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| Last Updated:: 06/09/2024

Demography

 

              Prior to independence, Kerala formed part of, the two Princely States of Travancore and Cochin and of Madras Presidency. The earliest authentic account of census in this part of India is available from the "Geographical and Statistical Memoir of the Survey of Travancore and Cochin States" conducted by Lieutenants Ward and Conner during the period 1816-20. Thereafter censuses were taken in Travancore State in 1836 and Cochin State in 1854. But there are grounds to believe that frequent attempts were made by the earlier rulers of the State to collect statistics of the population and the resources of the country.

 

The first modern census of Travancore - Cochin was taken in 1875. From 1881 onwards the constitutional units of Kerala State had census taken at 10 year intervals with the rest of the country. The first census of this State of Kerala was taken in 1961. Thereafter, census was taken every 10 years. The last census was taken in 2011.

 

Census 2011

 

Census 2011 put Kerala's population at 3,33,87,677 persons which included 16,021,290 males and 17,366,387 females. Although Kerala accounts for only 1 per cent of the total area of India, it contains about 3 per cent of the country's population. The population density of the state is about 859 people per square kilometres, three times the national average. Kerala is one of the densest States in the country and it recorded a decadal population growth of + 4.86% (1,546,303 persons). Kerala, with a sex-ratio (females per 1000 males) of 1084, is the only state in India with a positive figure. In the human development and related indices it occupies prime position among the Indian States.

   

Kerala Districtwise Population

District

Population

Males

Females

Thiruvananthapuram

33,07,284

15,84,200

17,23,084

Kollam

26,29,703

1244815

1384888

Alappuzha

2121943

1010252

1111691

Pathanamthitta

1195537

561620

633917

Kottayam

1979384

970140

1009244

Idukki

1107453

551944

555509

Ernakulam

3279860

1617602

1662258

Thrissur

3110327

1474665

1635662

Palakkad

2810892

1360067

1450825

Kozhikode

3089543

1473028

1616515

Wayanad

816558

401314

415244

Malappuram

4110956

1961014

2124942

Kannur

2525637

1184012

1341625

Kasargod

1302600

626617

675983

Total

33387677

16021290

17366387

Source : Census India 2011

 

          Malappuram is the most populated district and has a population of 41,10,956 people. Second comes Thiruvananthapuram with a population of 33,07,284 people followed by Ernakulam with 32,79,860 people. Wayanad is the least populated district followed by Idukki and Kasargod.Whereas, Thiruvananthapuram with a population density of 1509 persons per sq.km is the most densely populated district in Kerala followed by Alappuzha with 1501 people per sq.km and Kozhikode with 1318 persons per sq.km. Idukki with a density of just 254 persons per sq.km is the least densely populated district followed by Wayanad with a density of 383 persons. The average density of population of the state is 819 persons per sq.km.

 

          Kerala's urban population figures to 1,74,55,506 persons which is about one-fourth of the total population. Rural population in Kerala is 1,59,32,171. Of the total population of Kerala, working population (main and marginal workers) constitute 32.3% and non-workers form 67.7%.

 

          As per the Census 2001 data, Hindus, who constitute 56.20 per cent of the total population, is the most prominent religious community in the state. This is followed by Muslims who form 24.7 per cent of the population and Christians who constitute 19 percent of the total population. Also, a small number of Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Jews and other religious communities are also present. 

 

Total Working and Non-Working Population of Kerala

Total Workers

Main Workers

Marginal Workers

Non-Workers

10291258 (32.3%)

8236741

2054517

21547361 (67.7%)

 

Kerala being an agricultural state with an agrarian economy, a good percent of its population is confined to agriculture or other agro base industry. 

 

Category of Workers (Main and Marginal)

Cultivators

Agricultural Labourers

Household Industries

Others

740403 (7.2%)

1653601 (16.1%)

364770 (3.5%)

7532484 (73.2%)

 

   2011 Kerala census - At a Glance:

Description

2011

Approximate Population

3.33 Crore

Actual Population

33,387,677

Male

16,021,290

Female

17,366,387

Population Growth

4.86%

Percantage of total Population

2.76%

Sex Ratio

1084

Child Sex Ratio

959

Density/km2

859

Density/mi2

2,225

Area km2

38,863

Area mi2

15,005

Total Child Population (0-6 Age)

3,322,247

Male Population (0-6 Age)

1,695,935

Female Population (0-6 Age)

1,626,312

Literacy

93.91 %

Male Literacy

96.02 %

Female Literacy

91.98 %

Total Literate

28,234,227

Male Literate

13,755,888

Female Literate

14,478,339

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

 

 



 

 

 Rural and urban population 2011

 

Description

Rural

Urban

Population (%)

52.28 %

47.72 %

Total Population

17,455,506

15,932,171

Male Population

8,403,706

7,617,584

Female Population

9,051,800

8,314,587

Population Growth

-25.96 %

92.72 %

Sex Ratio

1077

1091

Child Sex Ratio (0-6)

960

958

Child Population (0-6)

1,747,512

1,574,735

Child Percentage (0-6)

10.01 %

9.88 %

Literates

14,595,727

13,638,500

Average Literacy

92.92 %

94.99 %

Male Literacy

95.29 %

96.83 %

Female Literacy

90.74 %

93.33 %

 

 

Population Census 2001 in Kerala

 

Population District wise Profile 2001

 

 

Reference

http://censusindia.gov.in/