The city has been experiencing a sharp deceleration in its population growth.
During the last 10 years the increase in population has only been 5,101 persons. As per the 2011 census, the population of Kochi in 2011 was 601,574 as against 596,473 in 2001.
The male population was 296,668 while the number of females was 304,906. The sex ratio of the city was 1028 per 1000 males.
However, the population of the Kochi metropolitan area, including neighbouring municipalities and panchayats, was 2,117,990 of which 1,042,809 were males and 1,075,181 were females.
Apart from the natural decrease, one of the other major reasons cited for the phenomenon was a decline in the rate of migration from nearby areas.
High land prices were also deterrents, especially in middle and low-income categories, for those wanting to migrate to the city.
Moreover, the facility for daily commutation to the city from adjoining areas added to the increasing floating population in the city.
The high level of floating population created congestion in traffic corridors and demanded more civic amenities.
In the Kochi urban agglomeration, only four areas like Kalamassery, Thrikkakkara, Maradu and Thripunithura registered an increase in population while all the other areas including Cheranalloor, Njarackal,Mulavukadu, Elamkunnapuzha, Kadamakkudy, Eloor, Varapuzha, Kumbalam, Kumbalangi, Chellanam and Thiruvamkulam have shown a decrease or stability in the population during the last decade.
Meanwhile, Ernakulam district had a population of 3,279,860 of which males and females were 1,617,602 and 1,662,258 respectively.
The rate of population growth in the district has virtually halved from 9.35 per cent in the decade between 1991 and 2001, to about 5.6 per cent from 2001 to 2011.
The percentage decadal growth rate of the state’s population during 2001-2011 was 4.86, compared to 17.64 for India as a whole.