471 lived in towns and 7,29,967 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 Tirunelveli?
Literacy was 86.6% in 2011 (men 91.7%, women 81.6%). The sex ratio was 1029 females per 1,000 males, and 955 among children aged 0–6.

Which is the largest town in Tirunelveli district?
Tirunelveli, with 4,73,637 people in Census 2011.

How many villages and towns are in Tirunelveli district?
On today's boundaries the district contains 257 Census 2011 villages and 26 towns.

⤓ Download Tamil Nadu district data (CSV)

Sources and method

Data updated: · Report a correction