THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A service-driven economy continues to define the district, notes the District Handbook 2025. The report estimates the district economy at Rs 1.1 lakh crore in 2024-25. Nearly 78% of the district’s Gross Value Added (GVA) comes from the service sector, while the secondary sector contributes 15.9%.
The primary sector accounts for just 6.1 %. The handbook was prepared by the district office of the economics and statistics department using data compiled from official administrative sources of various government departments. It presents a comprehensive statistical profile of the district across sectors such as education, health, employment, migrant labour, fisheries, agriculture, crime, road accidents, vital statistics and production indicators.
The district achieved full coverage of identified beneficiaries under the extreme poverty eradication programme. As many as 7,278 people were identified as extremely poor in the district. A total of 1,074 people were excluded due to death, migration, and duplication. The number of people freed from extreme poverty stands at 6,204.
At the same time, agriculture trends show a mixed picture. Paddy production declined from 4,938.79 tonnes in 2023-24 to 3,334.26 tonnes in 2024-25 due to a fall in the area under cultivation. However, productivity rose from 2,447.84 kg per hectare to around 4,002 kg per hectare.
Floriculture expanded during the period, with the area under cultivation increasing by 13.69% to 246.50 hectares in 2025. The use of electric vehicles picked up pace in 2025. New electric vehicle registrations rose by 35.4%, increasing from 13,857 in 2024 to 18,762 in 2025. Electric two-wheelers remained the largest segment, followed by motor cars and three-wheelers.
The MSME sector too recorded growth, with the number of registered units increasing from 10,056 in 2023-24 to 10,542 in 2024-25.
An upward trend was also seen in the district’s tourism activity. Foreign tourist arrivals rose by about 15% in 2024, with the United Kingdom and the United States emerging as the top source countries. Tamil Nadu and Karnataka were the leading source states for domestic tourists.
However, there was an increase in road accident cases in 2025, though fatalities declined compared to 2024, indicating improvements in road safety measures and emergency care. Crime data show a rise in murder and rape cases, while theft cases declined from 691 in 2024 to 518 in 2025. Murder cases increased from 40 to 43, while rape cases rose from 393 to 417 compared to 2024. The handbook also pointed out a 28.6% decline in the Scheduled Tribe population from 26,759 in 2011 to 19,109 in 2024.
Meanwhile, the report highlighted the district’s dependence on inter-state labour. Migrant workers from West Bengal form the largest share, followed by Assam, Tamil Nadu and Jharkhand. Together, these states account for over 77% of the migrant workforce.
Among other findings, egg production recorded growth, milk production remained largely stable and voter turnout in local body elections stood at 67.47% with near-equal participation of men and women.
The handbook was released by MLA V K Prasanth by handing it over to AdditionalDistrict Magistrate Vineeth T K. District planning officer Praveen P and deputy director of Economics and Statistics Anish Kumar B attended the meeting.
Primary sector accounts for 6.1 %
The report estimates the district economy at about Rs 1.1 lakh crore in 2024-25. Nearly 78% of the district’s Gross Value Added (GVA) comes from the service sector, while the secondary s. The primary sector accounts for just 6.1 %.