The Madurai district of Tamil Nadu had a population of about 30.38 lakh in 2011 and it is expected to move up slowly to around 36.7 lakh by 2026. It covers about 3,710 sq km of land and has a population density close to 819 persons per sq km. The sex ratio stands near 990 females for every 1,000 males and the overall literacy rate is roughly 83.45 percent. The child sex ratio is about 932 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 spoken along with small groups using Saurashtra and Telugu. A large majority of people live in urban areas while the remaining population is in rural villages around the city. There are nearly 7.95 lakh households in Madurai district as per the last census.
Quick Overview of District Census 2011
| Item |
Figure |
| District Name |
Madurai |
| State |
Tamil Nadu |
| Census Year |
2011 |
| Actual Population |
3,038,252 |
| Male Population |
1,526,475 |
| Female Population |
1,511,777 |
| Sex Ratio (female per 1000 male) |
990 |
| Child Sex Ratio (0-6 years) |
932 |
| Total Area (sq km) |
3,710 |
| Population Density (per sq km) |
819 |
| Average Literacy Rate |
83.45 % |
| Male Literacy Rate |
89.72 % |
| Female Literacy Rate |
77.16 % |
| Urban Population Share |
60.78 % |
| Rural Population Share |
39.22 % |
| Total Households |
794,887 |
Historic Census Data and Population Projections
Population from 1901 to 2011
| Census Year |
Population |
| 1901 |
666,940 |
| 1911 |
769,360 |
| 1921 |
800,795 |
| 1931 |
896,876 |
| 1941 |
1,014,602 |
| 1951 |
1,223,574 |
| 1961 |
1,378,734 |
| 1971 |
1,730,109 |
| 1981 |
2,042,704 |
| 1991 |
2,400,339 |
| 2001 |
2,578,201 |
| 2011 |
3,038,252 |
Key Census Indicators 2001 and 2011
| Indicator |
2001 |
2011 |
| Actual Population |
2,578,201 |
3,038,252 |
| Population (in lakh) |
25.78 |
30.38 |
| Population Growth (%) |
7.41 |
17.84 |
| Area (sq km) |
3,696 |
3,710 |
| Density (persons per sq km) |
698 |
819 |
| Sex Ratio (female per 1000 male) |
978 |
990 |
| Child Sex Ratio (0-6 years) |
926 |
932 |
| Average Literacy (%) |
77.82 |
83.45 |
| Male Literacy (%) |
86.17 |
89.72 |
| Female Literacy (%) |
69.35 |
77.16 |
| Total Child Population 0-6 |
295,276 |
313,978 |
| Child Share in Population (%) |
11.45 |
10.33 |
Population Projections up to 2031
| Year |
Projected Population |
| 2011 |
3,038,252 |
| 2021 |
3,490,000 |
| 2022 |
3,540,000 |
| 2023 |
3,580,000 |
| 2024 |
3,610,000 |
| 2025 |
3,640,000 |
| 2026 |
3,660,000 |
| 2027 |
3,690,000 |
| 2028 |
3,700,000 |
| 2029 |
3,720,000 |
| 2030 |
3,730,000 |
| 2031 |
3,740,000 |
Population, Child Population and Sex Ratio
Basic Population Structure 2011
| Category |
Male |
Female |
| Total Population |
1,526,475 |
1,511,777 |
| Child Population 0-6 years |
162,517 |
151,461 |
| Total Child Population 0-6 |
313,978 |
| Child Share in Total Population (%) |
10.33 |
| Sex Ratio (female per 1000 male) |
990 |
| Child Sex Ratio (0-6 years) |
932 |
Urban and Rural Child Data
| Area Type |
Child Population 0-6 |
Child Sex Ratio |
| Urban |
185,526 |
945 |
| Rural |
128,452 |
913 |
Literacy Rate, Male Literacy and Female Literacy
Overall and Gender Wise Literacy
| Indicator |
Rate (%) |
| Average Literacy |
83.45 |
| Male Literacy |
89.72 |
| Female Literacy |
77.16 |
Urban and Rural Literacy Pattern
| Area Type |
Average Literacy (%) |
Male Literacy (%) |
Female Literacy (%) |
| Total |
83.45 |
89.72 |
77.16 |
| Urban |
89.41 |
93.67 |
85.15 |
| Rural |
74.14 |
83.59 |
64.59 |
Literacy by Religion
| Religion |
Average Literacy (%) |
Male Literacy (%) |
Female Literacy (%) |
| Hindu |
82.62 |
89.17 |
76.03 |
| Muslim |
90.19 |
94.66 |
85.69 |
| Christian |
94.86 |
96.78 |
93.07 |
| Religion not stated |
85.83 |
91.78 |
81.04 |
Religion and Caste (SC / ST)
Religion Wise Population 2011
