Pudukkottai district is one of the important south-central districts of Tamil Nadu with a long administrative history and a mainly rural population base. As per Census 2011, the district had a total population of 16.18 lakh, with females slightly higher than males. Recent estimate pages place the 2026 population between 17.34 lakh and 18.20 lakh, depending on the projection method followed. The district covers around 4,644 sq km and had a population density of 348 persons per sq km in 2011. Literacy in the district stood at 77.19 percent, while the sex ratio remained at 1,015 females for every 1,000 males. Children in the 0–6 age group formed 11.10 percent of the district population. Hinduism is the dominant religion, followed by Muslims and Christians in smaller shares. Pudukkottai is still largely rural, with only about one-fifth of its population living in urban areas.
Quick Overview of District Census 2011
| Item |
Figure |
| District Name |
Pudukkottai |
| State |
Tamil Nadu |
| Census Year |
2011 |
| Total Population |
1,618,345 |
| Male Population |
803,188 |
| Female Population |
815,157 |
| Sex Ratio (female per 1000 male) |
1015 |
| Child Population 0–6 years |
179,688 |
| Child Sex Ratio (0–6 years) |
960 |
| Total Area (sq km) |
4,644 |
| Population Density (per sq km) |
348 |
| Average Literacy Rate |
77.19 % |
| Male Literacy Rate |
85.56 % |
| Female Literacy Rate |
69.00 % |
| Urban Population Share |
19.55 % |
| Rural Population Share |
80.45 % |
| Total Households |
387,679 |
| Houseless Families |
180 |
| Houseless Population |
554 |
Historic Census Data and Population Projections
Population from 1901 to 2011
| Census Year |
Population |
| 1901 |
547,620 |
| 1911 |
583,413 |
| 1921 |
607,933 |
| 1931 |
573,642 |
| 1941 |
622,706 |
| 1951 |
704,102 |
| 1961 |
750,461 |
| 1971 |
947,351 |
| 1981 |
1,156,813 |
| 1991 |
1,327,148 |
| 2001 |
1,459,601 |
| 2011 |
1,618,345 |
Key Census Indicators 2001 and 2011
| Indicator |
2001 |
2011 |
| Actual Population |
1,459,601 |
1,618,345 |
| Population (in lakh) |
14.60 |
16.18 |
| Population Growth (%) |
9.98 |
10.88 |
| Area (sq km) |
4,651 |
4,644 |
| Density (persons per sq km) |
314 |
348 |
| Sex Ratio (female per 1000 male) |
1015 |
1015 |
| Child Sex Ratio (0–6 years) |
955 |
960 |
| Average Literacy (%) |
71.12 |
77.19 |
| Male Literacy (%) |
82.55 |
85.56 |
| Female Literacy (%) |
59.97 |
69.00 |
| Total Child Population 0–6 |
183,820 |
179,688 |
| Child Share in Population (%) |
12.59 |
11.10 |
Population Projections up to 2031
| Year |
Projected Population (Census2011 method) |
Projected Population (Censusofindia.net) |
| 2021 |
1,760,000 |
– |
| 2024 |
1,800,000 |
– |
| 2025 |
1,810,000 |
– |
| 2026 |
1,820,000 |
17.34 lakh (17,33,895) |
| 2027 |
1,820,000 to 1,826,000 |
17.36 lakh (17,36,286) |
| 2030 |
1,840,000 |
17.43 lakh (17,43,457) |
| 2031 |
1,840,000 to 1,844,000 |
17.44 lakh (17,44,418) |
Population, Child Population and Sex Ratio
Basic Population Structure 2011
| Category |
Male |
Female |
| Total Population |
803,188 |
815,157 |
| Child Population 0–6 years |
91,696 |
87,992 |
| Total Child Population 0–6 |
179,688 |
| Child Share in Total Population (%) |
11.10 |
| Sex Ratio (female per 1000 male) |
1015 |
| Child Sex Ratio (0–6 years) |
960 |
Urban and Rural Child Data 2011
| Area Type |
Child Population 0–6 |
Child Sex Ratio |
Child Share in Area Population (%) |
| Urban |
33,657 |
943 |
10.64 to 10.98 |
| Rural |
146,031 |
963 |
11.22 to 11.52 |
Literacy Rate, Male Literacy and Female Literacy
Overall and Gender Wise Literacy
| Indicator |
Rate (%) |
| Average Literacy |
77.19 |
| Male Literacy |
85.56 |
| Female Literacy |
69.00 |
Urban and Rural Literacy Pattern
| Area Type |
Average Literacy (%) |
Male Literacy (%) |
Female Literacy (%) |
| Total |
77.19 |
85.56 |
69.00 |
| Urban |
88.74 |
93.84 |
83.71 |
| Rural |
74.37 |
83.53 |
65.42 |
Literacy by Religion
| Religion |
Average Literacy (%) |
Male Literacy (%) |
Female Literacy (%) |
| Hindu |
75.91 |
84.62 |
67.37 |
| Muslim |
89.81 |
95.21 |
84.69 |
| Christian |
82.74 |
89.31 |
76.33 |
| Religion not stated |
84.14 |
93.13 |
75.68 |
Religion and Caste (SC / ST)
Religion Wise Population 2011
| Religion |
Population |
Percentage |
| Hindu |
1,428,784 |
88.29 % |
| Muslim |
114,194 |
7.06 % |
| Christian |
72,850 |
4.50 % |
| Sikh |
119 |
0.01 % |
| Buddhist |
81 |
0.01 % |
| Jain |
32 |
0.00 % |
| Other religions |
293 |
0.02 % |
| Religion not stated |
1,992 |
0.12 % |
Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe Population
| Group |
Population |
Share in District (%) |
| Scheduled Castes (SC) |
284,804 |
17.60 |
| Scheduled Tribes (ST) |
1,283 |
0.08 |
SC and ST Population by Gender
| Group |
Male Population |
Female Population |
| Scheduled Castes (SC) |
141,428 |
143,376 |
| Scheduled Tribes (ST) |
647 |
636 |
Urban and Rural Population, Density and Households
Urban–Rural Split 2011
| Area Type |
Population |
Share of Total (%) |
| Urban |
316,354 |
19.55 |
| Rural |
1,301,991 |
80.45 |
| Total |
1,618,345 |
100.00 |
Gender Split in Urban and Rural Areas
| Area Type |
Male |
Female |
Sex Ratio |
| Urban |
157,683 |
158,671 |
1006–1007 |
| Rural |
645,505 |
656,486 |
1017–1018 |
Area, Density and Household Details
| Indicator |
Figure |
| District Area |
4,644 sq km |
| Population Density |
348 per sq km |
| Total Households |
387,679 |
| Number of Towns |
16 |
| Number of Villages |
750 |
| Houseless Families |
180 |
| Houseless Population |
554 |
Extra District Facts
| Topic |
Detail |
| District Headquarters |
Pudukkottai |
| District Formation |
Organised as a separate district on 14 January 1975 |
| Divisions |
Pudukkottai, Aranthangi and Illupur revenue divisions |
| Main Language |
Tamil is the predominant language |
| Location Note |
Bounded by Thanjavur, Palk Strait, Ramanathapuram, Sivaganga and Tiruchirappalli regions |