Share of population living in urban areas vs. GDP per capita in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka: Share of population living in urban areas vs. GDP per capita was 20.5% in 2025. ▬ Flat

Latest (2025)
20.5%
Change on year
up 0.7%
World rank
228th
of 236 countries
All-time high
22.4%
in 1972
All-time low
14.6%
in 2001
Years of data
76
1950–2025

Share of population living in urban areas vs. GDP per capita in Sri Lanka, 1950–2025

05101520195019872025

Source: United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.

Analysis

The most recent figure for share of population living in urban areas vs. gdp per capita in Sri Lanka is 20.5%, measured in 2025.

The figure is up 0.7% on the previous year and up 8.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, share of population living in urban areas vs. gdp per capita in Sri Lanka peaked at 22.4% in 1972 and was at its lowest, 14.6%, in 2001.

That places Sri Lanka 228th out of 236 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1950s 15.8% 15.3% 17.1% 10
1960s 19.7% 17.6% 22.0% 10
1970s 22.2% 21.8% 22.4% 10
1980s 20.3% 18.6% 21.6% 10
1990s 16.2% 14.7% 18.1% 10
2000s 15.3% 14.6% 16.7% 10
2010s 18.6% 17.2% 19.5% 10
2020s 20.1% 19.7% 20.5% 6

Countries ranked near Sri Lanka

  1. 225 Vanuatu 22.3% compare
  2. 226 South Sudan 21.7% compare
  3. 227 Tonga 21.2% compare
  4. 229 Niger 18.4% compare
  5. 230 Malawi 17.6% compare
  6. 231 Samoa 17.5% compare

See the full ranking of 237 places →

More population data for Sri Lanka

All data for Sri Lanka →

Frequently asked questions

What is share of population living in urban areas vs. gdp per capita in Sri Lanka?
Share of population living in urban areas vs. gdp per capita in Sri Lanka was 20.5% in 2025, according to United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest share of population living in urban areas vs. gdp per capita recorded in Sri Lanka?
The highest recorded value was 22.4% in 1972.
What is the lowest share of population living in urban areas vs. gdp per capita recorded in Sri Lanka?
The lowest recorded value was 14.6% in 2001.
How does Sri Lanka rank for share of population living in urban areas vs. gdp per capita?
Sri Lanka ranks 228th out of 236 countries with data for 2025.
Is share of population living in urban areas vs. gdp per capita rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
Over the last ten years it is up 8.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
Where does this Sri Lanka data come from?
The figures come from United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of population living in urban areas vs. GDP per capita. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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About this data

Indicator
Share of population living in urban areas vs. GDP per capita
Unit
%
Source
United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
237 places, 18,012 data points, 1950–2025
Last refreshed

Share of the population living in urban areas, based on each country's national definition.