Share of the population living in cities in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka: Share of the population living in cities was 35.06 in 2020. ▲ Rising

Latest (2020)
35.06
World rank
118th
of 229 countries
All-time high
35.06
in 2020
All-time low
20.1
in 1950
Years of data
15
1950–2020

Share of the population living in cities in Sri Lanka, 1950–2020

0102030401950198520201950: 20.11955: 211960: 22.31965: 22.51970: 23.61975: 24.21980: 23.71985: 22.31990: 24.51995: 26.42000: 29.32005: 30.52010: 31.12015: 332020: 35.1

Source: Our World in Data.

Analysis

Sri Lanka recorded 35.06 for share of the population living in cities in 2020. That is the highest value across all 15 years on record.

That represents a change of up 12.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, share of the population living in cities in Sri Lanka peaked at 35.06 in 2020 and was at its lowest, 20.1, in 1950.

Sri Lanka ranks 118th of 229 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.

Share of the population living in cities in Sri Lanka, year by year

Annual values for Share of the population living in cities in Sri Lanka, 1950 to 2020.
Year Value Change
1950 20.1
1955 21.04 +4.7%
1960 22.32 +6.1%
1965 22.5 +0.8%
1970 23.65 +5.1%
1975 24.15 +2.1%
1980 23.68 -1.9%
1985 22.32 -5.7%
1990 24.52 +9.8%
1995 26.41 +7.7%
2000 29.33 +11.1%
2005 30.45 +3.8%
2010 31.07 +2.0%
2015 33.03 +6.3%
2020 35.06 +6.2%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1950s 20.57 20.1 21.04 2
1960s 22.41 22.32 22.5 2
1970s 23.9 23.65 24.15 2
1980s 23 22.32 23.68 2
1990s 25.46 24.52 26.41 2
2000s 29.89 29.33 30.45 2
2010s 32.05 31.07 33.03 2
2020s 35.06 35.06 35.06 1

Countries ranked near Sri Lanka

  1. 115 Guinea-Bissau 35.86 compare
  2. 116 Portugal 35.59 compare
  3. 117 Paraguay 35.41 compare
  4. 119 Latvia 34.96 compare
  5. 120 Nicaragua 34.9 compare
  6. 121 Guinea 34.45 compare

See the full ranking of 236 places →

More population data for Sri Lanka

All data for Sri Lanka →

Frequently asked questions

What is share of the population living in cities in Sri Lanka?
Share of the population living in cities in Sri Lanka was 35.06 in 2020, according to Our World in Data.
What is the highest share of the population living in cities recorded in Sri Lanka?
The highest recorded value was 35.06 in 2020.
What is the lowest share of the population living in cities recorded in Sri Lanka?
The lowest recorded value was 20.1 in 1950.
How does Sri Lanka rank for share of the population living in cities?
Sri Lanka ranks 118th out of 229 countries with data for 2020.
Is share of the population living in cities rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
Over the last ten years it is up 12.8%. 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 Share of the population living in cities. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Share of the population living in cities in Sri Lanka. Statizoid, drawing on Our World in Data. Retrieved 28 August 2026, from https://population.statizoid.com/stat/share-of-the-population-living-in-cities/sri-lanka/

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About this data

Indicator
Share of the population living in cities
Source
Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
236 places, 3,540 data points, 1950–2020
Last refreshed