Birth rate in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: Birth rate was 14.11 births per 1,000 people in 2023. ▼ Falling
Birth rate in Sri Lanka, 1950–2023
Source: Human Mortality Database (2025); UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in births per 1,000 people.
Analysis
The most recent figure for birth rate in Sri Lanka is 14.11 births per 1,000 people, measured in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 74 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.2% on the previous year and down 17.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, birth rate in Sri Lanka peaked at 36.85 births per 1,000 people in 1959 and was at its lowest, 14.11 births per 1,000 people, in 2023.
That places Sri Lanka 113th out of 236 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 74 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 36.39 births per 1,000 people | 35.91 births per 1,000 people | 36.85 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1960s | 34.08 births per 1,000 people | 31.79 births per 1,000 people | 36.33 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1970s | 29.14 births per 1,000 people | 28.19 births per 1,000 people | 31.16 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1980s | 23.62 births per 1,000 people | 20.34 births per 1,000 people | 28.6 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1990s | 19.35 births per 1,000 people | 17.82 births per 1,000 people | 20.54 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 2000s | 18.67 births per 1,000 people | 17.63 births per 1,000 people | 19.17 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 2010s | 16.2 births per 1,000 people | 14.92 births per 1,000 people | 17.15 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 14.38 births per 1,000 people | 14.11 births per 1,000 people | 14.68 births per 1,000 people | 4 |
Countries ranked near Sri Lanka
- 110 Ecuador 15.03 births per 1,000 people compare
- 111 New Caledonia 14.26 births per 1,000 people compare
- 112 Greenland 14.11 births per 1,000 people compare
- 114 Niue 13.87 births per 1,000 people compare
- 115 Vietnam 13.83 births per 1,000 people compare
- 116 Tunisia 13.75 births per 1,000 people compare
More population data for Sri Lanka
- Population growth rate, by level of development -0.6% (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 901,396 people (2100)
- Population density 343.51 people per km² (2100)
- World population growth -0.6% (2100)
- Total fertility rate vs. wanted fertility rate 1.95 births per woman (2024)
- Refugees by country of asylum 232 people (2024)
- Fertility rate vs. unmet need for contraception 1.95 births per woman (2024)
- Total fertility rate vs. contraceptive prevalence 1.95 births per woman (2024)
- Natural population growth rate 0.7% (2023)
- Fertility rate: births per woman 1.97 live births per woman (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is birth rate in Sri Lanka?
- Birth rate in Sri Lanka was 14.11 births per 1,000 people in 2023, according to Human Mortality Database (2025); UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest birth rate recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The highest recorded value was 36.85 births per 1,000 people in 1959.
- What is the lowest birth rate recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The lowest recorded value was 14.11 births per 1,000 people in 2023.
- How does Sri Lanka rank for birth rate?
- Sri Lanka ranks 113th out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is birth rate rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
- Over the last ten years it is down 17.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Sri Lanka data come from?
- The figures come from Human Mortality Database (2025); UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Birth rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
The total number of births per 1,000 people in a given year.