Population in the largest city in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: Population in the largest city was 25.98 in 2020. ▲ Rising
Latest (2020)
25.98
World rank
87th
of 179 countries
All-time high
25.98
in 2020
All-time low
21.19
in 1975
Years of data
15
1950–2020
Population in the largest city in Sri Lanka, 1950–2020
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2020, population in the largest city in Sri Lanka stood at 25.98. That is the highest value across all 15 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 4.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population in the largest city in Sri Lanka peaked at 25.98 in 2020 and was at its lowest, 21.19, in 1975.
Sri Lanka ranks 87th of 179 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 15 years of available data.
Population in the largest city in Sri Lanka, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 25.26 | — |
| 1955 | 25.45 | +0.7% |
| 1960 | 24.4 | -4.1% |
| 1965 | 23.17 | -5.0% |
| 1970 | 22.19 | -4.3% |
| 1975 | 21.19 | -4.5% |
| 1980 | 21.58 | +1.9% |
| 1985 | 21.65 | +0.3% |
| 1990 | 22.7 | +4.9% |
| 1995 | 23.83 | +5.0% |
| 2000 | 24.51 | +2.9% |
| 2005 | 24.75 | +1.0% |
| 2010 | 24.89 | +0.6% |
| 2015 | 25.46 | +2.3% |
| 2020 | 25.98 | +2.1% |
Sri Lanka compared with similar countries
- Sri Lanka's 25.98 is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 25.9, 1.0× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Sri Lanka's 25.98 is above the median for South Asia, which is 23.01, 1.1× the median. (6 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 25.36 | 25.26 | 25.45 | 2 |
| 1960s | 23.79 | 23.17 | 24.4 | 2 |
| 1970s | 21.69 | 21.19 | 22.19 | 2 |
| 1980s | 21.61 | 21.58 | 21.65 | 2 |
| 1990s | 23.27 | 22.7 | 23.83 | 2 |
| 2000s | 24.63 | 24.51 | 24.75 | 2 |
| 2010s | 25.18 | 24.89 | 25.46 | 2 |
| 2020s | 25.98 | 25.98 | 25.98 | 1 |
Countries ranked near Sri Lanka
- 84 Burkina Faso 27.7 compare
- 85 North Macedonia 27.12 compare
- 86 Hungary 26.67 compare
- 88 Puerto Rico 25.93 compare
- 89 Moldova 25.9 compare
- 90 Bulgaria 25.9 compare
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 population in the largest city in Sri Lanka?
- Population in the largest city in Sri Lanka was 25.98 in 2020, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest population in the largest city recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The highest recorded value was 25.98 in 2020.
- What is the lowest population in the largest city recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The lowest recorded value was 21.19 in 1975.
- How does Sri Lanka rank for population in the largest city?
- Sri Lanka ranks 87th out of 179 countries with data for 2020.
- Is population in the largest city rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
- Over the last ten years it is up 4.4%. 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 Population in the largest city. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 15 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).