The Vellore district of Tamil Nadu had a population of about 39.36 lakh in 2011 and it is expected to move up towards around 42 lakh by the mid 2020s. It covers nearly 6,075 sq km of land and has a population density of about 648 persons per sq km. The sex ratio is close to 1,007 females for every 1,000 males and the overall literacy rate is around 79.17 percent. The child sex ratio is roughly 944 girls for every 1,000 boys in the age group 0-6 years. Hindu religion has the largest share in the district while Muslims and Christians also have a notable presence, and Tamil is the main language spoken along with Telugu and Urdu in many local pockets. A little more than half of the people live in rural areas and the rest live in towns and cities spread across the district. There are close to 9.3 lakh households in Vellore district as per the last census.
Quick Overview of District Census 2011
| Item |
Figure |
| District Name |
Vellore |
| State |
Tamil Nadu |
| Census Year |
2011 |
| Actual Population |
3,936,331 |
| Male Population |
1,961,688 |
| Female Population |
1,974,643 |
| Sex Ratio (female per 1000 male) |
1,007 |
| Child Sex Ratio (0-6 years) |
944 |
| Total Area (sq km) |
6,075 |
| Population Density (per sq km) |
648 |
| Average Literacy Rate |
79.17 % |
| Male Literacy Rate |
86.50 % |
| Female Literacy Rate |
71.95 % |
| Urban Population Share |
43.24 % |
| Rural Population Share |
56.76 % |
| Total Households |
929,281 |
Historic Census Data and Population Projections
Population from 1901 to 2011
| Census Year |
Population |
| 1901 |
967,845 |
| 1911 |
1,057,841 |
| 1921 |
1,088,264 |
| 1931 |
1,228,535 |
| 1941 |
1,440,228 |
| 1951 |
1,676,438 |
| 1961 |
1,817,967 |
| 1971 |
2,231,448 |
| 1981 |
2,628,526 |
| 1991 |
3,026,432 |
| 2001 |
3,477,317 |
| 2011 |
3,936,331 |
Key Census Indicators 2001 and 2011
| Indicator |
2001 |
2011 |
| Actual Population |
3,477,317 |
3,936,331 |
| Population (in lakh) |
34.77 |
39.36 |
| Population Growth (%) |
14.90 |
13.20 |
| Area (sq km) |
6,077 |
6,075 |
| Density (persons per sq km) |
572 |
648 |
| Sex Ratio (female per 1000 male) |
997 |
1,007 |
| Child Sex Ratio (0-6 years) |
943 |
944 |
| Average Literacy (%) |
72.36 |
79.17 |
| Male Literacy (%) |
81.99 |
86.50 |
| Female Literacy (%) |
62.79 |
71.95 |
| Total Child Population 0-6 |
432,180 |
432,550 |
| Child Share in Population (%) |
12.43 |
10.99 |
Population Projections up to 2031
| Year |
Projected Population |
| 2021 |
4,370,000 |
| 2024 |
4,480,000 |
| 2025 |
4,510,000 |
| 2026 |
4,530,000 |
| 2027 |
4,550,000 |
| 2028 |
4,570,000 |
| 2029 |
4,580,000 |
| 2030 |
4,590,000 |
| 2031 |
4,600,000 |
Population, Child Population and Sex Ratio
Basic Population Structure 2011
| Category |
Male |
Female |
| Total Population |
1,961,688 |
1,974,643 |
| Child Population 0-6 years |
222,460 |
210,090 |
| Total Child Population 0-6 |
432,550 |
| Child Share in Total Population (%) |
10.99 |
| Sex Ratio (female per 1000 male) |
1,007 |
| Child Sex Ratio (0-6 years) |
944 |
Urban and Rural Child Data
| Area Type |
Child Population 0-6 |
Child Sex Ratio |
| Urban |
183,404 |
953 |
| Rural |
249,146 |
938 |
Literacy Rate, Male Literacy and Female Literacy
Overall and Gender Wise Literacy
| Indicator |
Rate (%) |
| Average Literacy |
79.17 |
| Male Literacy |
86.50 |
| Female Literacy |
71.95 |
Urban and Rural Literacy Pattern
| Area Type |
Average Literacy (%) |
Male Literacy (%) |
Female Literacy (%) |
| Total |
79.17 |
86.50 |
71.95 |
| Urban |
85.01 |
90.59 |
79.56 |
| Rural |
74.70 |
83.39 |
66.08 |
Literacy by Religion
| Religion |
Average Literacy (%) |
Male Literacy (%) |
Female Literacy (%) |
| Hindu |
78.41 |
86.11 |
70.79 |
| Muslim |
82.00 |
87.49 |
76.63 |
| Christian |
91.04 |
94.43 |
88.01 |
| Religion not stated |
83.26 |
89.99 |
77.74 |
