# Kerala – Districts List, Cities, Population & Literacy (Census 2011)

> Source: https://wherepedia.org/india/kerala/

State · India 

# Kerala

Kerala is a state of India with its capital at Thiruvananthapuram. At the 2011 Census it was home to **33,406,061 people** — 2.8% of India and 13th of 36 states and union territories — in 14 districts, 520 towns and 1,018 villages. 48% lived in towns, and literacy was 94.0% (above the national 73.0%).

- 33,406,061people (2011)
- 14districts (2011)
- 520towns
- 94.0%literacy

## Who lives in Kerala?

Kerala had **33,406,061 people** at the 2011 Census — 2.8% of India's population and 13th of 36 states and union territories by population. There were 1,084 women for every 1,000 men (above the India figure of 943; the highest of 36 states and union territories). Among children under 7 the ratio was 964 girls per 1,000 boys (the India figure is 918). An average household had 4.3 people, against 4.9 across India.

## How literate is Kerala?

94.0% of people aged 7 and over could read and write in 2011 (above India's 73.0%), the highest of 36 states and union territories. Men were at 96.1% and women at 92.1% — a gap of 4.0 points (it is 16.2 points across India). Among its districts, literacy is highest in [Kottayam](https://wherepedia.org/india/kerala/kottayam/) (97.2%) and lowest in [Wayanad](https://wherepedia.org/india/kerala/wayanad/) (89.0%).

Source: [Census of India 2011, Primary Census Abstract (town, village and ward level), all districts](https://censusindia.gov.in/nada/index.php/catalog).

## What do people in Kerala do for a living?

34.8% of people worked in 2011 (women: 18.2%). Of all workers, 5% farmed their own land, 8% were farm labourers, 2% worked in household industry and 66% in other work such as services, trade and factories; 20% were marginal workers with less than six months' work. Farming employs 13% of workers here, against 38% across India. The most farm-dependent of its districts is [Idukki](https://wherepedia.org/india/kerala/idukki/) (38% of workers in farming) and the least is [Kozhikode](https://wherepedia.org/india/kerala/kozhikode/) (6% of workers in farming).

**********

**■** Cultivators 5 (5%) · **■** Farm labourers 8 (8%) · **■** Household industry 2 (2%) · **■** Other work 66 (66%) · **■** Marginal 20 (20%)

Source: [Census of India 2011, Primary Census Abstract (town, village and ward level), all districts](https://censusindia.gov.in/nada/index.php/catalog).

## Cities and towns of Kerala

47.7% of people lived in towns and cities (above India's 31.1%), 9th of 36 states and union territories. The Census counted 520 towns: 59 statutory towns with a municipality and 461 census towns — places urban in character but still governed as villages. 9 cities have 1 lakh (100,000) people or more. The largest is [Thiruvananthapuram](https://wherepedia.org/india/kerala/thiruvananthapuram/thiruvananthapuram/thiruvananthapuram/) with 788,271 people, home to 5% of the urban population.

Source: [Census of India 2011, Primary Census Abstract (town, village and ward level), all districts](https://censusindia.gov.in/nada/index.php/catalog).

## Villages of Kerala

Kerala had 1,018 census villages, 1,017 of them inhabited. The average inhabited village had 17,179 people; 943 villages had 5,000 people or more. The largest: [Edakkara](https://wherepedia.org/india/kerala/malappuram/nilambur/edakkara/) (60,573), [Kannan Devan Hills](https://wherepedia.org/india/kerala/idukki/devikulam/kannan-devan-hills/) (55,738), [Wandoor](https://wherepedia.org/india/kerala/malappuram/nilambur/wandoor/) (50,973), [Vazhikkadavu](https://wherepedia.org/india/kerala/malappuram/nilambur/vazhikkadavu/) (47,322) and [Kottukal](https://wherepedia.org/india/kerala/thiruvananthapuram/neyyattinkara/kottukal/) (46,915).

Source: [Census of India 2011, Primary Census Abstract (town, village and ward level), all districts](https://censusindia.gov.in/nada/index.php/catalog).

## Where is Kerala, and what is it like?

The capital is [Thiruvananthapuram](https://wherepedia.org/india/kerala/thiruvananthapuram/thiruvananthapuram/thiruvananthapuram/). It covers 38,863 km², so in 2011 there were about 860 people per km². It borders [Karnataka](https://wherepedia.org/india/karnataka/), [Puducherry](https://wherepedia.org/india/puducherry/) and [Tamil Nadu](https://wherepedia.org/india/tamil-nadu/). Official language: Malayalam. Its highest point is Anamudi.

Source: [Wikidata (CC0) — capital, area, languages, neighbours; retrieved 2026-10-29](https://www.wikidata.org/).

### Weather and best time to visit

At Thiruvananthapuram, the hottest month is Mar (average 29 °C), the coldest Dec (26 °C), and the wettest Oct (291 mm of rain). The most comfortable months are **January**.

- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec

Source: [NASA POWER climatology, retrieved 2026-10-29](https://power.larc.nasa.gov/).

## Travancore (today's Kerala) in history

The 11th edition of the *Encyclopaedia Britannica* (1911) described Travancore (today's Kerala) as follows. Its wording reflects its time; spellings are as printed.

