The total population of Sri Lanka was estimated at 22.88 million people in 2024. In a steady upward trend, the total population rose by 7.33 million people from 1980.This indicator describes the total population in the country at hand. This total population of the country consists of all persons falling within the scope of the census.

The total population in Sri Lanka was estimated at 23.1 million people in 2024, according to the latest census figures and projections from Trading Economics. This dataset provides - Sri Lanka Population - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

Key information about Sri Lanka population

• The Sri Lanka population reached 21.8 million people in Jun 2025, compared with the previously reported figure of 21.9 million people in Jun 2024
• The data reached an all-time high of 44.6 million people in Jun 2011 and a record low of 21.2 million people in Jun 2018

*This indicator will be no longer available from March 2026, 4th onwards. CEIC has a plan to remove the non-standard frequency indicator after the standard frequency indicator has been added and be available on this table. The Central Bank of Sri Lanka provides Mid-year Population

In 1800, the population of the island of Sri Lanka was approximately 1.2 million. This figure would begin to grow following the island’s complete annexation into the British Empire with the end of the Second Kandyan War in 1815. Population growth then increased much faster towards the end of the 19th century, as child mortality rates dropped and large numbers of Indian migrants were imported to work on British plantations. These migrants were largely Tamil migrants from southern India, and by 1911, this group would make up almost 13 percent of the island’s population (on top of the existing 13 percent Sri Lankan Tamil population).

Population growth would expand rapidly in the years immediately following the island’s independence from the British Empire in 1948. However, this growth would slow in the 1950s, as legislation passed by the Sinhalese-dominated government immediately following independence resulted in the removal of citizenship for an estimated 700,000 Indian Tamils, and the deportation of over 300,000 to India over the following three decades. Growth would slow even further after the ethnic clashes of Black July in 1983, which marked the beginning of a civil war in Sri Lanka which would last from 1983 to 2009 and result in the death of over 80,000 people, and the displacement of an estimated 800,000. However, since the end of the civil war in 2009, the population of Sri Lanka has continued to grow, and in 2020, the population of Sri Lanka is estimated to be over 21 million.

Population density per pixel at 100 metre resolution. WorldPop provides estimates of numbers of people residing in each 100x100m grid cell for every low and middle income country. Through ingegrating cencus, survey, satellite and GIS datasets in a flexible machine-learning framework, high resolution maps of population counts and densities for 2000-2020 are produced, along with accompanying metadata. DATASET: Alpha version 2010 and 2015 estimates of numbers of people per grid square, with national totals adjusted to match UN population division estimates (http://esa.un.org/wpp/) and remaining unadjusted. REGION: Africa SPATIAL RESOLUTION: 0.000833333 decimal degrees (approx 100m at the equator) PROJECTION: Geographic, WGS84 UNITS: Estimated persons per grid square MAPPING APPROACH: Land cover based, as described in: Linard, C., Gilbert, M., Snow, R.W., Noor, A.M. and Tatem, A.J., 2012, Population distribution, settlement patterns and accessibility across Africa in 2010, PLoS ONE, 7(2): e31743. FORMAT: Geotiff (zipped using 7-zip (open access tool): www.7-zip.org) FILENAMES: Example - AGO10adjv4.tif = Angola (AGO) population count map for 2010 (10) adjusted to match UN national estimates (adj), version 4 (v4). Population maps are updated to new versions when improved census or other input data become available. Sri Lanka data available from WorldPop here.

Graph and download economic data for Population Growth for Sri Lanka (SPPOPGROWLKA) from 1961 to 2024 about Sri Lanka, population, and rate.

Sri Lanka LK: Population: Ages 0-14: % of Total Population data was reported at 20.880 % in 2021. This records a decrease from the previous number of 21.290 % for 2020. Sri Lanka LK: Population: Ages 0-14: % of Total Population data is updated yearly, averaging 24.130 % from Dec 1990 (Median) to 2021, with 32 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 30.140 % in 1990 and a record low of 20.880 % in 2021. Sri Lanka LK: Population: Ages 0-14: % of Total Population data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Sri Lanka – Table LK.OECD.GGI: Social: Demography: Non OECD Member: Annual.

Historical dataset showing total population for Sri Lanka by year from 1950 to 2025.

In 2023, the annual population growth in Sri Lanka was -0.65 percent. Between 1961 and 2023, the figure dropped by 3.08 percentage points, though the decline followed an uneven course rather than a steady trajectory.

Dataset

This dataset was created by Pasindu Dilmin

Contents

About this dataset

Context

This list ranks the 50 states in the United States by Sri Lankan population, as estimated by the United States Census Bureau. It also highlights population changes in each state over the past five years.

Content

When available, the data consists of estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates, including:

• 2019-2023 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates
• 2014-2018 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates
• 2009-2013 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates

Variables / Data Columns

• Rank by Sri Lankan Population: This column displays the rank of state in the United States by their Sri Lankan population, using the most recent ACS data available.
• State: The State for which the rank is shown in the previous column.
• Sri Lankan Population: The Sri Lankan population of the state is shown in this column.
• % of Total State Population: This shows what percentage of the total state population identifies as Sri Lankan. Please note that the sum of all percentages may not equal one due to rounding of values.
• % of Total United States Sri Lankan Population: This tells us how much of the entire United States Sri Lankan population lives in that state. Please note that the sum of all percentages may not equal one due to rounding of values.
• 5 Year Rank Trend: This column displays the rank trend across the last 5 years.

