Rural population in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: Rural population was 80.6% in 2024. ▬ Flat
Latest (2024)
80.6%
Change on year
down 0.3%
World rank
9th
of 214 countries
All-time high
82.4%
in 1970
All-time low
80.6%
in 2024
Years of data
55
1970–2024
Rural population in Sri Lanka, 1970–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in % of total population.
Analysis
Sri Lanka recorded 80.6% for rural population in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 55 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.3% on the previous year and down 1.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, rural population in Sri Lanka peaked at 82.4% in 1970 and was at its lowest, 80.6%, in 2024.
Sri Lanka ranks 9th of 214 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
Rural population in Sri Lanka, year by year
| Year | % of total population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 82.4% | — |
| 1971 | 82.3% | -0.1% |
| 1972 | 82.2% | -0.1% |
| 1973 | 82.1% | -0.1% |
| 1974 | 82.0% | -0.1% |
| 1975 | 81.9% | -0.1% |
| 1976 | 81.8% | -0.1% |
| 1977 | 81.7% | -0.1% |
| 1978 | 81.6% | -0.1% |
| 1979 | 81.5% | -0.1% |
| 1980 | 81.4% | -0.1% |
| 1981 | 81.3% | -0.1% |
| 1982 | 81.3% | +0.0% |
| 1983 | 81.4% | +0.0% |
| 1984 | 81.4% | +0.0% |
| 1985 | 81.4% | +0.0% |
| 1986 | 81.4% | +0.0% |
| 1987 | 81.4% | +0.0% |
| 1988 | 81.4% | +0.0% |
| 1989 | 81.4% | +0.0% |
| 1990 | 81.5% | +0.0% |
| 1991 | 81.5% | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 81.5% | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 81.5% | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 81.5% | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 81.5% | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 81.6% | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 81.6% | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 81.6% | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 81.6% | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 81.6% | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 81.6% | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 81.7% | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 81.7% | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 81.7% | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 81.7% | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 81.7% | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 81.7% | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 81.7% | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 81.8% | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 81.8% | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 81.8% | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 81.8% | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 81.8% | -0.0% |
| 2014 | 81.8% | -0.0% |
| 2015 | 81.7% | -0.0% |
| 2016 | 81.7% | -0.1% |
| 2017 | 81.6% | -0.1% |
| 2018 | 81.5% | -0.1% |
| 2019 | 81.4% | -0.1% |
| 2020 | 81.3% | -0.2% |
| 2021 | 81.1% | -0.2% |
| 2022 | 81.0% | -0.2% |
| 2023 | 80.8% | -0.2% |
| 2024 | 80.6% | -0.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 82.0% | 81.5% | 82.4% | 10 |
| 1980s | 81.4% | 81.3% | 81.4% | 10 |
| 1990s | 81.5% | 81.5% | 81.6% | 10 |
| 2000s | 81.7% | 81.6% | 81.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 81.7% | 81.4% | 81.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 81.0% | 80.6% | 81.3% | 5 |
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 rural population in Sri Lanka?
- Rural population in Sri Lanka was 80.6% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest rural population recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The highest recorded value was 82.4% in 1970.
- What is the lowest rural population recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The lowest recorded value was 80.6% in 2024.
- How does Sri Lanka rank for rural population?
- Sri Lanka ranks 9th out of 214 countries with data for 2024.
- Is rural population rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
- Over the last ten years it is down 1.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Sri Lanka data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Rural population (% of total population). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 55 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release