> TRAVANCORE, a state of southern India, in political relation with Madras. In 1901 the population was 2,952,157, showing an increase of 15% in the preceding decade. The state stands sixteenth among the native states of India in area and third in population. Travancore extends more than 150 m. along the west coast as far as Cape Comorin, the southernmost point of the peninsula. The Western Ghats rise to an elevation of 8000 ft. and are clothed with primeval forest; .they throw out spurs towards the coast, along which there is a belt of flat country of about 10 m. in width, covered with coco-nut and areca palms, which to a great extent constitute the wealth of the country. The whole surface is undulating, and presents a series of hills and valleys traversed from east to west by many rivers, the floods of which, arrested by the peculiar action of the Arabian Sea, spread themselves out into lagoons or backwaters, connected here and there by artificial canals, and forming an inland line of smooth-water communication for nearly the whole length of the coast. The chief river is the Periyar, 142 m. in length. Other important rivers are the Pambai and its tributary the Achenkoil, the Kallada, and the Western Tambraparni. Iron is abundant and plumbago is worked. Elephants are numerous, and tigers, leopards, bears, bison and various kinds of deer abound in the forests. Travancore has an abundant rainfall, with every variety of temperature. The principal ports are Alleppi, Quilon and Paravur; but there is no real harbour. The state has a fine system of roads, and the Cochin-Shoranur and the Tinnevelly-Quilon railways pass through it. The Periyar irrigation project conducts water through the ghats in a tunnel to irrigate the Madras district of Madura, for which compensation of Rs. 40,000 is annually paid to Travancore.

Source: [Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th edition (1911) — public domain; transcription via Wikisource](https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/1911_Encyclop%C3%A6dia_Britannica).

Boundaries in 1901 may differ from today's; sentences describing castes or communities are omitted.

## Population of Kerala compared with India

■ Kerala · ■ India

Literacy (age 7+) ****94.0%**

**73.0%

Sex ratio (F per 1,000 M) ****1084**

**943

Child sex ratio (0–6) ****964**

**918

Working population ****34.8%**

**39.8%

Source: [Census of India 2011, Primary Census Abstract (town, village and ward level), all districts](https://censusindia.gov.in/nada/index.php/catalog).

## Districts of Kerala

District People Sub-districts Towns Literacy 

[Malappuram](https://wherepedia.org/india/kerala/malappuram/) 4,112,920 6 44 93.6% 

[Thiruvananthapuram](https://wherepedia.org/india/kerala/thiruvananthapuram/) 3,301,427 4 31 93.0% 

[Ernakulam](https://wherepedia.org/india/kerala/ernakulam/) 3,282,388 7 56 95.9% 

[Thrissur](https://wherepedia.org/india/kerala/thrissur/) 3,121,200 5 135 95.1% 

[Kozhikode](https://wherepedia.org/india/kerala/kozhikode/) 3,086,293 3 51 95.1% 

[Palakkad](https://wherepedia.org/india/kerala/palakkad/) 2,809,934 5 21 89.3% 

[Kollam](https://wherepedia.org/india/kerala/kollam/) 2,635,375 5 27 94.1% 

[Kannur](https://wherepedia.org/india/kerala/kannur/) 2,523,003 3 67 95.1% 

[Alappuzha](https://wherepedia.org/india/kerala/alappuzha/) 2,127,789 6 38 95.7% 

[Kottayam](https://wherepedia.org/india/kerala/kottayam/) 1,974,551 5 17 97.2% 

[Kasaragod](https://wherepedia.org/india/kerala/kasaragod/) 1,307,375 2 27 90.1% 

[Pathanamthitta](https://wherepedia.org/india/kerala/pathanamthitta/) 1,197,412 5 4 96.5% 

[Idukki](https://wherepedia.org/india/kerala/idukki/) 1,108,974 4 1 92.0% 

[Wayanad](https://wherepedia.org/india/kerala/wayanad/) 817,420 3 1 89.0% 

Source: [Census of India 2011, Primary Census Abstract (town, village and ward level), all districts](https://censusindia.gov.in/nada/index.php/catalog).

Boundaries and names as at the 2011 Census; districts created since then are not shown separately.

## Largest cities and towns in Kerala

- Thiruvananthapuram · 788,271
- Kochi · 633,553
- Kozhikode · 550,440
- Kollam · 367,107
- Thrissur · 315,957
- Alappuzha · 240,991
- Palakkad · 130,955
- Kanhangad · 125,564
- Malappuram · 101,386
- Manjeri · 97,102
- Thalassery · 92,558
- Ponnani · 90,491
- Edathala · 77,811
- Vadakara · 75,295
- Taliparamba · 72,465
- Payyannur · 72,111
- Quilandy · 71,873
- Kalamassery · 71,038
- Neyyattinkara · 70,850
- Beypore · 69,752

## Quick answers

- What is the capital of Kerala?Thiruvananthapuram
- What is the area of Kerala?38,863 km²
- Which states border Kerala?Karnataka, Puducherry and Tamil Nadu
- What language is spoken in Kerala?Malayalam (official)
- When is the best time to visit Kerala?January
- What is the literacy rate of Kerala?94.0% (Census 2011)
- What is the sex ratio of Kerala?1,084 women per 1,000 men (Census 2011)
- How many districts are in Kerala?14 (Census 2011)
- What is the population of Kerala?33,406,061 (Census 2011)
- Which is the most populous district of Kerala?Malappuram
- Which is the largest city in Kerala?Thiruvananthapuram