EIACP PC-HuB : Tamil Nadu
State of Environment and Related Issues

DEMOGRAPHY OF TAMIL NADU

             Tamil Nadu is the 11th largest states in India in terms of area. The state is the seventh most populous state in the country and its main language Tamil has origins that date back to 500 BC. Chennai is the capital of Tamil Nadu and lies on the eastern coast line of India. Tamil Nadu is famous for its wonderful temples and monuments that have been built 1000s of years ago and has places that have been marked as heritage sites by the United Nations. In a 180 degree paradigm shift, this state with a rich historical importance is also one of the fastest developing centre for technology and trade.

Demography  in Tamil Nadu

            The Population of Tamil Nadu according to the 2011 census stands at about 72 million which is not as huge as compared to some of the other big states in the country. This also reflects in the fact that the density of the state is about 555 which is on the higher side greater than the national average by about 150 points. The state has a growth rate of about 15 percent which will continue to rise due to the rise in infrastructure and development index of the state as a whole. Thus the population of the state is rising considerably given the progress in the state. The literacy rate in the state is about 80% which is a very positive stat much above the national average but something the state has worked hard on. The statistics in the Tamil Nadu Census 2011 reveal facts that can be taken into consideration by the government in a bid to further its development. The sex ratio in the state stands at 995 which positive as the number exceeds the national average.

            The capital city, Chennai is also the largest city in the state of Tamil Nadu. In total Tamil Nadu comprises 32 districts.

Tamil Nadu Population 2011

            As per details from Census 2011, Tamil Nadu has population of 7.21 Crores, an increase from figure of 6.24 Crore in 2001 census. Total population of Tamil Nadu as per 2011 census is 72,147,030 of which male and female are 36,137,975 and 36,009,055 respectively. In 2001, total population was 62,405,679 in which males were 31,400,909 while females were 31,004,770.

Tamil Nadu Population Growth Rate

            The total population growth in this decade was 15.61 percent while in previous decade it was 11.19 percent. The population of Tamil Nadu forms 5.96 percent of India in 2011. In 2001, the figure was 6.07 percent.

 Tamil Nadu Literacy Rate 2011

            Literacy rate in Tamil Nadu has seen upward trend and is 80.09 percent as per 2011 population census. Of that, male literacy stands at 86.77 percent while female literacy is at 73.14 percent. In 2001, literacy rate in Tamil Nadu stood at 73.45 percent of which male and female were 83.28 percent and 64.91 percent literate respectively.         

            In actual numbers, total literates in Tamil Nadu stands at 51,837,507 of which males were 28,040,491 and females were 23,797,016.

Tamil Nadu Sex Ratio

            Sex Ratio in Tamil Nadu is 996 i.e. for each 1000 male, which is above national average of 940 as per census 2011. In 2001, the sex ratio of female was 986 per 1000 males in Tamil Nadu.

Tamil Nadu Urban Population 2011           

          Out of total population of Tamil Nadu, 48.40% people live in urban regions. The total figure of population living in urban areas is 34,917,440 of which 17,458,910 are males and while remaining 17,458,530 are females. The urban population in the last 10 years has increased by 48.40 percent.

            Sex Ratio in urban regions of Tamil Nadu was 1000 females per 1000 males. For child (0-6) sex ratio the figure for urban region stood at 952 girls per 1000 boys. Total children (0-6 age) living in urban areas of Tamil Nadu were 3,512,530. Of total population in urban region, 10.06 % were children (0-6).

            Average Literacy rate in Tamil Nadu for Urban regions was 87.04 percent in which males were 91.80% literate while female literacy stood at 82.31%. Total literates in urban region of Tamil Nadu were 27,335,312.

Tamil Nadu Rural Population 2011

            Of the total population of Tamil Nadu state, around 51.60 percent live in the villages of rural areas. In actual numbers, males and females were 18,679,065 and 18,550,525 respectively. Total population of rural areas of Tamil Nadu state was 37,229,590. The population growth rate recorded for this decade (2001-2011) was 51.60%. In rural regions of Tamil Nadu state, female sex ratio per 1000 males was 993 while same for the child (0-6 age) was 936 girls per 1000 boys. In Tamil Nadu, 3,911,302 children (0-6) live in rural areas. Child population forms 10.51 percent of total rural population. In rural areas of Tamil Nadu, literacy rate for males and female stood at 82.04 % and 64.55 %. Average literacy rate in Tamil Nadu for rural areas was 73.54 percent. Total literates in rural areas were 24,502,195.

Tamil Nadu Census 2011 Statistics

Largest District (km²)

Percentage of Child

High Density

Top Population Growth

High Literacy

 High Sex Ratio

Source: http://www.census2011.co.in