Population growth in Sri Lanka
From 1960 to 2021 the population of Sri Lanka increased from 9.87 million to 22.16 million people. This is a growth of 124.4 percent in 61 years. The highest increase in Sri Lanka was recorded in 1967 with 2.43 percent. The smallest increase in 2012 with 0.13 percent.In the same period, the total population of all countries worldwide increased by 160.2 percent.
The average age in Sri Lanka rose by 2.58 years from 2012 to 2021 from 31.12 to 33.70 years (median value).
Around 19 percent of the inhabitants live in the country's larger cities. This growing trend of urbanization is increasing by 1.9 percent annually.
› Population growth in worldwide comparison
Back to overview: Sri Lanka
Population development in Sri Lanka since 1960
(Data in millions of inhabitants)| Year | Population Sri Lanka | Change Sri Lanka | Birth rate | Death rate | Population World | Change World | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 10.11 M | 2.40 % | 36.4 ‰ | 11.3 ‰ | 3,072 M | 1.30 % | |
| 1962 | 10.35 M | 2.38 % | 35.8 ‰ | 10.8 ‰ | 3,125 M | 1.72 % | |
| 1963 | 10.60 M | 2.37 % | 35.1 ‰ | 10.4 ‰ | 3,190 M | 2.08 % | |
| 1964 | 10.85 M | 2.38 % | 34.5 ‰ | 10.0 ‰ | 3,255 M | 2.05 % | |
| 1965 | 11.11 M | 2.40 % | 33.9 ‰ | 9.6 ‰ | 3,322 M | 2.06 % | |
| 1966 | 11.38 M | 2.43 % | 33.3 ‰ | 9.2 ‰ | 3,392 M | 2.11 % | |
| 1967 | 11.66 M | 2.43 % | 32.7 ‰ | 8.8 ‰ | 3,462 M | 2.05 % | |
| 1968 | 11.94 M | 2.40 % | 32.0 ‰ | 8.4 ‰ | 3,533 M | 2.06 % | |
| 1969 | 12.21 M | 2.32 % | 31.3 ‰ | 8.1 ‰ | 3,607 M | 2.09 % | |
| 1970 | 12.49 M | 2.22 % | 30.6 ‰ | 7.8 ‰ | 3,682 M | 2.09 % | |
| 1971 | 12.75 M | 2.10 % | 29.9 ‰ | 7.6 ‰ | 3,761 M | 2.13 % | |
| 1972 | 13.00 M | 2.00 % | 29.3 ‰ | 7.4 ‰ | 3,837 M | 2.03 % | |
| 1973 | 13.25 M | 1.92 % | 28.8 ‰ | 7.2 ‰ | 3,913 M | 1.98 % | |
| 1974 | 13.50 M | 1.89 % | 28.5 ‰ | 7.0 ‰ | 3,988 M | 1.93 % | |
| 1975 | 13.76 M | 1.88 % | 28.2 ‰ | 6.9 ‰ | 4,063 M | 1.86 % | |
| 1976 | 14.01 M | 1.87 % | 28.0 ‰ | 6.8 ‰ | 4,135 M | 1.80 % | |
| 1977 | 14.27 M | 1.86 % | 27.8 ‰ | 6.7 ‰ | 4,208 M | 1.75 % | |
| 1978 | 14.53 M | 1.82 % | 27.6 ‰ | 6.5 ‰ | 4,281 M | 1.75 % | |
| 1979 | 14.79 M | 1.76 % | 27.3 ‰ | 6.4 ‰ | 4,357 M | 1.76 % | |
| 1980 | 15.04 M | 1.67 % | 27.0 ‰ | 6.3 ‰ | 4,433 M | 1.75 % | |
| 1981 | 15.27 M | 1.58 % | 26.6 ‰ | 6.2 ‰ | 4,511 M | 1.76 % | |
| 1982 | 15.50 M | 1.50 % | 26.0 ‰ | 6.2 ‰ | 4,592 M | 1.80 % | |
| 1983 | 15.72 M | 1.44 % | 25.3 ‰ | 6.2 ‰ | 4,674 M | 1.78 % | |
| 1984 | 15.95 M | 1.42 % | 24.6 ‰ | 6.2 ‰ | 4,756 M | 1.75 % | |
| 1985 | 16.18 M | 1.43 % | 23.9 ‰ | 6.2 ‰ | 4,839 M | 1.75 % | |
| 1986 | 16.41 M | 1.44 % | 23.1 ‰ | 6.3 ‰ | 4,925 M | 1.77 % | |
| 1987 | 16.64 M | 1.43 % | 22.4 ‰ | 6.4 ‰ | 5,013 M | 1.78 % | |
| 1988 | 16.88 M | 1.41 % | 21.7 ‰ | 6.4 ‰ | 5,101 M | 1.77 % | |
| 1989 | 17.11 M | 1.35 % | 21.1 ‰ | 6.5 ‰ | 5,190 M | 1.74 % | |
| 1990 | 17.33 M | 1.28 % | 20.6 ‰ | 6.5 ‰ | 5,280 M | 1.74 % | |
