The state’s population grew by 15.6 per cent in the last decade with 97.4 lakh people being added to the numbers, and stood at 7.2 crore in March 2011.
Addressing a press conference to release the Primary Census Abstract 2011 — Tamil Nadu, joint director of census operations and controlling officer MRV Krishna Rao said the census indicated a higher growth rate of female population (16.1 per cent) compared to males (15.1 pc). Of the total increase in population, males accounted for 47.4 lakh, while females accounted for 50 lakh, Rao said.
Kancheepuram district recorded the highest growth of 39 per cent in 10 years, while Nilgiris recorded a decline of –3.5 per cent. Eleven districts recorded a population growth of 15 per cent.
Interestingly, rural population grew by 23 lakh and stood at 3.72 crore, while urban population grew by 74 lakh and stood at 3.49 crore. Villupuram has the largest rural population of 29 lakh, which is 7.9 per cent of the state’s rural population, while Chennai has the highest urban population of 46 lakh (13.3 per cent of the state urban population). In percentage terms, the rural population constitutes 51.6 per cent and urban population 48.4 per cent of the total.