Iran has a population density of 148.9 people per square mile compared to 928 people in Sri Lanka. Iran has 193,748 sq ft of land per person vs 32,224 sq ft in Sri Lanka. Iran and Sri Lanka rank 134th and 25th by population density, respectively.
Population density is calculated as the ratio of population to land area. Iran has 1.13% of the world's population and 1.09% 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 Iran 83.9% lower than in Sri Lanka.
Population density by year
people per square mile
| Year | Population density | |
|---|---|---|
Iran
|
Sri Lanka
|
|
| 2026 | 148.9 | 928 |
| 2025 | 147.6 | 923 |
| 2024 | 146.2 | 918 |
| 2023 | 144.6 | 923 |
| 2022 | 142.9 | 929 |
| 2021 | 141.2 | 928 |
| 2020 | 140 | 918 |
| 2019 | 139 | 913 |
| 2018 | 137.5 | 907 |
| 2017 | 135.7 | 898 |
| 2016 | 133.3 | 888 |
| 2015 | 131.4 | 878 |
| 2014 | 129.6 | 858 |
| 2013 | 127.9 | 850 |
| 2012 | 126.2 | 874 |
| 2011 | 124.6 | 868 |
| 2010 | 123.1 | 862 |
| 2009 | 121.6 | 857 |
| 2008 | 120.1 | 852 |
| 2007 | 118.6 | 846 |
| 2006 | 116.7 | 841 |
| 2005 | 114.2 | 835 |
| 2004 | 111.7 | 830 |
| 2003 | 109.4 | 824 |
| 2002 | 108.1 | 818 |
| 2001 | 107.3 | 810 |
| 2000 | 105.6 | 797 |
| 1999 | 104.1 | 782 |
| 1998 | 102.6 | 768 |
| 1997 | 101.2 | 754 |
| 1996 | 100 | 739 |
| 1995 | 98.9 | 725 |
| 1994 | 97.8 | 714 |
| 1993 | 97.6 | 703 |
| 1992 | 97.3 | 691 |
| 1991 | 95.4 | 680 |
| 1990 | 92.8 | 675 |
| 1989 | 90.2 | 671 |
| 1988 | 87.6 | 664 |
| 1987 | 84.8 | 657 |
| 1986 | 81.8 | 650 |
| 1985 | 78.8 | 642 |
| 1984 | 76 | 638 |
| 1983 | 73.2 | 636 |
| 1982 | 70.4 | 631 |
| 1981 | 66.8 | 624 |
| 1980 | 63.4 | 613 |
| 1979 | 61.1 | 602 |
| 1978 | 59 | 591 |
| 1977 | 57.1 | 580 |
| 1976 | 55.4 | 570 |
| 1975 | 53.8 | 560 |
| 1974 | 52.2 | 550 |
| 1973 | 50.6 | 539 |
| 1972 | 49.2 | 529 |
| 1971 | 47.8 | 518 |
| 1970 | 46.3 | 507 |
| 1969 | 45 | 496 |
| 1968 | 43.6 | 485 |
| 1967 | 42.3 | 473 |
| 1966 | 41.1 | 462 |
| 1965 | 39.8 | 451 |
| 1964 | 38.6 | 440 |
| 1963 | 37.4 | 429 |
| 1962 | 36.3 | 419 |
| 1961 | 35.2 | 409 |
Data sources: World Bank | Agriculture & Rural Development (1961–2026, retrieved 2026-04-06); United Nations | World Population Prospects (2025–2026, retrieved 2026-03-10).
GeoRank.org/population-density/iran/sri-lanka | CC BY 
From 2006 to 2026, population density in Iran increased by 27.6%, compared to a 10.4% growth in Sri Lanka.
In 2006, Iran ranked 130th by population density and is 134th now. Sri Lanka was 25th in 2006 and still ranks 25th out of 197 currently.
