Long term urban population region in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: Long term urban population region was 20.44 in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
20.44
Change on year
up 2.2%
World rank
196th
of 202 countries
All-time high
20.44
in 2025
All-time low
0.0007
in 1000
Years of data
108
1000–2025
Long term urban population region in Sri Lanka, 1000–2025
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for long term urban population region in Sri Lanka is 20.44, measured in 2025. That is the highest value across all 108 years on record.
The figure is up 2.2% on the previous year and up 20.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, long term urban population region in Sri Lanka peaked at 20.44 in 2025 and was at its lowest, 0.0007, in 1000.
Sri Lanka ranks 196th of 202 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 108 years of available data.
Long term urban population region in Sri Lanka, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1000 | 0.0007 | — |
| 1100 | 0.0022 | +200.0% |
| 1200 | 0.0065 | +200.0% |
| 1300 | 0.0196 | +200.0% |
| 1400 | 0.0587 | +200.0% |
| 1500 | 0.1761 | +200.0% |
| 1600 | 0.5282 | +200.0% |
| 1700 | 1.58 | +200.0% |
| 1710 | 1.79 | +12.7% |
| 1720 | 1.96 | +9.5% |
| 1730 | 2.14 | +9.5% |
| 1740 | 2.35 | +9.5% |
| 1750 | 2.57 | +9.5% |
| 1760 | 2.81 | +9.5% |
| 1770 | 3.08 | +9.5% |
| 1780 | 3.37 | +9.5% |
| 1790 | 3.7 | +9.5% |
| 1800 | 4.05 | +9.5% |
| 1810 | 4.43 | +9.5% |
| 1820 | 4.86 | +9.5% |
| 1830 | 5.32 | +9.5% |
| 1840 | 5.83 | +9.5% |
| 1850 | 6.38 | +9.5% |
| 1860 | 6.99 | +9.5% |
| 1870 | 7.65 | +9.5% |
| 1880 | 8.38 | +9.5% |
| 1890 | 9.18 | +9.5% |
| 1900 | 10.05 | +9.5% |
| 1910 | 11.01 | +9.5% |
| 1920 | 12.06 | +9.5% |
| 1930 | 13.21 | +9.5% |
| 1940 | 14.47 | +9.5% |
| 1950 | 15.85 | +9.5% |
| 1951 | 15.8 | -0.3% |
| 1952 | 15.76 | -0.3% |
| 1953 | 15.76 | +0.0% |
| 1954 | 15.88 | +0.8% |
| 1955 | 16.01 | +0.8% |
| 1956 | 16.14 | +0.8% |
| 1957 | 16.27 | +0.8% |
| 1958 | 16.4 | +0.8% |
| 1959 | 16.54 | +0.8% |
| 1960 | 16.67 | +0.8% |
| 1961 | 16.81 | +0.8% |
| 1962 | 16.95 | +0.8% |
| 1963 | 17.09 | +0.8% |
| 1964 | 17.42 | +1.9% |
| 1965 | 17.76 | +1.9% |
| 1966 | 18.1 | +2.0% |
| 1967 | 18.46 | +2.0% |
| 1968 | 18.82 | +2.0% |
| 1969 | 19.19 | +2.0% |
| 1970 | 19.57 | +2.0% |
| 1971 | 19.96 | +2.0% |
| 1972 | 19.94 | -0.1% |
| 1973 | 19.78 | -0.8% |
| 1974 | 19.61 | -0.8% |
| 1975 | 19.45 | -0.8% |
| 1976 | 19.32 | -0.7% |
| 1977 | 19.18 | -0.7% |
| 1978 | 19.05 | -0.7% |
| 1979 | 18.9 | -0.8% |
| 1980 | 18.75 | -0.8% |
| 1981 | 18.61 | -0.7% |
| 1982 | 18.44 | -0.9% |
| 1983 | 18.27 | -0.9% |
| 1984 | 18.1 | -0.9% |
| 1985 | 17.94 | -0.9% |
| 1986 | 17.78 | -0.9% |
| 1987 | 17.62 | -0.9% |
| 1988 | 17.47 | -0.9% |
| 1989 | 17.31 | -0.9% |
| 1990 | 17.15 | -0.9% |
| 1991 | 17.03 | -0.7% |
| 1992 | 16.91 | -0.7% |
| 1993 | 16.77 | -0.8% |
| 1994 | 16.62 | -0.9% |
| 1995 | 16.44 | -1.0% |
| 1996 | 16.32 | -0.8% |
| 1997 | 16.17 | -0.9% |
| 1998 | 16.02 | -1.0% |
| 1999 | 15.86 | -0.9% |
| 2000 | 15.73 | -0.9% |
| 2001 | 15.73 | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 15.73 | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 15.73 | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 15.73 | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 15.73 | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 15.73 | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 15.73 | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 15.73 | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 15.73 | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 15.73 | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 15.98 | +1.6% |
| 2012 | 16.22 | +1.6% |
| 2013 | 16.47 | +1.5% |
| 2014 | 16.72 | +1.5% |
| 2015 | 16.97 | +1.5% |
| 2016 | 17.21 | +1.5% |
| 2017 | 17.46 | +1.4% |
| 2018 | 17.71 | +1.4% |
| 2019 | 17.96 | +1.4% |
| 2020 | 18.2 | +1.4% |
| 2021 | 18.65 | +2.5% |
| 2022 | 19.1 | +2.4% |
