The total population of the Nair community is disputed, since there has been no caste-based census since 1931. The administrators of the British Raj had an abiding interest in ethnography but in post-independence India the policy has been generally to ignore it in censuses. ^{[1] [2]}

The 1968 Socio-Economic Survey by the Government of Kerala stated that the population of the Nair community comprised 14.41% of the total state population. However, various sources cite figures ranging from 12% to 20%. ^{[3] [4] [5] [6]} There is also the practical difficulty of certain Nair subcastes declaring themselves as independent castes. Out of the citizens eligible to vote in Kerala, around 12% or 15% belong to the Nair community. ^[7]

The Nair population historically and currently remains concentrated in the capital districts. The Nair population in Trivandrum and Ernakulam districts has been increasing since the beginning of 19th century. ^[8]

The Nair population has been declining in Kerala, with some districts having only a small percentage of Nairs. For example, Malappuram has a Nair population of 1.8%, and Kasargode has about 2.1%. ^[9]

The most reliable population figures comes from two sources. The BCRC estimated Nair population at 14.47% of the total population of Kerala based on a statewide sample survey conducted for the reservation of seats in educational institutions.

Population estimates [ edit ]

Household sample surveys conducted by the Kerala Statistical Institute, the last of which were in 2000 ^{[ needs update ]} , produced estimates which were:

References [ edit ]