Ethiopia has a population density of 319 people per square mile compared to 916 people in Sri Lanka. Ethiopia has 87,742 sq ft of land per person vs 32,461 sq ft in Sri Lanka. Ethiopia and Sri Lanka rank 78th and 25th by population density, respectively.
Population density is calculated as the ratio of population to land area. Ethiopia has 1.65% of the world's population and 0.76% of all countries' land area, compared to 0.27% of the population and 0.04% of the land area for Sri Lanka, making the population density in Ethiopia 65.2% lower than in Sri Lanka.
Population density by year
people per square mile
| Year | Population density | |
|---|---|---|
Ethiopia
|
Sri Lanka
|
|
| 2026 | 319 | 916 |
| 2025 | 311 | 911 |
| 2024 | 303 | 918 |
| 2023 | 295.4 | 923 |
| 2022 | 287.8 | 929 |
| 2021 | 280.3 | 928 |
| 2020 | 272.9 | 918 |
| 2019 | 265.6 | 913 |
| 2018 | 258.6 | 907 |
| 2017 | 251.7 | 898 |
| 2016 | 244.9 | 888 |
| 2015 | 238.4 | 878 |
| 2014 | 232.1 | 858 |
| 2013 | 225.9 | 850 |
| 2012 | 219.8 | 874 |
| 2011 | 213.8 | 868 |
| 2010 | 207.8 | 862 |
| 2009 | 202 | 857 |
| 2008 | 196.3 | 852 |
| 2007 | 190.7 | 846 |
| 2006 | 185.2 | 841 |
| 2005 | 179.8 | 835 |
| 2004 | 174.6 | 830 |
| 2003 | 191.2 | 824 |
| 2002 | 185.5 | 818 |
| 2001 | 180 | 810 |
| 2000 | 174.6 | 797 |
| 1999 | 169.3 | 782 |
| 1998 | 164.1 | 768 |
| 1997 | 159 | 754 |
| 1996 | 154 | 739 |
| 1995 | 149 | 725 |
| 1994 | 144 | 714 |
| 1993 | 139.1 | 703 |
| 1992 | - | 691 |
| 1991 | - | 680 |
| 1990 | - | 675 |
| 1989 | - | 671 |
| 1988 | - | 664 |
| 1987 | - | 657 |
| 1986 | - | 650 |
| 1985 | - | 642 |
| 1984 | - | 638 |
| 1983 | - | 636 |
| 1982 | - | 631 |
| 1981 | - | 624 |
| 1980 | - | 613 |
| 1979 | - | 602 |
| 1978 | - | 591 |
| 1977 | - | 580 |
| 1976 | - | 570 |
| 1975 | - | 560 |
| 1974 | - | 550 |
| 1973 | - | 539 |
| 1972 | - | 529 |
| 1971 | - | 518 |
| 1970 | - | 507 |
| 1969 | - | 496 |
| 1968 | - | 485 |
| 1967 | - | 473 |
| 1966 | - | 462 |
| 1965 | - | 451 |
| 1964 | - | 440 |
| 1963 | - | 429 |
| 1962 | - | 419 |
| 1961 | - | 409 |
Data sources: World Bank | Agriculture & Rural Development (1961–2026, retrieved 2026-07-08); United Nations | World Population Prospects (2026, retrieved 2026-07-08).
GeoRank.org/population-density/ethiopia/sri-lanka | CC BY 
From 2006 to 2026, population density in Ethiopia increased by 72.2%, compared to a 8.93% growth in Sri Lanka.
In 2006, Ethiopia ranked 101st by population density and is 78th now. Sri Lanka was 25th in 2006 and still ranks 25th out of 197 currently.