| 1991 | 17.54 M | 1.21 % | 20.2 ‰ | 6.6 ‰ | 5,368 M | 1.67 % | |
| 1992 | 17.74 M | 1.15 % | 19.9 ‰ | 6.7 ‰ | 5,453 M | 1.57 % | |
| 1993 | 17.92 M | 1.06 % | 19.5 ‰ | 6.9 ‰ | 5,538 M | 1.56 % | |
| 1994 | 18.09 M | 0.95 % | 19.2 ‰ | 7.1 ‰ | 5,622 M | 1.52 % | |
| 1995 | 18.24 M | 0.82 % | 19.0 ‰ | 7.3 ‰ | 5,707 M | 1.51 % | |
| 1996 | 18.37 M | 0.68 % | 18.8 ‰ | 7.5 ‰ | 5,790 M | 1.45 % | |
| 1997 | 18.47 M | 0.56 % | 18.6 ‰ | 7.5 ‰ | 5,872 M | 1.43 % | |
| 1998 | 18.56 M | 0.51 % | 18.5 ‰ | 7.4 ‰ | 5,954 M | 1.39 % | |
| 1999 | 18.66 M | 0.53 % | 18.5 ‰ | 7.2 ‰ | 6,034 M | 1.35 % | |
| 2000 | 18.78 M | 0.61 % | 18.5 ‰ | 6.9 ‰ | 6,114 M | 1.32 % | |
| 2001 | 18.91 M | 0.71 % | 18.5 ‰ | 6.6 ‰ | 6,194 M | 1.30 % | |
| 2002 | 19.06 M | 0.80 % | 18.5 ‰ | 6.2 ‰ | 6,273 M | 1.28 % | |
| 2003 | 19.22 M | 0.85 % | 18.6 ‰ | 6.0 ‰ | 6,352 M | 1.26 % | |
| 2004 | 19.39 M | 0.85 % | 18.6 ‰ | 5.8 ‰ | 6,432 M | 1.25 % | |
| 2005 | 19.54 M | 0.81 % | 18.6 ‰ | 5.8 ‰ | 6,512 M | 1.25 % | |
| 2006 | 19.70 M | 0.77 % | 18.5 ‰ | 5.8 ‰ | 6,593 M | 1.24 % | |
| 2007 | 19.84 M | 0.74 % | 18.4 ‰ | 5.8 ‰ | 6,674 M | 1.24 % | |
| 2008 | 19.98 M | 0.72 % | 18.3 ‰ | 5.9 ‰ | 6,757 M | 1.24 % | |
| 2009 | 20.12 M | 0.70 % | 18.1 ‰ | 6.0 ‰ | 6,840 M | 1.22 % | |
| 2010 | 20.26 M | 0.69 % | 17.8 ‰ | 6.0 ‰ | 6,922 M | 1.20 % | |
| 2011 | 20.40 M | 0.67 % | 17.6 ‰ | 6.1 ‰ | 7,004 M | 1.18 % | |
| 2012 | 20.43 M | 0.13 % | 17.3 ‰ | 6.1 ‰ | 7,089 M | 1.22 % | |
| 2013 | 20.59 M | 0.78 % | 17.1 ‰ | 6.2 ‰ | 7,176 M | 1.22 % | |
| 2014 | 20.78 M | 0.94 % | 16.4 ‰ | 7.0 ‰ | 7,262 M | 1.20 % | |
| 2015 | 20.97 M | 0.92 % | 15.9 ‰ | 7.0 ‰ | 7,405 M | 1.97 % | |
| 2016 | 21.20 M | 1.11 % | 15.5 ‰ | 6.9 ‰ | 7,492 M | 1.18 % | |
| 2017 | 21.44 M | 1.14 % | 15.2 ‰ | 7.0 ‰ | 7,578 M | 1.15 % | |
| 2018 | 21.67 M | 1.05 % | 14.8 ‰ | 7.0 ‰ | 7,662 M | 1.10 % | |
| 2019 | 21.80 M | 0.61 % | 14.5 ‰ | 7.1 ‰ | 7,743 M | 1.06 % | |
| 2020 | 21.92 M | 0.53 % | 14.2 ‰ | 7.1 ‰ | 7,821 M | 1.01 % | |
| 2021 | 22.16 M | 1.08 % | 7,888 M | 0.86 % |
Birth and death rate in Sri Lanka
Population growth is the result of the birth rate, the mortality rate and the migration rate. For example, the year 2020 in the graph: The population in Sri Lanka increased by about 116,000 inhabitants. In the same year, the death rate was 7.1 per 1,000 people (~ 154,000 deaths) and the birth rate was 14.2 per 1,000 people (~ 310,000 births). As a result, around 40,000 inhabitants have migrated to other countries.Over the past 10 years, the number of average deaths per year was 142,663 in Sri Lanka. The number of births was 334,238 annually.
The changes in births and deaths is displayed in the following graph. All data refer to births or deaths per 1,000 inhabitants.
Birth rate Death rate
Comparison of the global population density
Quality of life in country comparison
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