Population density comparison
|
Iran
|
Sri Lanka
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Population density | 148.9 ppl/mi² | 928 ppl/mi² |
| Population density rank | 134/197 | 25/197 |
| Population |
93468444
|
22185425
|
| Land area | 626,451 sq mi | 23,884 sq mi |
| Land area per capita | 190,727 sq ft | 30,382 sq ft |
| Rural population | 23% | 79.7% |
| Urban population | 77% | 20.3% |
| Living in agglomerations of 1M+ people | 22.2% | 0% |
Share of urban population by year
| Year | Urban population | |
|---|---|---|
|
Iran
|
Sri Lanka
|
|
| 2024 | 77% | 20.3% |
| 2023 | 76.7% | 20.1% |
| 2022 | 76.3% | 20% |
| 2021 | 76% | 19.8% |
| 2020 | 75.6% | 19.7% |
| 2019 | 75.2% | 19.5% |
| 2018 | 74.8% | 19.3% |
| 2017 | 74.4% | 19.2% |
| 2016 | 73.9% | 19% |
| 2015 | 73.4% | 18.8% |
| 2014 | 72.8% | 18.6% |
| 2013 | 72.3% | 18.4% |
| 2012 | 71.8% | 18.3% |
| 2011 | 71.2% | 17.8% |
| 2010 | 70.6% | 17.2% |
| 2009 | 70% | 16.7% |
| 2008 | 69.4% | 16.3% |
| 2007 | 68.8% | 15.9% |
| 2006 | 68.3% | 15.5% |
| 2005 | 67.9% | 15.2% |
| 2004 | 67.3% | 14.9% |
| 2003 | 66.6% | 14.7% |
| 2002 | 65.9% | 14.6% |
| 2001 | 65.2% | 14.6% |
| 2000 | 64.5% | 14.6% |
| 1999 | 63.7% | 14.7% |
| 1998 | 62.9% | 14.9% |
| 1997 | 62.1% | 15.2% |
| 1996 | 61.1% | 15.5% |
| 1995 | 60.4% | 15.9% |
| 1994 | 59.6% | 16.3% |
| 1993 | 58.7% | 16.7% |
| 1992 | 57.9% | 17.1% |
| 1991 | 56.9% | 17.6% |
| 1990 | 56.5% | 18.1% |
| 1989 | 55.9% | 18.6% |
| 1988 | 55.4% | 19% |
| 1987 | 54.8% | 19.5% |
| 1986 | 54.2% | 19.9% |
| 1985 | 53.6% | 20.3% |
| 1984 | 52.8% | 20.7% |
| 1983 | 52.1% | 21% |
| 1982 | 51.4% | 21.3% |
| 1981 | 50.7% | 21.5% |
| 1980 | 49.9% | 21.6% |
| 1979 | 49.2% | 21.8% |
| 1978 | 48.5% | 21.9% |
| 1977 | 47.8% | 22% |
| 1976 | 46.8% | 22.1% |
| 1975 | 46.1% | 22.2% |
| 1974 | 45.2% | 22.3% |
| 1973 | 44.3% | 22.4% |
| 1972 | 43.3% | 22.4% |
| 1971 | 42.4% | 22.4% |
| 1970 | 41.5% | 22.3% |
| 1969 | 40.6% | 22% |
| 1968 | 39.7% | 21.5% |
| 1967 | 38.9% | 21% |
| 1966 | 37.7% | 20.4% |
| 1965 | 37.1% | 19.8% |
| 1964 | 36.6% | 19.3% |
| 1963 | 35.9% | 18.9% |
| 1962 | 35.3% | 18.5% |
| 1961 | 34.6% | 18% |
| 1960 | 34% | 17.6% |
Data sources: World Bank | Health (1960–2024, retrieved 2026-04-06).
GeoRank.org/population-density/iran/sri-lanka | CC BY
From 2004 to 2024, the share of urban population changed from 67.3% to 77% in Iran and from 14.9% to 20.3% in Sri Lanka.
Densely populated cities
|
Iran
|
|
|---|---|
| City | Population |
| Tehran | 8.69M |
| Mashhad | 3M |
| Isfahan | 1.96M |
| Karaj | 1.59M |
| Shiraz | 1.57M |
| Tabriz | 1.56M |
| Qom | 1.2M |
| Ahvaz | 1.18M |
| Kermanshah | 947K |
| Urmia | 736K |
|
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 2026-04-06); United Nations | World Population Prospects (1961–2026, retrieved 2026-03-10); U.S. Census Bureau (1961–2025, retrieved 2026-02-08); Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) (2000–2019, retrieved 2026-02-20).
GeoRank.org/population-density/iran/sri-lanka | CC BY
Help us show the world through your eyes
Share a photo of your city and help others discover what it looks like to live there. Your contribution makes our data come alive.
Data sources:
- World Bank | Agriculture & Rural Development (1961–2026, retrieved 2026-04-06)
- United Nations | World Population Prospects (1961–2026, retrieved 2026-03-10)
- U.S. Census Bureau (1961–2025, retrieved 2026-02-08)
- Wikidata (2001–2025, retrieved 2026-02-08)
- Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) (2000–2019, retrieved 2026-02-20)
Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) — you’re free to copy, share, remix, adapt, and use even commercially as long as you give appropriate credit and clearly indicate if you made changes. Other sources may be subject to different license terms.