New Zealand vs Sri Lanka: Urban population
New Zealand
4.47 million
in 2025
Sri Lanka
4.45 million
in 2025
New Zealand rank
105th
Sri Lanka rank
106th
Urban population over time
- New Zealand
- Sri Lanka
How they compare
New Zealand currently reports 4.47 million against 4.45 million in Sri Lanka, a difference of 23,500.
The two have swapped places 5 times across 66 shared years of data; in 1960 it was Sri Lanka ahead.
New Zealand ranks 105th and Sri Lanka ranks 106th of 218 countries.
Across the 7 decades both report, New Zealand averaged higher in 2 and Sri Lanka in 5.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | New Zealand | Sri Lanka | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 1.78 million | 2.14 million | 360,125 | Sri Lanka |
| 1970s | 2.48 million | 2.98 million | 498,811 | Sri Lanka |
| 1980s | 2.70 million | 3.16 million | 462,528 | Sri Lanka |
| 1990s | 3.10 million | 2.83 million | 275,142 | New Zealand |
| 2000s | 3.51 million | 3.08 million | 432,021 | New Zealand |
| 2010s | 3.92 million | 3.94 million | 18,929 | Sri Lanka |
| 2020s | 4.34 million | 4.41 million | 70,548 | Sri Lanka |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher urban population, New Zealand or Sri Lanka?
- New Zealand, at 4.47 million against 4.45 million in Sri Lanka as of 2025.
- What is the difference in urban population between New Zealand and Sri Lanka?
- 23,500, with New Zealand ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for New Zealand and Sri Lanka?
- 66 years are reported by both, from 1960 to 2025.
- How do New Zealand and Sri Lanka rank globally for urban population?
- New Zealand ranks 105th and Sri Lanka ranks 106th of 218 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN), published as Urban population. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Urban population refers to people living in urban areas as defined by national statistical offices. It is calculated using World Bank population estimates and urban ratios from the United Nations World Urbanization Prospects. Aggregation of urban and rural population may not add up to total population because of different country coverages.