Urban population growth (annual %) in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: Urban population growth (annual %) was 0.0% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Urban population growth in Sri Lanka, 1961–2025
Source: World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN). Measured in annual %.
Analysis
Sri Lanka recorded 0.0% for urban population growth in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 97.4% on the previous year and down 99.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, urban population growth in Sri Lanka peaked at 5.2% in 1966 and was at its lowest, -2.0%, in 1990.
Sri Lanka ranks 184th of 218 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Urban population growth (annual %) in Sri Lanka, year by year
| Year | annual % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 5.0% | — |
| 1962 | 4.9% | -3.0% |
| 1963 | 4.6% | -4.8% |
| 1964 | 4.8% | +2.7% |
| 1965 | 5.1% | +7.6% |
| 1966 | 5.2% | +2.2% |
| 1967 | 5.2% | -1.4% |
| 1968 | 4.9% | -5.3% |
| 1969 | 4.4% | -10.2% |
| 1970 | 3.7% | -15.7% |
| 1971 | 2.8% | -24.0% |
| 1972 | 2.0% | -27.6% |
| 1973 | 1.8% | -12.8% |
| 1974 | 1.6% | -11.7% |
| 1975 | 1.4% | -9.4% |
| 1976 | 1.3% | -6.1% |
| 1977 | 1.3% | -5.2% |
| 1978 | 1.2% | -2.5% |
| 1979 | 1.2% | -1.1% |
| 1980 | 1.2% | -5.3% |
| 1981 | 1.0% | -15.7% |
| 1982 | 0.3% | -67.4% |
| 1983 | -0.6% | -278.1% |
| 1984 | -1.2% | +105.7% |
| 1985 | -1.1% | -5.5% |
| 1986 | -0.8% | -28.2% |
| 1987 | -1.0% | +28.3% |
| 1988 | -1.3% | +32.3% |
| 1989 | -1.4% | +7.5% |
| 1990 | -2.0% | +35.9% |
| 1991 | -1.9% | -2.2% |
| 1992 | -1.1% | -42.4% |
| 1993 | -1.0% | -11.6% |
| 1994 | -1.1% | +17.3% |
| 1995 | -0.8% | -28.4% |
| 1996 | -0.4% | -55.7% |
| 1997 | -0.1% | -63.8% |
| 1998 | 0.2% | -238.6% |
| 1999 | 0.5% | +199.9% |
| 2000 | 1.0% | +78.2% |
| 2001 | 1.3% | +29.6% |
| 2002 | 1.3% | +2.2% |
| 2003 | 1.5% | +17.1% |
| 2004 | 1.9% | +28.2% |
| 2005 | 2.3% | +19.9% |
| 2006 | 2.7% | +17.1% |
| 2007 | 3.1% | +12.0% |
| 2008 | 3.3% | +7.7% |
| 2009 | 3.4% | +4.5% |
| 2010 | 3.6% | +3.6% |
| 2011 | 3.7% | +3.8% |
| 2012 | 3.4% | -8.4% |
| 2013 | -1.9% | -155.2% |
| 2014 | 1.9% | -202.7% |
| 2015 | 1.9% | -1.8% |
| 2016 | 2.1% | +10.2% |
| 2017 | 2.1% | -0.5% |
| 2018 | 1.9% | -7.7% |
| 2019 | 1.5% | -21.9% |
| 2020 | 1.4% | -7.0% |
| 2021 | 1.9% | +37.6% |
| 2022 | 0.9% | -51.7% |
| 2023 | 0.1% | -85.4% |
| 2024 | 0.2% | +57.1% |
| 2025 | 0.0% | -97.4% |
Sri Lanka compared with similar countries
- Sri Lanka's 0.0% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 1.0%, 1% of the median. (59 countries reporting)
- Sri Lanka's 0.0% is below the median for South Asia, which is 1.7%, 0% of the median. (6 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Urban population growth (annual %) in Sri Lanka changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | -278.1% | 0.3% | -0.6% |
| 1998 | +238.6% | -0.1% | 0.2% |
| 2014 | +202.7% | -1.9% | 1.9% |
| 1999 | +199.9% | 0.2% | 0.5% |
| 2013 | -155.2% | 3.4% | -1.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 4.9% | 4.4% | 5.2% | 9 |
| 1970s | 1.8% | 1.2% | 3.7% | 10 |
| 1980s | -0.5% | -1.4% | 1.2% | 10 |
| 1990s | -0.8% | -2.0% | 0.5% | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.2% | 1.0% | 3.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.0% | -1.9% | 3.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.8% | 0.0% | 1.9% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Sri Lanka
- 181 Italy 0.0% compare
- 182 Montenegro 0.0% compare
- 183 Channel Islands 0.0% compare
- 185 Uruguay 0.0% compare
- 186 Jordan -0.0% compare
- 187 Trinidad and Tobago -0.0% compare
More climate change data for Sri Lanka
- Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Synthetic fertilizers (Agricultural) 327.09 million kg (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) 3,418 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 618.46 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 2,800 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 2.33 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 100 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) 4,168 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 2,071 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 2,097 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 7.82 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is urban population growth in Sri Lanka?
- Urban population growth in Sri Lanka was 0.0% in 2025, according to World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN).
- What is the highest urban population growth recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The highest recorded value was 5.2% in 1966.
- What is the lowest urban population growth recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The lowest recorded value was -2.0% in 1990.
- How does Sri Lanka rank for urban population growth?
- Sri Lanka ranks 184th out of 218 countries with data for 2025.
- Is urban population growth rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
- Over the last ten years it is down 99.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Sri Lanka data come from?
- The figures come from World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN), published as part of Urban population growth (annual %). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Annual urban population growth rate for year t is the exponential rate of growth of midyear urban population from year t-1 to t, expressed as a percentage. Urban population refers to people living in urban areas as defined by national statistical offices. It is calculated using World Bank total population estimates and urban ratios from the United Nations World Urbanization Prospects.