# Madurai, Madurai (Tamil Nadu) – City Population & History

> Source: https://wherepedia.org/india/tamil-nadu/madurai/madurai-south/madurai/

City · Madurai, Tamil Nadu 

# Madurai

Madurai is a city in Madurai South sub-district of Madurai district, Tamil Nadu (municipal corporation). The 2011 Census counted **1,017,865 people** in 266,449 households. Literacy was 90.9%.

- 1,017,865people (2011)
- 266,449households
- 90.9%literacy
- 72census wards

## Population of Madurai

■ Madurai · ■ Madurai urban average

Literacy (age 7+) ****90.9%**

**89.4%

Sex ratio (F per 1,000 M) ****999**

**996

Child sex ratio (0–6) ****949**

**945

Working population ****38.4%**

**39.4%

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

## Homes and amenities in Madurai

Of every 100 households in Madurai in 2011, 99 had electricity, 92 a toilet at home and 66 cooked with LPG; 82 had a mobile phone, 37 a two-wheeler and 6 a car.

■ Madurai · ■ Madurai urban average

Electricity for lighting ****99%**

**97%

Toilet within the home ****92%**

**85%

No toilet (open defecation) ****2%**

**9%

Tap water ****90%**

**83%

Drinking water within premises ****68%**

**53%

Cooking with LPG / PNG ****66%**

**66%

Cooking with firewood / dung / crop residue ****5%**

**12%

Use banking services ****61%**

**61%

Television ****91%**

**91%

Mobile phone ****82%**

**81%

Computer with internet ****7%**

**6%

Two-wheeler ****37%**

**36%

Car / jeep / van ****6%**

**5%

None of these assets ****2%**

**3%

Own their home ****37%**

**44%

Source: [Census of India 2011, Houselisting and Housing Census – households by amenities and assets (HH-14)](https://censusindia.gov.in/nada/index.php/catalog).

## What people in Madurai work as

********

**■** Services, trade & industry 348,849 (89%) · **■** Household industry 11,282 (3%) · **■** Farming 3,402 (1%) · **■** Marginal 27,782 (7%)

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

## How has the population of Madurai changed?

From 105,984 in 1901 to 1,017,865 in 2011.

**1901

**1911

**1921

**1931

**1941

**1951

**1961

**1971

**1981

**1991

**2001

**2011

Source: [Census of India 2011, District Census Handbook – town directory](https://censusindia.gov.in/nada/index.php/catalog).

## Madurai in numbers and road distances

- Density19,589 per km²
- Growth 2001–20119.6%
- Annual rainfall713 mm
- Temperature range20 °C to 38 °C

### Road distances

- Chennai (state capital)465 km by road

Source: [Census of India 2011, District Census Handbook – town directory](https://censusindia.gov.in/nada/index.php/catalog).

## Services and economy in Madurai

### Civic services

- Pucca roads761 km
- DrainageOpen and closed drains
- Flush toilets266,449
- Water storage133,500 kl
- Fire serviceIn town
- Electricity — homes266,420
- Electricity — industry36

### Hospitals

- ●Allopathic hospitals5 · 2,258 beds · 231 doctors
- ●Alternative-medicine hospitals5 · 10 beds · 2 doctors
- ●Dispensaries2 · 10 beds · 4 doctors
- ●Veterinary hospitals2 · 9 beds · 2 doctors

### Schools and colleges

- ●Primary schools136 govt · 250 private
- ●Senior secondary schools49 govt · 50 private
- ●Engineering colleges5 govt · 14 private
- ●Medical colleges1 govt
- ●Polytechnics2 govt · 6 private

### Banks

- Nationalised banks115
- Private banks36
- Co-operative banks13

**Main manufactured goods:** steel furnitures and thread.

Source: [Census of India 2011, District Census Handbook – town directory](https://censusindia.gov.in/nada/index.php/catalog).

## Hospitals, banks, ATMs and more in Madurai

- Hospitals181 in Madurai
- Banks389 in Madurai
- ATMs119 in Madurai
- Petrol pumps26 in Madurai
- Hotels173 in Madurai
- Shopping malls9 in Madurai
- Schools77 in Madurai
- Colleges and universities49 in Madurai
- Cinemas28 in Madurai
- Pharmacies82 in Madurai
- Restaurants223 in Madurai
- Police stations6 in Madurai
- Dental clinics62 in Madurai

Source: [Overture Maps Foundation places, release 2026-10-21.0 (CDLA-Permissive-2.0, Apache-2.0 or CC0 by source)](https://docs.overturemaps.org/attribution/).

## Madurai ward list (2011)

- Ward 7132,600 people
- Ward 231,115 people
- Ward 7230,611 people
- Ward 6829,683 people
- Ward 127,487 people
- Ward 6025,527 people

[Full ward list (72 wards) →](https://wherepedia.org/india/tamil-nadu/madurai/madurai-south/madurai/wards/)

## Know before you go: Madurai

- Time zoneUTC+5:30, no daylight saving · Asia/Kolkata
- CurrencyRupee (INR)
- Country calling code+91
- LanguagesEnglish, Hindi, Bengali, Telugu, Marathi, Tamil
- Plug typesType C, D · 230 V
- Driving sideLeft
- Postcode format6 digits (######)

### Nearest airports

- Madurai Airport (IXM) · Madurai9.8 km
- Tiruchirappalli International Airport (TRZ) · Tiruchirappalli114 km

### Daylight

Days are longest in Jun (about 12.7 hours, sunrise around 05:56) and shortest in Dec (about 11.5 hours, sunrise around 06:26, sunset around 17:59).

Source: [GeoNames country and time-zone files (CC BY 4.0)](https://www.geonames.org/); [Wikidata (CC0) — plug types, mains voltage, driving side; retrieved 2026-11-02](https://www.wikidata.org/); [OurAirports (public domain)](https://ourairports.com/data/).

Airports with scheduled passenger flights; straight-line distances. Daylight is calculated for the 15th of each month in local standard time. Check entry and visa rules with official government sources before travelling.

## Quick answers

- What is the population of Madurai?1,017,865 (Census 2011)
- Which district is Madurai in?Madurai district, Tamil Nadu
- What was the population of Madurai in 1901?105,984
- How many wards does Madurai have?72 census wards (2011)
- What plug type is used in Madurai?Type C, D, 230 V
- What is the nearest airport to Madurai?Madurai Airport (IXM), about 9.8 km in a straight line