Sri Lanka Population (LIVE)

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Sri Lanka Population (1950 - 2024)
Yearly Population Growth Rate (%)
  • The current population of Sri Lanka is 23,152,759 as of Thursday, November 21, 2024, based on Worldometer's elaboration of the latest United Nations data1.
  • Sri Lanka 2024 population is estimated at 23,103,565 people at mid year.
  • Sri Lanka population is equivalent to 0.28% of the total world population.
  • Sri Lanka ranks number 61 in the list of countries (and dependencies) by population.
  • The population density in Sri Lanka is 368 per Km2 (954 people per mi2).
  • The total land area is 62,710 Km2 (24,212 sq. miles).
  • 17.9 % of the population is urban (4,137,016 people in 2024).
  • The median age in Sri Lanka is 33.1 years.
1. U.N. Dept. of Economic and Social Affairs - Population Division. World Population Prospects: The 2024 Revision. (Medium-fertility variant).

Population of Sri Lanka (2024 and historical)

YearPopulationYearly %
Change
Yearly
Change
Migrants (net)Median AgeFertility RateDensity (P/Km²)Urban
Pop %
Urban PopulationCountry's Share of
World Pop
World PopulationSri Lanka
Global Rank
2024 23,103,565 0.57 % 131,948 -27,245 33.1 1.95 368 17.9 % 4,137,016 0.28 % 8,161,972,572 61
2023 22,971,617 0.60 % 136,652 -28,011 32.8 1.97 366 17.8 % 4,083,985 0.28 % 8,091,734,930 61
2022 22,834,965 0.59 % 134,593 -27,435 32.6 1.98 364 17.7 % 4,034,302 0.28 % 8,021,407,192 59
2020 22,561,807 0.67 % 151,255 -29,875 32.1 2.01 360 17.5 % 3,945,488 0.29 % 7,887,001,292 58
2015 21,729,971 0.80 % 170,176 -29,797 30.7 2.09 347 17.4 % 3,781,471 0.29 % 7,470,491,872 57
2010 20,879,089 0.65 % 132,513 -98,060 29.2 2.13 333 17.6 % 3,681,427 0.30 % 7,021,732,148 57
2005 20,216,524 0.94 % 184,694 -118,594 27.7 2.26 322 17.7 % 3,573,620 0.31 % 6,586,970,132 54
2000 19,293,054 1.90 % 345,797123,894 26.2 2.21 308 17.9 % 3,452,171 0.31 % 6,171,702,993 51
1995 17,564,068 1.44 % 242,322 117,416 24.3 2.35 280 19.2 % 3,367,985 0.30 % 5,758,878,982 49
1990 16,352,458 1.02 % 161,661 -195,736 22.6 2.54 261 19.6 % 3,212,099 0.31 % 5,327,803,110 50
1985 15,544,154 0.92 % 139,236 -80,950 21.1 2.90 248 19.4 % 3,011,554 0.32 % 4,868,943,465 48
1980 14,847,974 1.85 % 259,798 -63,541 20.4 3.73 237 18.8 % 2,797,666 0.33 % 4,447,606,236 46
1975 13,548,984 1.97 % 252,375 -37,475 19.7 3.82 216 18.4 % 2,489,237 0.33 % 4,070,735,277 46
1970 12,287,110 2.39 % 274,029 -16,299 19.0 4.39 196 17.9 % 2,197,238 0.33 % 3,694,683,794 44
1965 10,916,965 2.47 % 251,115 -7,249 18.5 4.93 174 17.4 % 1,901,067 0.33 % 3,334,533,703 47
1960 9,661,389 2.30 % 207,612 -12,610 18.5 5.35 154 16.8 % 1,622,519 0.32 % 3,015,470,894 44
1955 8,623,331 2.00 % 162,457 -11,698 19.1 5.31 138 15.9 % 1,373,606 0.31 % 2,740,213,792 47
Source: Worldometer (www.Worldometers.info)
Elaboration of data by United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. World Population Prospects: The 2024 Revision. (Medium-fertility variant).
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Sri Lanka Population Forecast

YearPopulationYearly %
Change
Yearly
Change
Migrants (net)Median AgeFertility RateDensity (P/Km²)Urban
Pop %
Urban PopulationCountry's Share of
World Pop
World PopulationSri Lanka
Global Rank
2025 23,229,470 0.58 % 133,533 -30,724 33.3 1.94 370 18.1 % 4,193,316 0.28 % 8,231,613,070 60
2030 23,767,952 0.46 % 107,696 -30,852 34.8 1.88 379 19.1 % 4,528,025 0.28 % 8,569,124,911 63
2035 24,196,475 0.36 % 85,705 -30,925 36.1 1.84 386 20.5 % 4,966,948 0.27 % 8,885,210,181 64
2040 24,526,699 0.27 % 66,045 -29,129 37.3 1.81 391 22.4 % 5,503,409 0.27 % 9,177,190,203 65
2045 24,736,435 0.17 % 41,947 -23,483 38.7 1.79 394 24.5 % 6,048,778 0.26 % 9,439,639,668 66
2050 24,813,690 0.06 % 15,451   40.2 1.77 396 26.5 % 6,574,761 0.26 % 9,664,378,587 67
Source: Worldometer (www.Worldometers.info)
Elaboration of data by United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. World Population Prospects: The 2024 Revision. (Medium-fertility variant).

