Kanniyakumari district sits at the southern tip of mainland India and stands out in Tamil Nadu for its high literacy, strong urban share and balanced gender ratio. As per Census 2011, the district had a total population of 18.70 lakh, and recent estimate portals place the 2026 population near 20.04 lakh. The district spreads across 1,684 sq km and records a very high population density of 1,111 persons per sq km. Female population is slightly higher than male population here, which is why the district shows a positive sex ratio above 1,000. Children in the 0–6 age group made up 9.75 percent of the total population in 2011. Religion-wise, Hindus and Christians form almost equal shares in the district, while Muslims form a smaller but notable group. Urban population is very high in Kanniyakumari, with more than 82 percent people living in urban areas, making it very different from many other Tamil Nadu districts.
Quick Overview of District Census 2011
| Item |
Figure |
| District Name |
Kanniyakumari / Kanyakumari |
| State |
Tamil Nadu |
| Census Year |
2011 |
| Total Population |
1,870,374 |
| Male Population |
926,345 |
| Female Population |
944,029 |
| Sex Ratio (female per 1000 male) |
1019–1020 |
| Child Population 0–6 years |
182,350 |
| Child Sex Ratio (0–6 years) |
964–965 |
| Total Area (sq km) |
1,684 |
| Population Density (per sq km) |
1,111 |
| Average Literacy Rate |
91.75 % |
| Male Literacy Rate |
93.65 % |
| Female Literacy Rate |
89.90 % |
| Urban Population Share |
82.33 % |
| Rural Population Share |
17.67 % |
| Total Households |
483,539 |
| Houseless Families |
327 |
| Houseless Population |
848 |
Historic Census Data and Population Projections
Population from 1901 to 2011
| Census Year |
Population |
| 1901 |
359,248 |
| 1911 |
422,260 |
| 1921 |
494,125 |
| 1931 |
581,851 |
| 1941 |
676,975 |
| 1951 |
826,380 |
| 1961 |
996,915 |
| 1971 |
1,222,549 |
| 1981 |
1,423,399 |
| 1991 |
1,600,349 |
| 2001 |
1,676,034 |
| 2011 |
1,870,374 |
Key Census Indicators 2001 and 2011
| Indicator |
2001 |
2011 |
| Actual Population |
1,676,034 |
1,870,374 |
| Population (in lakh) |
16.76 |
18.70 |
| Population Growth (%) |
4.73 |
11.60 |
| Area (sq km) |
1,684 |
1,684 |
| Density (persons per sq km) |
995 |
1,111 |
| Sex Ratio (female per 1000 male) |
1014 |
1019 |
| Child Sex Ratio (0–6 years) |
968 |
964 |
| Average Literacy (%) |
87.55 |
91.75 |
| Male Literacy (%) |
90.37 |
93.65 |
| Female Literacy (%) |
84.79 |
89.90 |
| Total Child Population 0–6 |
181,719 |
182,350 |
| Child Share in Population (%) |
10.84 |
9.75 |
Population Projections up to 2031
| Year |
Projected Population (Census2011 method) |
Projected Population (Censusofindia.net) |
| 2021 |
2,050,000 |
– |
| 2024 |
2,090,000 |
– |
| 2025 |
2,110,000 |
– |
| 2026 |
2,110,000 to 2,119,000 |
20.04 lakh (20,03,919) |
| 2027 |
2,120,000 to 2,127,000 |
20.07 lakh (20,06,682) |
| 2030 |
2,140,000 to 2,145,000 |
20.15 lakh (20,14,970) |
| 2031 |
2,140,000 to 2,149,000 |
20.16 lakh (20,16,081) |
Population, Child Population and Sex Ratio
Basic Population Structure 2011
| Category |
Male |
Female |
| Total Population |
926,345 |
944,029 |
| Child Population 0–6 years |
92,835 |
89,515 |
| Total Child Population 0–6 |
182,350 |
| Child Share in Total Population (%) |
9.75 |
| Sex Ratio (female per 1000 male) |
1019–1020 |
| Child Sex Ratio (0–6 years) |
964–965 |
Urban and Rural Child Data 2011
| Area Type |
Child Population 0–6 |
Child Sex Ratio |
Child Share in Area Population (%) |
| Urban |
148,570 |
966 |
9.65 to 9.93 |
| Rural |
33,780 |
957 |
10.22 to 10.47 |
Literacy Rate, Male Literacy and Female Literacy
Overall and Gender Wise Literacy
| Indicator |
Rate (%) |
| Average Literacy |
91.75 |
| Male Literacy |
93.65 |
| Female Literacy |
89.90 |
Urban and Rural Literacy Pattern
| Area Type |
Average Literacy (%) |
Male Literacy (%) |
Female Literacy (%) |
| Total |
91.75 |
93.65 |
89.90 |
| Urban |
91.96 |
93.92 |
90.06 |
| Rural |
90.76 |
92.39 |
89.16 |
Literacy by Religion
| Religion |
Average Literacy (%) |
Male Literacy (%) |
Female Literacy (%) |
| Hindu |
91.20 |
93.71 |
88.71 |
| Muslim |
94.50 |
96.48 |
92.63 |
| Christian |
92.10 |
93.33 |
90.90 |
| Religion not stated |
89.87 |
92.61 |
87.85 |
Religion and Caste (SC / ST)
Religion Wise Population 2011
| Religion |
Population |
Percentage |
| Hindu |
909,872 |
48.65 % |
| Christian |
876,299 |
46.85 % |
| Muslim |
78,590 |
4.20 % |
| Sikh |
160 |
0.01 % |
| Buddhist |
438 |
0.02 % |
| Jain |
156 |
0.01 % |
| Other religions |
10 |
0.00 % |
| Religion not stated |
4,849 |
0.26 % |
Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe Population
| Group |
Population |
Share in District (%) |
| Scheduled Castes (SC) |
74,249 |
3.97 |
| Scheduled Tribes (ST) |
7,282 |
0.39 |
SC and ST Population by Gender
| Group |
Male Population |
Female Population |
| Scheduled Castes (SC) |
36,817 |
37,432 |
| Scheduled Tribes (ST) |
3,554 |
3,728 |
Urban and Rural Population, Density and Households
Urban–Rural Split 2011
| Area Type |
Population |
Share of Total (%) |
| Urban |
1,539,802 |
82.33 |
| Rural |
330,572 |
17.67 |
| Total |
1,870,374 |
100.00 |
Gender Split in Urban and Rural Areas
| Area Type |
Male |
Female |
Sex Ratio |
| Urban |
761,407 |
778,395 |
1022–1023 |
| Rural |
164,938 |
165,634 |
1004–1005 |
Area, Density and Household Details
| Indicator |
Figure |
| District Area |
1,684 sq km |
| Population Density |
1,111 per sq km |
| Total Households |
483,539 |
| Number of Towns |
96 |
| Number of Villages |
63 |
| Houseless Families |
327 |
| Houseless Population |
848 |
Extra District Facts
| Topic |
Detail |
| District Headquarters |
Nagercoil |
| Southern Tip Status |
Southernmost district of mainland India |
| Main Languages |
Tamil is dominant; Malayalam has a notable minority share near the Kerala border |
| Coastline Feature |
Faces the Arabian Sea and also lies near the meeting point of three water bodies at Kanniyakumari |
| Main Urban Centre |
Nagercoil |