Religion and Caste (SC / ST)
Religion Wise Population 2011
| Religion |
Population |
Percentage |
| Hindu |
3,397,857 |
86.32 % |
| Muslim |
414,760 |
10.54 % |
| Christian |
111,390 |
2.83 % |
| Jain |
3,514 |
0.09 % |
| Sikh |
676 |
0.02 % |
| Buddhist |
438 |
0.01 % |
| Other religions |
251 |
0.01 % |
| Religion not stated |
7,445 |
0.19 % |
Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe Population
| Group |
Population |
Share in District (%) |
| Scheduled Castes (SC) |
860,212 |
21.85 |
| Scheduled Tribes (ST) |
72,955 |
1.85 |
SC and ST Population by Gender
| Group |
Male Population |
Female Population |
| Scheduled Castes (SC) |
424,668 |
435,544 |
| Scheduled Tribes (ST) |
36,663 |
36,292 |
Urban and Rural Population, Density and Households
Urban Rural Split
| Area Type |
Population |
Share of Total (%) |
| Urban |
1,701,987 |
43.24 |
| Rural |
2,234,344 |
56.76 |
Urban and Rural Detailed Profile
| Description |
Rural |
Urban |
| Total Population |
2,234,344 |
1,701,987 |
| Male Population |
1,117,101 |
844,587 |
| Female Population |
1,117,243 |
857,400 |
| Sex Ratio (female per 1000 male) |
1,000 |
1,015 |
| Child Population 0-6 |
249,146 |
183,404 |
| Child Sex Ratio (0-6 years) |
938 |
953 |
| Average Literacy (%) |
74.70 |
85.01 |
| Male Literacy (%) |
83.39 |
90.59 |
| Female Literacy (%) |
66.08 |
79.56 |
Area, Density and Households
| Item |
Figure |
| Total Area (sq km) |
6,075 |
| Population Density (per sq km) |
648 |
| Total Households |
929,281 |
| Houseless Families |
684 |
| Houseless Population |
2,422 |
| Total Towns |
72 |
| Total Villages |
858 |
Workforce and Economic Profile
Workers by Category
| Work Category |
Number of Workers |
| Total Workers |
1,689,330 |
| Main Workers |
1,360,185 |
| Marginal Workers |
329,145 |
| Cultivators (main) |
153,211 |
| Main Agricultural Labourers |
254,999 |
| Household Industry (main) |
106,906 |
| Other Workers (main) |
845,069 |
| Marginal Cultivators |
21,897 |
| Marginal Agricultural Labourers |
136,956 |
| Marginal Household Industry Workers |
29,509 |
| Other Marginal Workers |
140,783 |
Worker Profile Overview
| Category |
Number |
| Total Workers |
1,689,330 |
| Male Workers |
1,123,874 |
| Female Workers |
565,456 |
| Non-Workers |
2,247,001 |
Administrative Divisions, Sub-Districts and Area Statistics
Sub-Districts (Taluks / Tehsils)
| Sub-District (Taluk) |
Type |
| Ambur |
Taluk / Subdistrict |
| Arakonam |
Taluk / Subdistrict |
| Arcot |
Taluk / Subdistrict |
| Gudiyatham |
Taluk / Subdistrict |
| Katpadi |
Taluk / Subdistrict |
| Tirupathur |
Taluk / Subdistrict |
| Vaniyambadi |
Taluk / Subdistrict |
| Vellore |
Taluk / Subdistrict |
| Wallajah |
Taluk / Subdistrict |
Key Administrative Units
| Administrative Unit |
Count |
| Tehsils / Taluks |
9 |
| Total Villages |
858 |
| Total Towns |
72 |
| Households |
929,281 |
Cities, Towns and Urban Centres
Urban Agglomerations in Vellore District
| Urban Agglomeration |
Population 2011 |
| Vellore Urban Agglomeration |
484,690 |
| Ranipet Urban Agglomeration |
264,330 |
| Gudiyatham Urban Agglomeration |
123,192 |
| Vaniyambadi Urban Agglomeration |
117,019 |
Major Cities and Towns (Municipal Areas)
| City / Town |
Population 2011 |
| Vellore (Municipal Corporation) |
185,803 |
| Ambur (Municipality) |
114,608 |
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is the total population of Vellore district? It is 39.36 lakh as per 2011 census.
- How much of Vellore population lives in rural areas? Around 56.76 percent people live in villages.
- What is the literacy rate in Vellore district? The literacy rate is about 79.17 percent.
- What is the share of SC and ST in Vellore? SC share is 21.85 percent and ST share is 1.85 percent.
- What is the population density of Vellore district? It is about 648 persons per square kilometre.