Population of Tamil Nadu
| Source | 2011 - Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation |
| 2011-36 - Report of The Technical Group On Population Proiecttons (page no 89) | |
| Date | 10 Feb 2025 |
As per the report of the Technical Group by the National Commission, the population of Tamil Nadu is projected to be 77,394,000, or 77.39 million, or 7.74 crores, as of July 1, 2025. Tamil Nadu is the 7th most populous state in India and the most populous state in South India. Tamil Nadu’s population is projected to peak in 2031 with 7.81 crore people.
The size of the population of Tamil Nadu is equivalent to that of Thailand, the 20th most populous country in the world. Only one country in South America, two in Europe and North America, and four in Africa have more people than Tamil Nadu.
In 2025, the sex ratio of the total population in Tamil Nadu will be 99.443 males per 100 females. There are 38,589,000, or 38.59 million, or 3.86 crore, males and 38,805,000, or 38.81 million, or 3.88 crore, females in Tamil Nadu. Tamil Nadu has 216,000, or 216k, more females than males.
Tamil Nadu accounts for 5.46 percent of the Indian population, which is 3.15% less than the peak of 8.61% in 1921. The population growth rate for 2025 is projected at 0.30%, the lowest among states. Tamil Nadu will add 229k more people in 2025.
According to the Census of India 2011, the population of Tamil Nadu was 7.21 crore, increasing from 6.24 crore in 2001. There were 36,137,975 males and 36,009,055 females, with a sex ratio of 100.358 males per 100 females. The percentage of decadal growth during 2001–2011 was 15.61%, 3.89% higher than the 1991–2001. The population of Tamil Nadu increased by 9.74 million during the decade 2001–2011.
The population of Tamil Nadu, which at the turn of the twentieth century was only around 19.25 million, increased by approximately four times in a period of 124 years to reach 77.39 million in 2025. In 1901, Tamil Nadu was the 4th most populous state, but as of 2025, it has been surpassed by West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan.
- Population
- Growth rate
- Net change
| Year | Population | Growth | Share (%) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | Male | Female | Net Change | rate (%) | India | |
| 2011 | 72,313,000 | 36,218,000 | 36,095,000 | - | - | 5.95 |
| 2012 | 72,811,000 | 36,459,000 | 36,352,000 | 498,000 | 0.689 | 5.91 |
| 2013 | 73,308,000 | 36,700,000 | 36,608,000 | 497,000 | 0.683 | 5.87 |
| 2014 | 73,806,000 | 36,940,000 | 36,865,000 | 498,000 | 0.679 | 5.84 |
| 2015 | 74,303,000 | 37,181,000 | 37,122,000 | 497,000 | 0.673 | 5.80 |
| 2016 | 74,753,000 | 37,397,000 | 37,356,000 | 450,000 | 0.606 | 5.77 |
| 2017 | 75,106,000 | 37,561,000 | 37,545,000 | 353,000 | 0.472 | 5.73 |
| 2018 | 75,460,000 | 37,726,000 | 37,734,000 | 354,000 | 0.471 | 5.70 |
| 2019 | 75,813,000 | 37,891,000 | 37,923,000 | 353,000 | 0.468 | 5.66 |
| 2020 | 76,167,000 | 38,055,000 | 38,111,000 | 354,000 | 0.467 | 5.63 |
| 2021 | 76,479,000 | 38,198,000 | 38,281,000 | 312,000 | 0.410 | 5.59 |
| 2022 | 76,707,000 | 38,295,000 | 38,412,000 | 228,000 | 0.298 | 5.56 |
| 2023 | 76,936,000 | 38,393,000 | 38,543,000 | 229,000 | 0.299 | 5.53 |
