The Cuddalore district of Tamil Nadu had a population of about 26.06 lakh in 2011 and it is expected to rise step by step towards nearly 29 lakh by the mid 2020s. It covers about 3,703 sq km of area and has a population density close to 704 persons per sq km. The sex ratio is around 987 females for every 1,000 males and the overall literacy rate is near 79 percent. The child sex ratio is lower, close to 895 girls for every 1,000 boys in the age group 0-6 years. Hindu religion has the largest share in the district followed by Muslims and Christians, and Tamil is the main language used at home, schools and markets. Most people still live in rural villages while a good share lives in towns along the coast and river belts. There are more than 6.35 lakh households spread across coastal, delta and inland parts of Cuddalore district.
Quick Overview of District Census 2011
| Item |
Figure |
| District Name |
Cuddalore |
| State |
Tamil Nadu |
| Census Year |
2011 |
| Actual Population |
2,605,914 |
| Male Population |
1,311,697 |
| Female Population |
1,294,217 |
| Sex Ratio (female per 1000 male) |
987 |
| Child Sex Ratio (0-6 years) |
895 |
| Total Area (sq km) |
3,703 |
| Population Density (per sq km) |
704 |
| Average Literacy Rate |
79.61 % |
| Male Literacy Rate |
86.69 % |
| Female Literacy Rate |
72.36 % |
| Urban Population Share |
33.96 % |
| Rural Population Share |
66.04 % |
| Total Households |
635,578 |
Historic Census Data and Population Projections
Population from 1901 to 2011
| Census Year |
Population |
| 1901 |
1,083,421 |
| 1911 |
1,152,597 |
| 1921 |
1,175,712 |
| 1931 |
1,335,154 |
| 1941 |
1,500,255 |
| 1951 |
1,646,767 |
| 1961 |
1,813,289 |
| 1971 |
2,016,143 |
| 1981 |
2,237,293 |
| 1991 |
2,404,706 |
| 2001 |
2,285,395 |
| 2011 |
2,605,914 |
Key Census Indicators 2001 and 2011
| Indicator |
2001 |
2011 |
| Actual Population |
2,285,395 |
2,605,914 |
| Population Growth (%) |
- |
14.02 |
| Area (sq km) |
3,703 |
3,703 |
| Density (persons per sq km) |
617 |
704 |
| Sex Ratio (female per 1000 male) |
986 |
987 |
| Child Sex Ratio (0-6 years) |
957 |
895 |
| Average Literacy (%) |
71.85 |
79.61 |
| Male Literacy (%) |
80.06 |
86.69 |
| Female Literacy (%) |
63.52 |
72.36 |
| Total Child Population 0-6 |
289,000 (approx) |
about 288,000 |
| Child Share in Population (%) |
12.65 |
11.04 (approx) |
Population Projections up to 2031 (District Estimate)
| Year |
Projected Population (approx) |
| 2021 |
around 2,850,000 |
| 2023 |
around 2,890,000 |
| 2025 |
around 2,930,000 |
| 2026 |
around 2,950,000 |
| 2030 |
around 3,010,000 |
| 2031 |
around 3,030,000 |
Population, Child Population and Sex Ratio
Basic Population Structure 2011
| Category |
Male |
Female |
| Total Population |
1,311,697 |
1,294,217 |
| Child Population 0-6 years (approx) |
about 152,000 |
about 136,000 |
| Total Child Population 0-6 (approx) |
about 288,000 |
| Child Share in Total Population (%) |
around 11.04 |
| Sex Ratio (female per 1000 male) |
987 |
| Child Sex Ratio (0-6 years) |
895 |
Urban and Rural Child Data (Approx)
| Area Type |
Child Population 0-6 |
Child Sex Ratio (trend) |
| Urban |
around 95,000 |
lower than rural |
| Rural |
around 193,000 |
slightly higher |
Literacy Rate, Male Literacy and Female Literacy
Overall and Gender Wise Literacy
| Indicator |
Rate (%) |
| Average Literacy |
79.61 |
| Male Literacy |
86.69 |
| Female Literacy |
72.36 |
Urban and Rural Literacy Pattern (Trend)
| Area Type |
Average Literacy (approx %) |
Male Literacy (trend) |
Female Literacy (trend) |
| Total |
79.61 |
higher |
lower than male |
| Urban |
above 85 |
very high |
high |
| Rural |
around mid 70s |
lower than urban |
clearly lower than male |
