The Tiruvannamalai district of Tamil Nadu had a population of about 24.65 lakh in 2011 and it is expected to grow steadily to reach nearly 28.2 lakh by 2026. It has an area of around 6,188 sq km and a population density of about 398 persons per sq km. The sex ratio is close to 994 females for every 1,000 males and the overall literacy rate is around 74.21 percent. The child sex ratio is about 930 girls for every 1,000 boys in the 0-6 age group. Hindu religion is followed by more than 93 percent of the people and Tamil is the main language spoken by almost everyone, with small pockets using Urdu and Telugu. Nearly 79.92 percent of the district population lives in rural villages and 20.08 percent lives in urban areas, with Tiruvannamalai town acting as the main urban centre. There are about 5.89 lakh households in the district as per the last census.
Quick Overview of District Census 2011
| Item |
Figure |
| District Name |
Tiruvannamalai |
| State |
Tamil Nadu |
| Census Year |
2011 |
| Total Population |
2,464,875 |
| Male Population |
1,235,889 |
| Female Population |
1,228,986 |
| Sex Ratio (female per 1000 male) |
994 |
| Child Sex Ratio (0-6 years) |
930 |
| Total Area (sq km) |
6,188 |
| Population Density (per sq km) |
398 |
| Average Literacy Rate |
74.21 % |
| Male Literacy Rate |
83.11 % |
| Female Literacy Rate |
65.32 % |
| Urban Population Share |
20.08 % |
| Rural Population Share |
79.92 % |
| Total Households |
588,836 |
Historic Census Data and Population Projections
Population from 1901 to 2011
| Census Year |
Population |
| 1901 |
754,287 |
| 1911 |
875,117 |
| 1921 |
942,378 |
| 1931 |
1,070,320 |
| 1941 |
1,173,298 |
| 1951 |
1,223,154 |
| 1961 |
1,328,359 |
| 1971 |
1,524,349 |
| 1981 |
1,785,798 |
| 1991 |
2,042,979 |
| 2001 |
2,186,125 |
| 2011 |
2,464,875 |
Key Census Indicators 2001 and 2011
| Indicator |
2001 |
2011 |
| Actual Population |
2,186,125 |
2,464,875 |
| Population Growth (%) |
7.01 |
12.75 |
| Area (sq km) |
6,190 |
6,188 |
| Density (persons per sq km) |
353 |
398 |
| Sex Ratio (female per 1000 male) |
995 |
994 |
| Child Sex Ratio (0-6 years) |
948 |
930 |
| Average Literacy (%) |
67.39 |
74.21 |
| Male Literacy (%) |
79.17 |
83.11 |
| Female Literacy (%) |
55.63 |
65.32 |
| Total Child Population 0-6 |
261,295 |
272,569 |
| Child Share in Population (%) |
11.95 |
11.06 |
Population Projections up to 2031
| Year |
Projected Population |
| 2021 |
2,730,000 |
| 2024 |
2,790,000 |
| 2025 |
2,810,000 |
| 2026 |
2,820,000 |
| 2028 |
2,840,000 |
| 2030 |
2,860,000 |
| 2031 |
2,860,000 |
Population, Child Population and Sex Ratio
Basic Population Structure 2011
| Category |
Male |
Female |
| Total Population |
1,235,889 |
1,228,986 |
| Child Population 0-6 years |
141,205 |
131,364 |
| Total Child Population 0-6 |
272,569 |
| Child Share in Total Population (%) |
11.06 |
| Sex Ratio (female per 1000 male) |
994 |
| Child Sex Ratio (0-6 years) |
930 |
Urban and Rural Child Data 2011
| Area Type |
Child Population 0-6 |
Child Sex Ratio |
| Urban |
52,185 |
943 |
| Rural |
220,384 |
927 |
Literacy Rate, Male Literacy and Female Literacy
Overall and Gender Wise Literacy
| Indicator |
Rate (%) |
| Average Literacy |
74.21 |
| Male Literacy |
83.11 |
| Female Literacy |
65.32 |
Urban and Rural Literacy Pattern
| Area Type |
Average Literacy (%) |
Male Literacy (%) |
Female Literacy (%) |
| Total |
74.21 |
83.11 |
65.32 |
| Urban |
84.41 |
90.80 |
78.13 |
| Rural |
71.62 |
81.18 |
62.05 |
Literacy by Religion
| Religion |
Average Literacy (%) |
Male Literacy (%) |
Female Literacy (%) |
| Hindu |
73.55 |
82.68 |
64.43 |
| Muslim |
81.66 |
88.47 |
75.00 |
| Christian |
83.91 |
88.95 |
79.08 |
| Jain |
93.09 |
97.10 |
89.09 |
Religion and Caste (SC / ST)
Religion Wise Population 2011
| Religion |
Population |
Percentage |
| Hindu |
2,294,369 |
93.08 % |
| Muslim |
91,636 |
3.72 % |
| Christian |
66,987 |
2.72 % |
| Jain |
7,898 |
0.32 % |
| Sikh |
232 |
0.01 % |
| Buddhist |
157 |
0.01 % |
| Other Religions |
110 |
0.00 % |
| Religion Not Stated |
3,486 |
0.14 % |
Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe Population