| 2024 | 77,165,000 | 38,491,000 | 38,674,000 | 229,000 | 0.298 | 5.49 |
| 2025 | 77,394,000 | 38,589,000 | 38,805,000 | 229,000 | 0.297 | 5.46 |
| 2026 | 77,582,000 | 38,666,000 | 38,916,000 | 188,000 | 0.243 | 5.43 |
| 2027 | 77,689,000 | 38,701,000 | 38,988,000 | 107,000 | 0.138 | 5.40 |
| 2028 | 77,796,000 | 38,736,000 | 39,060,000 | 107,000 | 0.138 | 5.36 |
| 2029 | 77,903,000 | 38,771,000 | 39,132,000 | 107,000 | 0.138 | 5.33 |
| 2030 | 78,011,000 | 38,807,000 | 39,204,000 | 108,000 | 0.139 | 5.30 |
| 2031 | 78,081,000 | 38,824,000 | 39,257,000 | 70,000 | 0.090 | 5.27 |
| 2032 | 78,078,000 | 38,806,000 | 39,272,000 | -3,000 | -0.004 | 5.24 |
| 2033 | 78,075,000 | 38,788,000 | 39,287,000 | -3,000 | -0.004 | 5.21 |
| 2034 | 78,072,000 | 38,769,000 | 39,303,000 | -3,000 | -0.004 | 5.18 |
| 2035 | 78,069,000 | 38,751,000 | 39,318,000 | -3,000 | -0.004 | 5.15 |
| 2036 | 78,066,000 | 38,733,000 | 39,333,000 | -3,000 | -0.004 | 5.12 |
| Year | Population | Growth | Share (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net Change | rate (%) | India | ||
| 1901 | 19,252,630 | - | - | 8.08 |
| 1911 | 20,902,616 | 1,649,986 | 8.57 | 8.29 |
| 1921 | 21,628,518 | 725,902 | 3.47 | 8.61 |
| 1931 | 23,472,099 | 1,843,581 | 8.52 | 8.41 |
| 1941 | 26,267,507 | 2,795,408 | 11.91 | 8.24 |
| 1951 | 30,119,047 | 3,851,540 | 14.66 | 8.34 |
| 1961 | 33,686,953 | 3,567,906 | 11.85 | 7.67 |
| 1971 | 41,199,168 | 7,512,215 | 22.30 | 7.52 |
| 1981 | 48,408,077 | 7,208,909 | 17.50 | 7.08 |
| 1991 | 55,858,946 | 7,450,869 | 15.39 | 6.60 |
| 2001 | 62,405,679 | 6,546,733 | 11.72 | 6.07 |
| 2011 | 72,147,030 | 9,741,351 | 15.61 | 5.96 |
| Age group | Male | Female | Total | M per 100 F | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Persons | Share (%) | ||||
| 00-04 | 2,714,578 | 2,564,123 | 5,278,701 | 7.32 | 105.868 |
| 05-09 | 2,851,293 | 2,699,962 | 5,551,255 | 7.69 | 105.605 |
| 10-14 | 3,188,990 | 2,988,557 | 6,177,547 | 8.56 | 106.707 |
| 15-19 | 3,229,838 | 3,023,954 | 6,253,792 | 8.67 | 106.808 |
| 20-24 | 3,154,804 | 3,256,739 | 6,411,543 | 8.89 | 96.870 |
| 25-29 | 3,237,374 | 3,426,372 | 6,663,746 | 9.24 | 94.484 |
| 30-34 | 2,908,749 | 2,906,811 | 5,815,560 | 8.06 | 100.067 |
| 35-39 | 2,815,205 | 3,021,251 | 5,836,456 | 8.09 | 93.180 |
| 40-44 | 2,549,846 | 2,514,363 | 5,064,209 | 7.02 | 101.411 |
| 45-49 | 2,374,915 | 2,338,141 | 4,713,056 | 6.53 | 101.573 |
| 50-54 | 1,875,563 | 1,827,897 | 3,703,460 | 5.13 | 102.608 |
| 55-59 | 1,540,924 | 1,560,218 | 3,101,142 | 4.30 | 98.763 |
| 60-64 | 1,378,039 | 1,404,569 | 2,782,608 | 3.86 | 98.111 |
| 65-69 | 896,412 | 971,958 | 1,868,370 | 2.59 | 92.227 |
| 70-74 | 693,167 | 713,362 | 1,406,529 | 1.95 | 97.169 |
| 75-79 | 353,746 | 356,495 | 710,241 | 0.98 | 99.229 |
| 80-84 | 210,812 | 245,927 | 456,739 | 0.63 | 85.721 |
| 85-89 | 82,854 | 94,104 | 176,958 | 0.25 | 88.045 |
| 90-94 | 31,547 | 43,138 | 74,685 | 0.10 | 73.130 |
| 95-99 | 9,007 | 11,967 | 20,974 | 0.03 | 75.265 |
| 100+ | 5,642 | 7,012 | 12,654 | 0.02 | 80.462 |
| Age not stated | 34,670 | 32,135 | 66,805 | 0.09 | 107.889 |
| Total | 36,137,975 | 36,009,055 | 72,147,030 | 100.358 | |