Religion and Caste (SC / ST)
Religion Wise Population 2011 (District)
| Religion |
Population (approx) |
Percentage (approx) |
| Hindu |
around 2,223,000 |
about 85.3 % |
| Muslim |
around 168,000 |
about 6.4 % |
| Christian |
around 186,000 |
about 7.1 % |
| Others / Not stated |
small share |
about 1.2 % |
Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe Population
| Group |
Population |
Share in District (%) |
| Scheduled Castes (SC) |
763,944 |
29.30 |
| Scheduled Tribes (ST) |
10,680 |
0.41 |
SC and ST Population by Gender
| Group |
Male Population |
Female Population |
| Scheduled Castes (SC) |
383,943 |
380,001 |
| Scheduled Tribes (ST) |
5,375 |
5,305 |
Urban and Rural Population, Density and Households
Urban Rural Split
| Area Type |
Population |
Share of Total (%) |
| Urban |
884,000 (approx) |
33.96 |
| Rural |
1,722,000 (approx) |
66.04 |
Urban and Rural Detailed Profile (Trend)
| Description |
Rural |
Urban |
| Population Level |
two third of district |
one third of district |
| Sex Ratio (trend) |
near district average |
slightly lower |
| Child Sex Ratio |
better than urban |
lower, near 890 |
| Average Literacy |
lower than district |
higher than rural |
Area, Density and Households
| Item |
Figure |
| Total Area (sq km) |
3,703 |
| Population Density (per sq km) |
704 |
| Total Households |
635,578 |
| Total Tehsils / Taluks |
7 |
| Total Villages |
799 |
Workforce and Economic Profile
Workers by Category (District Level)
| Work Category |
Trend / Comment |
| Main Workers |
large share in farming and industry |
| Marginal Workers |
seasonal work in fields and small jobs |
| Cultivators |
important in delta and inland villages |
| Agricultural Labourers |
big group in rural parts |
| Household Industry Workers |
present in small units and home work |
| Other Workers |
work in trade, services and factories |
Worker Profile Overview (Pattern)
| Category |
Observation |
| Male Workers |
more in all sectors especially non farm |
| Female Workers |
more in farm and informal work |
| Rural Workers |
high share in agriculture and allied work |
| Urban Workers |
high share in services, trade and port work |
Administrative Divisions and Sub-Districts
Taluks / Tehsils in Cuddalore District
| Taluk / Tehsil |
Remarks |
| Cuddalore |
Coastal taluk with district HQ |
| Panruti |
Known for jackfruit and cashew |
| Virudhachalam |
Important inland taluk |
| Neyveli |
Lignite mining and township area |
| Kurinjipadi |
Rural and coastal mix |
| Kattumannarkoil |
Delta and river side belt |
| Tittakudi |
Inland taluk with many villages |
Key Administrative Units
| Administrative Item |
Details |
| District Headquarters |
Cuddalore |
| Total Tehsils / Taluks |
7 |
| Total Villages |
799 |
| Nearest Railway Junction |
Cuddalore Port Junction |
| Nearest Airport |
Pondicherry Airport |
Cities, Towns and Urban Centres
Main Towns and Urban Nodes
| Urban Centre |
Comment |
| Cuddalore (Municipality) |
District head town and coastal centre |
| Panruti |
Town known for trade in farm products |
| Neyveli |
Planned township around lignite mines |
| Virudhachalam |
Major inland town |
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is the total population of Cuddalore district? It is 26.06 lakh as per 2011 census.
- How much of Cuddalore population lives in villages? Around two thirds of people live in rural areas.
- What is the literacy rate in Cuddalore district? The literacy rate is close to 79.6 percent.
- What are the SC and ST shares in Cuddalore? SC share is about 29.3 percent and ST share is about 0.4 percent.
- What is the population density of Cuddalore district? It is about 704 persons per square kilometre.