What is the population of Chennai?
Chennai's metropolitan area has about 11,503,000 people, making it the 27th largest metro area in our dataset of 140 major cities.
In India
Metro population
11,503,000
0.139% of world population
Archive estimateAnnual growth
+1.32%
About 416 people a day
Archive estimateDensity
9,675/km²
1,189 km² metro area
City proper
4,681,087
Within the administrative boundary
GeoNamesAbout Chennai
With a metropolitan population of 11,503,000, Chennai ranks among Asia's largest urban agglomerations. The city proper holds 4,681,087 residents at a density of 9,675 people per km², concentrated across relatively compact terrain near India's southeastern coast at an elevation of 14 m. Annual growth of 1.3% indicates steady expansion of this established urban center, which was founded in 1639. Chennai International Airport (MAA) serves the city's transportation needs, while the municipality operates under the leadership of M. K. Stalin.
This summary is AI-generated from the statistics on this page. The figures themselves come from the sources cited beside each value.
Key Facts
Airports
Scheduled-service airports within 100 km, nearest first.
- Chennai International AirportMAA
16 km from the city centre
Source: OurAirports, matched by distance.
Compared with the World's Largest Cities
Metropolitan population against the fifteen largest metro areas.
| Name | Metro population |
|---|---|
| Tokyo | 37.4M |
| Delhi | 32.9M |
| Shanghai | 29.2M |
| São Paulo | 22.6M |
| Dhaka | 22.5M |
| Mexico City | 22.3M |
| Cairo | 22.2M |
| Mumbai | 21.7M |
| Beijing | 21.5M |
| Osaka | 19M |
| New York | 18.9M |
| Karachi | 17.1M |
| Kinshasa | 17.1M |
| Chongqing | 16.9M |
| Lagos | 15.9M |
| Chennai | 11.5M |
Population Trend in India
No free source publishes metropolitan population back to 1950, so the parent country's series is shown instead.
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 1950 | 346,278,821 |
| 1960 | 435,990,338 |
| 1970 | 545,864,268 |
| 1980 | 687,354,025 |
| 1990 | 864,972,221 |
| 2000 | 1,057,922,733 |
| 2010 | 1,243,481,564 |
| 2020 | 1,402,617,695 |
| 2030 | 1,525,138,844 |
| 2040 | 1,622,580,039 |
| 2050 | 1,679,589,259 |
| 2060 | 1,700,951,714 |
| 2070 | 1,689,202,539 |
| 2080 | 1,645,548,761 |
| 2090 | 1,580,305,096 |
| 2100 | 1,505,251,761 |
Other Major Cities in India
8 more cities in our dataset.
Nearest Major Cities
Closest cities in our dataset by great-circle distance.
Chennai Population FAQ
What is the difference between Chennai's city and metro population?
About 4,681,087 people live within the city proper, while the wider metropolitan area holds roughly 11,503,000. Metro figures include surrounding commuter areas that fall outside the city's administrative boundary.
Is Chennai growing or shrinking?
Chennai is growing at +1.32% a year.
What share of India's population lives in Chennai?
Chennai's metro area holds about 0.8% of India's total population.
How densely populated is Chennai?
Chennai has roughly 9,675 people per km² across a metro area of about 1,189 km².
Which airports serve Chennai?
The nearest major airports are Chennai International Airport (MAA).
Which country is Chennai in?
Chennai is in India, in Asia.
Explore More Cities
- #1 TokyoJapan · 37.4M · −0.14%
- #2 DelhiIndia · 32.9M · +2.78%
- #3 ShanghaiChina · 29.2M · +0.86%
- #4 São PauloBrazil · 22.6M · +0.75%
- #5 DhakaBangladesh · 22.5M · +2.89%
- #6 Mexico CityMexico · 22.3M · +0.80%