Sri Lanka — Urban population
Urban Population (% of Total) for Sri Lanka, 1960–2025.
Urban population for Sri Lanka was 20.45% in 2025, according to the latest World Bank data. The series covers 66 years, from 1960 to 2025. The highest recorded value was 22.44% in 1972. The lowest was 14.57% in 2001 (about 1.4× the low point). Across that span the compound annual growth rate works out to 0.24% per year.
Sri Lanka ranks 212 of 217 economies on this measure (1 = highest), putting it in the top 98%. The median for South Asia is 42.51%, so Sri Lanka sits below it. It peaked in 1972 and has fallen 9% since. Over the last decade (2015–2025) the figure moved up 9%. Within South Asia it ranks 6 of 6 economies; Bangladesh (33.24%) is just above it. That is 4% above this series' own ten-year average.
Data highlights
World ranking. Slipped: 161st of 217 in 1960 → 162nd of 217 in 1970 → 179th of 217 in 1980 → 201st of 217 in 1990 → 214th of 217 in 2000 → 211th of 217 in 2010 → 212th of 217 in 2020 → 212th of 217 in 2025.
Key figures
Full history — 1960 to 2025
| Year | % of total population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 20.45% | +0.2 pp |
| 2024 | 20.3% | +0.2 pp |
| 2023 | 20.15% | +0.2 pp |
| 2022 | 19.99% | +0.2 pp |
| 2021 | 19.83% | +0.2 pp |
| 2020 | 19.66% | +0.2 pp |
| 2019 | 19.49% | +0.2 pp |
| 2018 | 19.32% | +0.2 pp |
| 2017 | 19.15% | +0.2 pp |
| 2016 | 18.97% | +0.2 pp |
| 2015 | 18.8% | +0.2 pp |
| 2014 | 18.62% | +0.2 pp |
| 2013 | 18.43% | +0.2 pp |
| 2012 | 18.26% | +0.5 pp |
| 2011 | 17.79% | +0.5 pp |
| 2010 | 17.25% | +0.5 pp |
| 2009 | 16.74% | +0.5 pp |
| 2008 | 16.28% | +0.4 pp |
| 2007 | 15.85% | +0.4 pp |
| 2006 | 15.48% | +0.3 pp |
| 2005 | 15.17% | +0.3 pp |
| 2004 | 14.91% | +0.2 pp |
| 2003 | 14.73% | +0.1 pp |
| 2002 | 14.61% | +0.0 pp |
| 2001 | 14.57% | -0.0 pp |
| 2000 | 14.62% | -0.1 pp |
| 1999 | 14.74% | -0.2 pp |
| 1998 | 14.94% | -0.3 pp |
| 1997 | 15.19% | -0.3 pp |
| 1996 | 15.51% | -0.4 pp |
| 1995 | 15.87% | -0.4 pp |
| 1994 | 16.26% | -0.4 pp |
| 1993 | 16.69% | -0.5 pp |
| 1992 | 17.15% | -0.5 pp |
| 1991 | 17.61% | -0.5 pp |
| 1990 | 18.09% | -0.5 pp |
| 1989 | 18.57% | -0.5 pp |
| 1988 | 19.04% | -0.5 pp |
| 1987 | 19.49% | -0.4 pp |
| 1986 | 19.92% | -0.4 pp |
| 1985 | 20.32% | -0.4 pp |
| 1984 | 20.68% | -0.3 pp |
| 1983 | 21% | -0.3 pp |
| 1982 | 21.26% | -0.2 pp |
| 1981 | 21.46% | -0.2 pp |
| 1980 | 21.61% | -0.1 pp |
| 1979 | 21.75% | -0.1 pp |
| 1978 | 21.89% | -0.1 pp |
| 1977 | 22.02% | -0.1 pp |
| 1976 | 22.14% | -0.1 pp |
| 1975 | 22.25% | -0.1 pp |
| 1974 | 22.33% | -0.1 pp |
| 1973 | 22.4% | -0.0 pp |
| 1972 | 22.44% | +0.0 pp |
| 1971 | 22.43% | +0.2 pp |
| 1970 | 22.28% | +0.3 pp |
| 1969 | 21.96% | +0.4 pp |
| 1968 | 21.51% | +0.5 pp |
| 1967 | 20.98% | +0.6 pp |
| 1966 | 20.41% | +0.6 pp |
| 1965 | 19.84% | +0.5 pp |
| 1964 | 19.31% | +0.4 pp |
| 1963 | 18.87% | +0.4 pp |
| 1962 | 18.46% | +0.4 pp |
| 1961 | 18.02% | +0.5 pp |
| 1960 | 17.55% | — |
Frequently asked questions
What was Sri Lanka’s Urban population in 1961?
18.02% (1961). The full year-by-year table above lists every published year, most recent first.
Are changes in this series measured in percentage points?
Yes. The series is a share expressed in % of total population, so year-over-year movements in the Change column are percentage points (pp), not percent.
Is Sri Lanka’s Urban population growing or shrinking?
Between 1960 and 2025 the series was growing overall: +16.5% in total — about 0.2% a year compounded.
Where does this data come from?
World Bank Open Data (CC BY-4.0), indicator SP.URB.TOTL.IN.ZS. Values are reproduced as published; this page only computes summary statistics such as change, CAGR and extremes.
What are the most recent published figures?
The last five published years: 2025: 20.45%; 2024: 20.3%; 2023: 20.15%; 2022: 19.99%; 2021: 19.83%. Earlier years are in the full-history table below.
Related data
SP.URB.TOTL.IN.ZS — Urban Population (% of Total). Data licensed under CC BY 4.0. Values are reproduced as published; this page computes the summary statistics (change, CAGR, extremes) from the underlying annual series. View the original dataset on data.worldbank.org.