| Religion |
Population |
Percentage |
| Hindu |
2,760,502 |
90.86 % |
| Muslim |
168,881 |
5.56 % |
| Christian |
97,711 |
3.22 % |
| Sikh |
520 |
0.02 % |
| Buddhist |
199 |
0.01 % |
| Jain |
1,532 |
0.05 % |
| Other religions |
305 |
0.01 % |
| Religion not stated |
8,602 |
0.28 % |
Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe Population
| Group |
Population |
Share in District (%) |
| Scheduled Castes (SC) |
408,976 |
13.46 |
| Scheduled Tribes (ST) |
11,096 |
0.37 |
SC and ST Population by Gender
| Group |
Male Population |
Female Population |
| Scheduled Castes (SC) |
205,098 |
203,878 |
| Scheduled Tribes (ST) |
5,622 |
5,474 |
Urban and Rural Population, Density and Households
Urban Rural Split
| Area Type |
Population |
Share of Total (%) |
| Urban |
1,846,801 |
60.78 |
| Rural |
1,191,451 |
39.22 |
Urban and Rural Detailed Profile
| Description |
Rural |
Urban |
| Total Population |
1,191,451 |
1,846,801 |
| Male Population |
601,247 |
925,228 |
| Female Population |
590,204 |
921,573 |
| Sex Ratio (female per 1000 male) |
982 |
996 |
| Child Population 0-6 |
128,452 |
185,526 |
| Child Sex Ratio (0-6 years) |
913 |
945 |
| Average Literacy (%) |
74.14 |
89.41 |
| Male Literacy (%) |
83.59 |
93.67 |
| Female Literacy (%) |
64.59 |
85.15 |
Area, Density and Households
| Item |
Figure |
| Total Area (sq km) |
3,710 |
| Population Density (per sq km) |
819 |
| Total Households |
794,887 |
| Houseless Families |
594 |
| Houseless Population |
1,603 |
| Total Towns |
39 |
| Total Villages |
570 |
Workforce and Economic Profile
Workers by Category
| Work Category |
Number of Workers |
| Total Workers |
1,354,632 |
| Main Cultivators |
81,352 |
| Main Agricultural Labourers |
287,731 |
| Main Household Industry Workers |
39,753 |
| Other Main Workers |
765,066 |
| Marginal Workers (total) |
180,730 |
| Marginal Cultivators |
11,367 |
| Marginal Agricultural Labourers |
85,097 |
| Marginal Household Industry Workers |
7,540 |
| Other Marginal Workers |
76,726 |
Worker Profile Overview
| Category |
Number |
| Total Workers |
1,354,632 |
| Male Workers |
902,704 |
| Female Workers |
451,928 |
Administrative Divisions and Sub-Districts
Taluks / Sub-Districts (Census and Present)
| Taluk / Sub-District |
Remarks |
| Madurai North |
Subdistrict (Tahsil) |
| Madurai South |
Subdistrict (Tahsil) |
| Melur |
Subdistrict (Tahsil) |
| Peraiyur |
Subdistrict (Tahsil) |
| Thirumangalam |
Subdistrict (Tahsil) |
| Usilampatti |
Subdistrict (Tahsil) |
| Vadipatti |
Subdistrict (Tahsil) |
| Madurai East |
Taluk (created later) |
| Madurai West |
Taluk (created later) |
| Thiruparankundram |
Taluk (created later) |
| Alanganallur |
Taluk |
| Kalligudi |
Taluk |
| Sedapatti |
Taluk |
Key Administrative Units and Area Statistics
| Administrative Item |
Details / Count |
| District Headquarters |
Madurai |
| Total Taluks (current map) |
13 |
| Total Towns |
39 |
| Total Villages |
570 |
| Total Area (sq km) |
3,710 |
| Nearest Major Railway Station |
Madurai Junction |
Cities, Towns and Urban Centres
Urban Agglomeration and Main City
| Urban Centre |
Population 2011 |
| Madurai Urban Agglomeration |
1,465,625 |
| Madurai Municipal Corporation |
1,017,865 |
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is the total population of Madurai district? It is 30.38 lakh as per 2011 census.
- How much of Madurai population lives in urban areas? About 60.78 percent people live in towns and city.
- What is the literacy rate in Madurai district? The literacy rate is around 83.45 percent.
- What are the SC and ST shares in Madurai? SC share is 13.46 percent and ST share is 0.37 percent.
- What is the population density of Madurai district? It is about 819 persons per square kilometre.