| 2023 | 19.55 | +2.3% |
| 2024 | 19.99 | +2.3% |
| 2025 | 20.44 | +2.2% |
Sri Lanka compared with similar countries
- Sri Lanka's 20.44 is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 69.17, 30% of the median. (52 countries reporting)
- Sri Lanka's 20.44 is below the median for South Asia, which is 37.36, 55% of the median. (5 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Long term urban population region in Sri Lanka changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1100 | +200.0% | 0.0007 | 0.0022 |
| 1200 | +200.0% | 0.0022 | 0.0065 |
| 1300 | +200.0% | 0.0065 | 0.0196 |
| 1400 | +200.0% | 0.0196 | 0.0587 |
| 1500 | +200.0% | 0.0587 | 0.1761 |
| 1600 | +200.0% | 0.1761 | 0.5282 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1000s | 0.0007 | 0.0007 | 0.0007 | 1 |
| 1100s | 0.0022 | 0.0022 | 0.0022 | 1 |
| 1200s | 0.0065 | 0.0065 | 0.0065 | 1 |
| 1300s | 0.0196 | 0.0196 | 0.0196 | 1 |
| 1400s | 0.0587 | 0.0587 | 0.0587 | 1 |
| 1500s | 0.1761 | 0.1761 | 0.1761 | 1 |
| 1600s | 0.5282 | 0.5282 | 0.5282 | 1 |
| 1700s | 1.58 | 1.58 | 1.58 | 1 |
| 1710s | 1.79 | 1.79 | 1.79 | 1 |
| 1720s | 1.96 | 1.96 | 1.96 | 1 |
| 1730s | 2.14 | 2.14 | 2.14 | 1 |
| 1740s | 2.35 | 2.35 | 2.35 | 1 |
| 1750s | 2.57 | 2.57 | 2.57 | 1 |
| 1760s | 2.81 | 2.81 | 2.81 | 1 |
| 1770s | 3.08 | 3.08 | 3.08 | 1 |
| 1780s | 3.37 | 3.37 | 3.37 | 1 |
| 1790s | 3.7 | 3.7 | 3.7 | 1 |
| 1800s | 4.05 | 4.05 | 4.05 | 1 |
| 1810s | 4.43 | 4.43 | 4.43 | 1 |
| 1820s | 4.86 | 4.86 | 4.86 | 1 |
| 1830s | 5.32 | 5.32 | 5.32 | 1 |
| 1840s | 5.83 | 5.83 | 5.83 | 1 |
| 1850s | 6.38 | 6.38 | 6.38 | 1 |
| 1860s | 6.99 | 6.99 | 6.99 | 1 |
| 1870s | 7.65 | 7.65 | 7.65 | 1 |
| 1880s | 8.38 | 8.38 | 8.38 | 1 |
| 1890s | 9.18 | 9.18 | 9.18 | 1 |
| 1900s | 10.05 | 10.05 | 10.05 | 1 |
| 1910s | 11.01 | 11.01 | 11.01 | 1 |
| 1920s | 12.06 | 12.06 | 12.06 | 1 |
| 1930s | 13.21 | 13.21 | 13.21 | 1 |
| 1940s | 14.47 | 14.47 | 14.47 | 1 |
| 1950s | 16.04 | 15.76 | 16.54 | 10 |
| 1960s | 17.72 | 16.67 | 19.19 | 10 |
| 1970s | 19.48 | 18.9 | 19.96 | 10 |
| 1980s | 18.03 | 17.31 | 18.75 | 10 |
| 1990s | 16.53 | 15.86 | 17.15 | 10 |
| 2000s | 15.73 | 15.73 | 15.73 | 10 |
| 2010s | 16.84 | 15.73 | 17.96 | 10 |
| 2020s | 19.32 | 18.2 | 20.44 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Sri Lanka
More population data for Sri Lanka
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate -0.5555 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate 0.0083 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate -0.5555 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate -1.29 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 21,815 Persons (2050)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 0.1332 Percent per annum (2030)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.6507 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population growth rate -0.558 (2100)
- Population density 343.51 (2100)
- Projected population under age 5 901,396 (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is long term urban population region in Sri Lanka?
- Long term urban population region in Sri Lanka was 20.44 in 2025, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest long term urban population region recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The highest recorded value was 20.44 in 2025.
- What is the lowest long term urban population region recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0007 in 1000.
- How does Sri Lanka rank for long term urban population region?
- Sri Lanka ranks 196th out of 202 countries with data for 2025.
- Is long term urban population region rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
- Over the last ten years it is up 20.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sri Lanka data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Long term urban population region. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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