Sri Lanka Demographics

Main Page: Demographics of Sri Lanka
Life Expectancy
77.67 years
(life expectancy at birth, both sexes)
View by sex and historical chart
Infant Mortality
5.0
(infant deaths per 1,000 live births)
View historical chart
Deaths under age 5
6.2
(per 1,000 live births)
View historical chart

Main Cities by Population in Sri Lanka

(includes boroughs, districts, urban agglomerations, etc.)

# CITY NAME POPULATION
1 Colombo 648,034
2 Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia 219,827
3 Maharagama 195,355
4 Jaffna 169,102
5 Moratuwa 168,280
6 Negombo 137,223
7 Pita Kotte 118,179
8 Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte 115,826
9 Kandy 111,701
10 Trincomalee 108,420
11 Kalmunai 100,171
12 Galle 93,118
13 Point Pedro 89,810
14 Batticaloa 86,742
15 Katunayaka 84,643
16 Valvedditturai 78,205
17 Matara 76,254
18 Battaramulla South 75,633
19 Dambulla 66,716
20 Kolonnawa 64,887
21 Kotikawatta 64,565
22 Anuradhapura 60,943
23 Vavuniya 60,176
24 Hendala 56,978
25 Ambalangoda 56,783
26 Ratnapura 47,832
27 Badulla 47,587
28 Puttalam 45,661
29 Devinuwara 45,000
30 Ampara 43,720
31 Welisara 41,306
32 Kalutara 37,081
33 Bentota 37,000
34 Matale 36,462
35 Homagama 34,664
36 Beruwala 34,250
37 Panadura 33,735
38 Mulleriyawa 33,540
39 Kandana 33,424
40 Ja Ela 32,175
41 Wattala 30,725
42 Kelaniya 28,846
43 Peliyagoda 28,784
44 Kurunegala 28,571
45 Nuwara Eliya 27,500
46 Chilaw 24,712
47 Gampola 24,283
48 Eravur Town 22,982
49 Hanwella Ihala 22,918
50 Weligama 22,179
51 Vakarai 21,000
52 Kataragama 20,935
53 Kegalle 17,962
54 Hatton 15,073

See also

Notes

The Sri Lanka Population (Live) counter shows a continuously updated estimate of the current population of Sri Lanka delivered by Worldometer's RTS algorithm, which processes data collected from the United Nations Population Division.

The Population of Sri Lanka (1950 - 2023) chart plots the total population count as of July 1 of each year, from 1950 to 2023.

The Yearly Population Growth Rate chart plots the annual percentage changes in population registered on July 1 of each year, from 1951 to 2023. This value can differ from the Yearly % Change shown in the historical table, which shows the last year equivalent percentage change assuming homogeneous change in the preceding five year period.

Definitions

Year: as of July 1 of the year indicated.

Population: Overall total population (both sexes and all ages) in the country as of July 1 of the year indicated, as estimated by the United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. World Population Prospects: The 2024 Revision. For forecasted years, the U.N. medium-fertility variant is used.


Yearly % Change: For 2023: percentage change in total population over the last year (from July 1, 2022 to June 30 2023). For all other years: latest year annual percentage change equivalent assuming homogeneous change in the preceding five year period, calculated through reverse compounding.

Yearly Change: For 2023: absolute change in total population (increase or decrease in number of people) over the last year (from July 1, 2022 to June 30 2023). For all other years: average annual numerical change over the preceding five year period.

Migrants (net): The average annual number of immigrants minus the number of emigrants over the preceding five year period (running from July 1 to June 30 of the initial and final years), or subsequent five year period (for 2016 data). A negative number means that there are more emigrants than immigrants.

Median Age: age that divides the population into two numerically equal groups: half of the people are older than the median age indicated and half are younger. This parameter provides an indication of age distribution.

Fertility Rate: (Total Fertility Rate, or TFR), it is expressed as children per woman. It is calculated as the average number of children an average woman will have during her reproductive period (15 to 49 years old) based on the current fertility rates of every age group in the country, and assuming she is not subject to mortality.

Density (P/Km²): (Population Density) Population per square Kilometer (Km²).

Urban Pop % : Urban population as a percentage of total population.

Urban Population: Population living in areas classified as urban according to the criteria used by each country.

Country's Share of World Pop: Total population in the country as a percentage of total World Population as of July 1 of the year indicated.

World Population: Total World Population as of July 1 of the year indicated.

Global Rank: Position held by Sri Lanka in the list of all countries worldwide ranked by population (from the highest population to the lowest population) as of July 1 of the year indicated.