Good to know

Margin of Error

Data in the dataset are based on the estimates and are subject to sampling variability and thus a margin of error. Neilsberg Research recommends using caution when presening these estimates in your research.

Custom data

If you do need custom data for any of your research project, report or presentation, you can contact our research staff at research@neilsberg.com for a feasibility of a custom tabulation on a fee-for-service basis.

Inspiration

Neilsberg Research Team curates, analyze and publishes demographics and economic data from a variety of public and proprietary sources, each of which often includes multiple surveys and programs. The large majority of Neilsberg Research aggregated datasets and insights is made available for free download at https://www.neilsberg.com/research/.

About this dataset

Context

This list ranks the 3,057 counties in the United States by Sri Lankan population, as estimated by the United States Census Bureau. It also highlights population changes in each county over the past five years.

Content

When available, the data consists of estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates, including:

• 2019-2023 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates
• 2014-2018 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates
• 2009-2013 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates

Variables / Data Columns

• Rank by Sri Lankan Population: This column displays the rank of county in the United States by their Sri Lankan population, using the most recent ACS data available.
• County: The County for which the rank is shown in the previous column.
• Sri Lankan Population: The Sri Lankan population of the county is shown in this column.
• % of Total County Population: This shows what percentage of the total county population identifies as Sri Lankan. Please note that the sum of all percentages may not equal one due to rounding of values.
• % of Total United States Sri Lankan Population: This tells us how much of the entire United States Sri Lankan population lives in that county. Please note that the sum of all percentages may not equal one due to rounding of values.
• 5 Year Rank Trend: This column displays the rank trend across the last 5 years.

Good to know

Margin of Error

Data in the dataset are based on the estimates and are subject to sampling variability and thus a margin of error. Neilsberg Research recommends using caution when presening these estimates in your research.

Custom data

If you do need custom data for any of your research project, report or presentation, you can contact our research staff at research@neilsberg.com for a feasibility of a custom tabulation on a fee-for-service basis.

Inspiration

Neilsberg Research Team curates, analyze and publishes demographics and economic data from a variety of public and proprietary sources, each of which often includes multiple surveys and programs. The large majority of Neilsberg Research aggregated datasets and insights is made available for free download at https://www.neilsberg.com/research/.

Complete population data for Sri Lanka showing how many people live in Sri Lanka from 1960 to 2024

Actual value and historical data chart for Sri Lanka Population Growth Annual Percent

Comprehensive socio-economic dataset for Sri Lanka including population demographics, economic indicators, geographic data, and social statistics. This dataset covers key metrics such as GDP, population density, area, capital city, and regional classifications.

Graph and download economic data for Population, Total for Sri Lanka (POPTOTLKA647NWDB) from 1960 to 2024 about Sri Lanka and population.

Sri Lanka Population: Mid Year: Male: 75 Years & above data was reported at 236.000 Person th in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 234.000 Person th for 2016. Sri Lanka Population: Mid Year: Male: 75 Years & above data is updated yearly, averaging 202.000 Person th from Jun 2003 (Median) to 2017, with 15 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 236.000 Person th in 2017 and a record low of 189.000 Person th in 2003. Sri Lanka Population: Mid Year: Male: 75 Years & above data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Department of Census and Statistics. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Sri Lanka – Table LK.G001: Population: Mid Year.

Sri Lanka Population: Mid Year: Female: Anuradhapura data was reported at 476.000 Person th in 2018. This records an increase from the previous number of 470.000 Person th for 2017. Sri Lanka Population: Mid Year: Female: Anuradhapura data is updated yearly, averaging 403.500 Person th from Jun 2001 (Median) to 2018, with 18 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 476.000 Person th in 2018 and a record low of 365.000 Person th in 2001. Sri Lanka Population: Mid Year: Female: Anuradhapura data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Department of Census and Statistics. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Sri Lanka – Table LK.G001: Population: Mid Year.

Sri Lanka Population: Mid Year: Colombo data was reported at 2,439.000 Person th in 2018. This records an increase from the previous number of 2,419.000 Person th for 2017. Sri Lanka Population: Mid Year: Colombo data is updated yearly, averaging 2,334.500 Person th from Jun 1991 (Median) to 2018, with 28 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 2,606.000 Person th in 2011 and a record low of 1,970.000 Person th in 1991. Sri Lanka Population: Mid Year: Colombo data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Department of Census and Statistics. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Sri Lanka – Table LK.G001: Population: Mid Year.

Sri Lanka LK: Population Density: People per Square Km data was reported at 341.955 Person/sq km in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 338.112 Person/sq km for 2016. Sri Lanka LK: Population Density: People per Square Km data is updated yearly, averaging 272.855 Person/sq km from Dec 1961 (Median) to 2017, with 57 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 341.955 Person/sq km in 2017 and a record low of 161.245 Person/sq km in 1961. Sri Lanka LK: Population Density: People per Square Km data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Sri Lanka – Table LK.World Bank: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Population density is midyear population divided by land area in square kilometers. Population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship--except for refugees not permanently settled in the country of asylum, who are generally considered part of the population of their country of origin. Land area is a country's total area, excluding area under inland water bodies, national claims to continental shelf, and exclusive economic zones. In most cases the definition of inland water bodies includes major rivers and lakes.; ; Food and Agriculture Organization and World Bank population estimates.; Weighted Average;