Population density comparison
|
Ethiopia
|
Sri Lanka
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Population density | 319 ppl/mi² | 916 ppl/mi² |
| Population density rank | 78/197 | 25/197 |
| Population |
140722974
|
21926160
|
| Land area | 435,716 sq mi | 23,884 sq mi |
| Land area per capita | 89,665 sq ft | 30,606 sq ft |
| Rural population | 75.9% | 79.5% |
| Urban population | 24.1% | 20.5% |
| Living in agglomerations of 1M+ people | 4.05% | 0% |
Share of urban population by year
| Year | Urban population | |
|---|---|---|
|
Ethiopia
|
Sri Lanka
|
|
| 2025 | 24.1% | 20.5% |
| 2024 | 23.6% | 20.3% |
| 2023 | 23.1% | 20.1% |
| 2022 | 22.7% | 20% |
| 2021 | 22.1% | 19.8% |
| 2020 | 21.6% | 19.7% |
| 2019 | 21.2% | 19.5% |
| 2018 | 20.8% | 19.3% |
| 2017 | 20.3% | 19.2% |
| 2016 | 19.9% | 19% |
| 2015 | 19.5% | 18.8% |
| 2014 | 19% | 18.6% |
| 2013 | 18.6% | 18.4% |
| 2012 | 18.2% | 18.3% |
| 2011 | 17.9% | 17.8% |
| 2010 | 17.5% | 17.2% |
| 2009 | 17.2% | 16.7% |
| 2008 | 16.8% | 16.3% |
| 2007 | 16.1% | 15.9% |
| 2006 | 16.2% | 15.5% |
| 2005 | 16% | 15.2% |
| 2004 | 15.8% | 14.9% |
| 2003 | 15.5% | 14.7% |
| 2002 | 15.3% | 14.6% |
| 2001 | 15.1% | 14.6% |
| 2000 | 14.9% | 14.6% |
| 1999 | 14.7% | 14.7% |
| 1998 | 14.5% | 14.9% |
| 1997 | 14.3% | 15.2% |
| 1996 | 14.1% | 15.5% |
| 1995 | 13.9% | 15.9% |
| 1994 | 13.7% | 16.3% |
| 1993 | 13.5% | 16.7% |
| 1992 | 13.3% | 17.1% |
| 1991 | 13% | 17.6% |
| 1990 | 12.8% | 18.1% |
| 1989 | 12.5% | 18.6% |
| 1988 | 12.2% | 19% |
| 1987 | 11.9% | 19.5% |
| 1986 | 11.7% | 19.9% |
| 1985 | 11.4% | 20.3% |
| 1984 | 11.2% | 20.7% |
| 1983 | 11% | 21% |
| 1982 | 10.8% | 21.3% |
| 1981 | 10.6% | 21.5% |
| 1980 | 10.4% | 21.6% |
| 1979 | 10.2% | 21.8% |
| 1978 | 9.98% | 21.9% |
| 1977 | 9.79% | 22% |
| 1976 | 9.61% | 22.1% |
| 1975 | 9.42% | 22.2% |
| 1974 | 9.24% | 22.3% |
| 1973 | 9.07% | 22.4% |
| 1972 | 8.9% | 22.4% |
| 1971 | 8.73% | 22.4% |
| 1970 | 8.57% | 22.3% |
| 1969 | 8.41% | 22% |
| 1968 | 8.25% | 21.5% |
| 1967 | 8.1% | 21% |
| 1966 | 7.95% | 20.4% |
| 1965 | 7.8% | 19.8% |
| 1964 | 7.66% | 19.3% |
| 1963 | 7.52% | 18.9% |
| 1962 | 7.38% | 18.5% |
| 1961 | 7.24% | 18% |
| 1960 | 7.11% | 17.6% |
Data sources: World Bank | Health (1960–2025, retrieved 2026-07-08).
GeoRank.org/population-density/ethiopia/sri-lanka | CC BY
From 2005 to 2025, the share of urban population changed from 16% to 24.1% in Ethiopia and from 15.2% to 20.5% in Sri Lanka.
Densely populated cities
|
Ethiopia
|
|
|---|---|
| City | Population |
| Addis Ababa | 5.7M |
| Gondar | 324K |
| Mekelle | 324K |
| Awasa | 300K |
| Dire Dawa | 277K |
| Bahir Dar | 243K |
| Dessie | 188K |
| Jimma | 178K |
| Harar | 157K |
| Jijiga | 126K |
|
Sri Lanka
|
|
|---|---|
| City | Population |
| Colombo | 648K |
| Gampaha | 191K |
| Beruwala | 165K |
| Negombo | 142K |
| Kandy | 120K |
| Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte | 116K |
| Trincomalee | 99.1K |
| Galle | 93.1K |
| Matara | 68.2K |
| Anuradhapura | 63.2K |
Compare countries by 7 more topics
Population density in other countries
Data sources: World Bank | Agriculture & Rural Development (1961–2026, retrieved 2026-07-08); United Nations | World Population Prospects (1961–2026, retrieved 2026-07-08); U.S. Census Bureau (1961–2025, retrieved 2026-07-08); Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) (2000–2019, retrieved 2026-07-08).
GeoRank.org/population-density/ethiopia/sri-lanka | CC BY
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Data sources:
- World Bank | Agriculture & Rural Development (1961–2026, retrieved 2026-07-08)
- United Nations | World Population Prospects (1961–2026, retrieved 2026-07-08)
- U.S. Census Bureau (1961–2025, retrieved 2026-07-08)
- Wikidata (2001–2025, retrieved 2026-07-08)
- Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) (2000–2019, retrieved 2026-07-08)
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