Households, literacy, children and work
The Primary Census Abstract adds a detailed view of the same Census 2011 geography. Literacy rates use people aged 7 and above; work participation uses all residents.
Scroll the table sideways to see every column.
| Indicator · Census 2011 | Total | Rural | Urban |
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| Populationpeople | 72,147,030 | 37,229,590 | 34,917,440 |
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| Households recorded in the PCAhouseholds | 18,524,982 | 9,528,495 | 8,996,487 |
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| Children aged 0–6people aged 0–6 | 7,423,832 | 3,911,302 | 3,512,530 |
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| Children aged 0–6 as a share of population% | 10.29% | 10.51% | 10.06% |
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| Sex ratiofemales per 1,000 males | 996 | 993 | 1,000 |
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| Child sex ratiogirls per 1,000 boys aged 0–6 | 943 | 936 | 952 |
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| Literate populationliterate people aged 7+ | 51,837,507 | 24,502,195 | 27,335,312 |
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| Literacy rate% | 80.09% | 73.54% | 87.04% |
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| Male literacy rate% | 86.77% | 82.04% | 91.8% |
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| Female literacy rate% | 73.44% | 65.05% | 82.31% |
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| Scheduled Castes populationpeople | 14,438,445 | 9,475,475 | 4,962,970 |
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| Scheduled Tribes populationpeople | 794,697 | 660,280 | 134,417 |
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| Total workersCensus workers | 32,884,681 | 18,861,330 | 14,023,351 |
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| Work participation rate% | 45.58% | 50.66% | 40.16% |
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| Main workersworked at least 6 months | 27,942,181 | 15,339,116 | 12,603,065 |
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| Marginal workersworked less than 6 months | 4,942,500 | 3,522,214 | 1,420,286 |
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| Non-workerspeople | 39,262,349 | 18,368,260 | 20,894,089 |
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Census of India · original Primary Census Abstract
Sheet1! rows 1904, 1905, 1906; original PCA field codes are documented in field-definitions.json.
Source access notes and archived workbooks
Worker categories
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| Economic activity | Main workers | Marginal workers |
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| Cultivators | 3,855,375 | 393,082 |
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| Agricultural labourers | 7,234,101 | 2,372,446 |
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| Household industry workers | 1,119,458 | 245,435 |
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| Other workers | 15,733,247 | 1,931,537 |
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Definitions, calculation methods and source access
32 historical districts in this state/UT have detailed profiles.
Explore these districtsReligious composition · Census 2011
Reported religious communities within the same historical state/UT boundary. These are 2011 counts and shares.
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| Published category | People | Share of this state / UT |
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| Hindu | 63,188,168 | 87.58% |
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| Muslim | 4,229,479 | 5.86% |
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| Christian | 4,418,331 | 6.12% |
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| Sikh | 14,601 | 0.02% |
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| Buddhist | 11,186 | 0.02% |
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| Jain | 89,265 | 0.12% |
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| Other religions and persuasions | 7,414 | 0.01% |
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| Religion not stated | 188,586 | 0.26% |
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Religion not stated is retained separately; it is not a count of atheists. Rounded shares may not sum exactly to 100%. Aggregate place composition does not identify the religion of a person.
Census C-01 · original religious-community table. C01!H107:AH107; Tamil Nadu, Total
Compare the 35 historical state / UT profilesThe census snapshot
This profile uses final, revised Census 2011 population totals reproduced in the Ministry of Home Affairs’ July 2014 table. These are historical counts. The reference year and the geographic boundaries remain 2011.
Tamil Nadu Census 2011 key figures| Total population | 7,21,47,030 |
| Published male column¹ | 3,61,37,975 |
| Female population | 3,60,09,055 |
| Population density | 555 people / km² |
| Sex ratio | 996 females / 1,000 males |
| Census code | 33 |
| Population rank | 7 of 35 census-era states / UTs |
| Share of India | 5.96% |
¹ The source includes people recorded as “Others” within its published male column. We retain that official table convention. Read the definitions.
Putting Tamil Nadu in perspective
With 7.21 crore residents, Tamil Nadu ranked 7 among the 35 states and union territories in this 2011 dataset. Its published density of 555 people per square kilometre was higher than the national figure of 382.
Tamil Nadu · 5.96%Rest of India · 94.04%
Density relates the number of people to the geographic area used in the source. It does not show how evenly people are distributed within Tamil Nadu. The sex ratio is a separate measure: this table reports 996 females for every 1,000 males.
Using these figures today
For a current-year population question, start with our India after 2011 data guide. It brings together official projections, surveys, birth and death statistics, and administrative data, with a reference period for each. Relabelling this census count with a newer year would give it a meaning it does not have.
For comparisons over time, check whether boundaries, definitions or the data release have changed. Our guide to counts and estimates explains how to choose a suitable measure.
PopulationIndia · https://www.populationindia.com/census/2011/states/tamil-nadu/ · Census 2011 · Sources checked 11 October 2026