- Population pyramid
- Gender ratio
| Rank | District | Population | Rural (%) | Urban (%) | Sex ratio | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Male | Female | Total | Share (%) | F per 1000 M | M per 100 F | ||||
| 4 | Thiruvallur | 1,876,062 | 1,852,042 | 3,728,104 | 5.17 | 34.86 | 65.14 | 987 | 101.297 |
| 1 | Chennai | 2,335,844 | 2,310,888 | 4,646,732 | 6.44 | 0.00 | 100.00 | 989 | 101.080 |
| 2 | Kancheepuram | 2,012,958 | 1,985,294 | 3,998,252 | 5.54 | 36.51 | 63.49 | 986 | 101.393 |
| 3 | Vellore | 1,961,688 | 1,974,643 | 3,936,331 | 5.46 | 56.76 | 43.24 | 1,007 | 99.344 |
| 13 | Tiruvannamalai | 1,235,889 | 1,228,986 | 2,464,875 | 3.42 | 79.92 | 20.08 | 994 | 100.562 |
| 6 | Viluppuram | 1,740,819 | 1,718,054 | 3,458,873 | 4.79 | 84.99 | 15.01 | 987 | 101.325 |
| 5 | Salem | 1,781,571 | 1,700,485 | 3,482,056 | 4.83 | 49.05 | 50.95 | 954 | 104.768 |
| 21 | Namakkal | 869,280 | 857,321 | 1,726,601 | 2.39 | 59.68 | 40.32 | 986 | 101.395 |
| 15 | Erode | 1,129,868 | 1,121,876 | 2,251,744 | 3.12 | 48.57 | 51.43 | 993 | 100.712 |
| 31 | The Nilgiris | 360,143 | 375,251 | 735,394 | 1.02 | 40.76 | 59.24 | 1,042 | 95.974 |
| 16 | Dindigul | 1,080,938 | 1,078,837 | 2,159,775 | 2.99 | 62.59 | 37.41 | 998 | 100.195 |
| 29 | Karur | 528,184 | 536,309 | 1,064,493 | 1.48 | 59.18 | 40.82 | 1,015 | 98.485 |
| 10 | Tiruchirappalli | 1,352,284 | 1,370,006 | 2,722,290 | 3.77 | 50.85 | 49.15 | 1,013 | 98.706 |
| 32 | Perambalur | 282,157 | 283,066 | 565,223 | 0.78 | 82.81 | 17.19 | 1,003 | 99.679 |
| 30 | Ariyalur | 374,703 | 380,191 | 754,894 | 1.05 | 88.90 | 11.10 | 1,015 | 98.557 |
| 11 | Cuddalore | 1,311,697 | 1,294,217 | 2,605,914 | 3.61 | 66.03 | 33.97 | 987 | 101.351 |
| 23 | Nagapattinam | 798,127 | 818,323 | 1,616,450 | 2.24 | 77.44 | 22.56 | 1,025 | 97.532 |
| 27 | Thiruvarur | 626,693 | 637,584 | 1,264,277 | 1.75 | 79.61 | 20.39 | 1,017 | 98.292 |
| 14 | Thanjavur | 1,182,416 | 1,223,474 | 2,405,890 | 3.33 | 64.61 | 35.39 | 1,035 | 96.644 |
| 22 | Pudukkottai | 803,188 | 815,157 | 1,618,345 | 2.24 | 80.45 | 19.55 | 1,015 | 98.532 |
| 26 | Sivaganga | 668,672 | 670,429 | 1,339,101 | 1.86 | 69.17 | 30.83 | 1,003 | 99.738 |
| 9 | Madurai | 1,526,475 | 1,511,777 | 3,038,252 | 4.21 | 39.22 | 60.78 | 990 | 100.972 |
| 28 | Theni | 625,683 | 620,216 | 1,245,899 | 1.73 | 46.18 | 53.82 | 991 | 100.881 |
| 17 | Virudhunagar | 967,709 | 974,579 | 1,942,288 | 2.69 | 49.53 | 50.47 | 1,007 | 99.295 |
| 25 | Ramanathapuram | 682,658 | 670,787 | 1,353,445 | 1.88 | 69.66 | 30.34 | 983 | 101.770 |
| 20 | Thoothukkudi | 865,021 | 885,155 | 1,750,176 | 2.43 | 49.90 | 50.10 | 1,023 | 97.725 |
| 8 | Tirunelveli | 1,520,912 | 1,556,321 | 3,077,233 | 4.27 | 50.60 | 49.40 | 1,023 | 97.725 |
| 19 | Kanniyakumari | 926,345 | 944,029 | 1,870,374 | 2.59 | 17.67 | 82.33 | 1,019 | 98.127 |
| 24 | Dharmapuri | 774,303 | 732,540 | 1,506,843 | 2.09 | 82.68 | 17.32 | 946 | 105.701 |
| 18 | Krishnagiri | 960,232 | 919,577 | 1,879,809 | 2.61 | 77.21 | 22.79 | 958 | 104.421 |
| 7 | Coimbatore | 1,729,297 | 1,728,748 | 3,458,045 | 4.79 | 24.27 | 75.73 | 1,000 | 100.032 |
| 12 | Tiruppur | 1,246,159 | 1,232,893 | 2,479,052 | 3.44 | 38.64 | 61.36 | 989 | 101.076 |