Malawi vs Sri Lanka: Total population
Malawi
21,934 thousands
in 2025
Sri Lanka
23,169 thousands
in 2025
Malawi rank
60th
Sri Lanka rank
59th
Total population over time
- Malawi
- Sri Lanka
How they compare
Sri Lanka currently reports 23,169 thousands against 21,934 thousands in Malawi, a difference of 1,235 thousands.
That makes Sri Lanka's figure about 1.1 times Malawi's.
Across all 56 years both countries report, Sri Lanka has been ahead every year.
Malawi ranks 60th and Sri Lanka ranks 59th of 230 countries.
Sri Lanka has averaged higher in every one of the 6 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Malawi | Sri Lanka | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 5,181 thousands | 13,302 thousands | 8,121 thousands | Sri Lanka |
| 1980s | 7,407 thousands | 15,477 thousands | 8,070 thousands | Sri Lanka |
| 1990s | 10,198 thousands | 17,374 thousands | 7,176 thousands | Sri Lanka |
| 2000s | 12,574 thousands | 20,034 thousands | 7,459 thousands | Sri Lanka |
| 2010s | 16,649 thousands | 21,552 thousands | 4,903 thousands | Sri Lanka |
| 2020s | 20,586 thousands | 22,833 thousands | 2,247 thousands | Sri Lanka |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher total population, Malawi or Sri Lanka?
- Sri Lanka, at 23,169 thousands against 21,934 thousands in Malawi as of 2025.
- What is the difference in total population between Malawi and Sri Lanka?
- 1,235 thousands, with Sri Lanka ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Malawi and Sri Lanka?
- 56 years are reported by both, from 1970 to 2025.
- How do Malawi and Sri Lanka rank globally for total population?
- Malawi ranks 60th and Sri Lanka ranks 59th of 230 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as Total population (thousands). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
February 2026 Data Release