Sri Lanka Population Clock
Sri Lanka has an estimated population of about 21.8 million, which makes it the 62nd most populous of the 115 countries tracked here.
Its population is notably shrinking, at -0.73% a year.
The capital is Colombo.
The counter below is a live estimate interpolated from the World Bank's latest annual figures — not a real-time measurement. It links to its source, base year and method via the ⓘ next to it.
Statistics
Population trend
Population 2016–2025 (World Bank)
How Sri Lanka's population is changing
Sri Lanka records about 602 births and 465 deaths a day. That is a natural increase of roughly 137 people per day, or about 50,039 a year before migration is counted.
Net migration runs at about 30,724 over the reported period, with more people leaving than arriving. That is equivalent to about 61% of its natural change.
If the current rate held indefinitely, Sri Lanka would take roughly 95 years to halve in size — a projection of today's rate, not a forecast.
Over the 9 years from 2016 to 2025, the population rose from 21.2 million to 21.8 million — a gain of 547,000, or 2.6%.
Where people live in Sri Lanka
With about 356 people per square kilometre, Sri Lanka is densely populated, roughly 5.7× the world average of 62. That ranks 14th of the 115 countries here. Its closest comparisons on density are Japan and Philippines.
Sri Lanka covers about 61,860 km² of land, which is what turns a population of 21.8 million into that density figure.
About 20.5% of people live in urban areas, making Sri Lanka predominantly rural, below the world average of 57.8%. That works out to roughly 4.45 million town and city dwellers and 17.3 million living rurally.
Age, fertility and life expectancy in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka has a broadly balanced age structure: about 21.7% are under 15 and 12.5% are 65 or older.
The total fertility rate is about 1.95 births per woman, below the ~2.1 replacement level, so without net immigration the population would eventually decline. The world figure is about 2.19.
Life expectancy at birth is about 77.7 years, roughly 4.2 years above the global average of 73.5.
Sri Lanka at a glance
| Indicator | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 21.8 million | 2025 |
| World rank by population | #62 | 2025 |
| Annual growth rate | -0.73% | 2025 |
| Population density | 356 /km² | 2023 |
| Land area | 61,860 km² | 2023 |
| Urban population | 20.5% | 2025 |
| Life expectancy at birth | 77.7 years | 2024 |
| Fertility rate | 1.95 births per woman | 2024 |
| Population under 15 | 21.7% | 2025 |
| Population 65 and over | 12.5% | 2025 |
| Net migration | -30,724 | 2025 |
| Births per day | 602 | 2025 |
| Deaths per day | 465 | 2025 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Sri Lanka?
Is Sri Lanka's population growing or shrinking?
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Where do these Sri Lanka figures come from?
Current local time in Sri Lanka
Methodology & sources
Data: World Bank (CC BY 4.0), base year 2025. The live counter animates the latest annual growth rate per second; it is an estimate, not a real-time measurement. No figures are invented — every number traces back to the World Bank indicators listed above.
Source: World Bank