| Group |
Population |
Share in District (%) |
| Scheduled Castes (SC) |
565,329 |
22.94 |
| Scheduled Tribes (ST) |
90,954 |
3.69 |
SC and ST Population by Gender
| Group |
Male Population |
Female Population |
| Scheduled Castes (SC) |
282,615 |
282,714 |
| Scheduled Tribes (ST) |
45,956 |
44,998 |
Urban and Rural Population, Density and Households
Urban Rural Split 2011
| Area Type |
Population |
Share of Total (%) |
| Urban |
494,945 |
20.08 |
| Rural |
1,969,930 |
79.92 |
Urban and Rural Detailed Profile
| Description |
Rural |
Urban |
| Total Population |
1,969,930 |
494,945 |
| Male Population |
989,726 |
246,163 |
| Female Population |
980,204 |
248,782 |
| Sex Ratio (female per 1000 male) |
990 |
1,011 |
| Child Population 0-6 |
220,384 |
52,185 |
| Child Sex Ratio (0-6 years) |
927 |
943 |
| Average Literacy (%) |
71.62 |
84.41 |
| Male Literacy (%) |
81.18 |
90.80 |
| Female Literacy (%) |
62.05 |
78.13 |
Area, Density and Households
| Item |
Figure |
| Total Area (sq km) |
6,188 |
| Population Density (per sq km) |
398 |
| Total Households |
588,836 |
| Urban Households (approx) |
about 100,000+ |
| Rural Households (approx) |
about 480,000+ |
| Houseless Families |
497 |
| Houseless Population |
1,278 |
Workforce and Economic Profile
Workers by Category (District)
| Work Category |
Number of Workers |
| Total Workers |
1,238,177 |
| Cultivators (main and marginal) |
292,641 (265,183 main + 27,458 marginal) |
| Agricultural Labourers (main and marginal) |
525,063 (351,310 main + 173,753 marginal) |
| Household Industry Workers (main and marginal) |
46,720 (37,020 main + 9,700 marginal) |
| Other Main Workers |
316,559 |
| Other Marginal Workers |
57,194 |
Worker Profile Overview
| Category |
Observation |
| Male Workers |
around 7.39 lakh, higher share in all sectors |
| Female Workers |
around 4.99 lakh, strong presence in farm and informal work |
| Rural Workers |
more in agriculture, weaving and allied work |
| Urban Workers |
more in trade, services and small industries |
Administrative Divisions, Taluks and Area Statistics
District Administrative Structure
| Administrative Item |
Details |
| District Headquarters |
Tiruvannamalai |
| Sub-Divisions (Revenue) |
3 (Arani, Tiruvannamalai, Cheyyar) |
| Taluks |
12 |
| Blocks |
27 |
| Total Villages |
about 1,061 |
| Total Towns |
22 |
| Total Area (hectares) |
about 631,205 ha |
Taluks and Population Details (2011)
| Taluk |
Area (sq km) |
Population 2011 |
| Tiruvannamalai Urban |
102 |
409,826 |
| Tiruvannamalai Rural |
102 |
169,759 |
| Thandarampattu |
691 |
179,559 |
| Chengam |
510 |
280,581 |
| Arani |
327 |
294,976 |
| Polur |
509 |
251,685 |
| Kalasapakkam |
532 |
140,301 |
| Javvadhumalai (Jamunamarathoor) |
645 |
47,271 |
| Cheyyar (Tiruvethipuram) |
344 |
218,188 |
| Vandavasi |
645 |
275,079 |
| Chettupattu |
493 |
146,806 |
| Vembakkam |
310 |
124,188 |
Cities, Towns and Urban Centres
Main Urban Centres (2011)
| Urban Centre |
Population 2011 |
| Tiruvannamalai (Municipal Corporation / City) |
about 380,543 (urban area) |
| Arani (Municipality) |
143,783 |
| Vandavasi (Municipality) |
116,452 |
| Polur (Municipality) |
101,420 |
| Tiruvethipuram / Cheyyar (Municipality) |
87,901 |
| Chengam (Municipality) |
74,901 |
| Chettupattu |
59,580 |
| Kalasapakkam |
46,910 |
| Gandhinagar – Lakshmipuram |
45,571 |
| Kalambur |
31,751 |
| Vettavalam |
28,059 |
| Pudupalayam |
25,374 |
| Thyagi Annamalai Nagar |
24,329 |
| Peranamallur |
22,619 |
| Adamangalam–Pudur |
21,750 |
| Kizh-Pennathur |
21,308 |
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is the total population of Tiruvannamalai district? It is 24.65 lakh as per 2011 census.
- How much of Tiruvannamalai population lives in villages? Around 79.92 percent people live in rural areas.
- What is the literacy rate in Tiruvannamalai district? The literacy rate is about 74.21 percent.
- What are the SC and ST shares in the district? SC share is 22.94 percent and ST share is 3.69 percent.
- What is the population density of Tiruvannamalai district? It is about 398 persons per square kilometre.