According to the 2011 census Kannur district has a population of 2,525,637, roughly equal to the nation of Kuwait or the US state of Nevada. This gives it a ranking of 170th in India (out of a total of 640). The district has a population density of . Its population growth rate over the decade 2001-2011 was 4.84%. Kannur has a sex ratio of 1133 females for every 1000 males, the highest among any district in India, and a literacy rate of 95.41%.