Skip to content

Population density: Palau vs Sri Lanka compared

Updated on by Georank team

Palau has a population density of 99.3 people per square mile compared to 928 people in Sri Lanka. Palau has 283,195 sq ft of land per person vs 32,224 sq ft in Sri Lanka. Palau and Sri Lanka rank 148th and 25th by population density, respectively.

Population density is calculated as the ratio of population to land area. Palau has 0.0002% of the world's population and 0.0003% 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 Palau 89.3% lower than in Sri Lanka.

Population density by year

Palau
Sri Lanka

people per square mile

1x
Year Population density
Palau Sri Lanka
2026 99.3 928
2025 99.5 923
2024 99.6 918
2023 99.8 923
2022 100 929
2021 100.1 928
2020 100.2 918
2019 100.2 913
2018 100.3 907
2017 100.3 898
2016 100.2 888
2015 100.1 878
2014 99.7 858
2013 99.4 850
2012 100 874
2011 101.8 868
2010 103.6 862
2009 105.3 857
2008 107 852
2007 108.7 846
2006 110.3 841
2005 111.6 835
2004 111.6 830
2003 110.7 824
2002 109.8 818
2001 109 810
2000 108 797
1999 106.4 782
1998 104.3 768
1997 102 754
1996 99.4 739
1995 96.8 725
1994 94.4 714
1993 92.2 703
1992 90 691
1991 87.9 680
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 2026-04-06); United Nations | World Population Prospects (2025–2026, retrieved 2026-03-10).

GeoRank.org/population-density/palau/sri-lanka | CC BY

From 2006 to 2026, population density in Palau decreased by 10%, compared to a 10.4% growth in Sri Lanka.

In 2006, Palau ranked 133rd by population density and is 148th now. Sri Lanka was 25th in 2006 and still ranks 25th out of 197 currently.

Share of urban population by year

Palau
Sri Lanka
1x
Year Urban population
Palau Sri Lanka
2024 79.2% 20.3%
2023 79.2% 20.1%
2022 79.1% 20%
2021 79.1% 19.8%
2020 79.1% 19.7%
2019 79.3% 19.5%
2018 79.5% 19.3%
2017 79.8% 19.2%
2016 80.1% 19%
2015 80.4% 18.8%
2014 80.7% 18.6%
2013 81.1% 18.4%
2012 81.1% 18.3%
2011 81% 17.8%
2010 80.7% 17.2%
2009 80.2% 16.7%
2008 79.7% 16.3%
2007 79% 15.9%
2006 78.3% 15.5%
2005 77.6% 15.2%
2004 76.4% 14.9%
2003 74.5% 14.7%
2002 72.4% 14.6%
2001 70.5% 14.6%
2000 69.6% 14.6%
1999 69.7% 14.7%
1998 70.2% 14.9%
1997 70.8% 15.2%
1996 71.2% 15.5%
1995 71.4% 15.9%
1994 71.2% 16.3%
1993 70.9% 16.7%
1992 70.4% 17.1%
1991 70% 17.6%
1990 69.5% 18.1%
1989 69.2% 18.6%
1988 68.9% 19%
1987 68.7% 19.5%
1986 68.3% 19.9%
1985 67.8% 20.3%
1984 66.8% 20.7%
1983 65.5% 21%
1982 64.3% 21.3%
1981 63.2% 21.5%
1980 62.5% 21.6%
1979 62.1% 21.8%
1978 61.8% 21.9%
1977 61.6% 22%
1976 61.4% 22.1%
1975 61.1% 22.2%
1974 60.8% 22.3%
1973 60.4% 22.4%
1972 59.8% 22.4%
1971 59.2% 22.4%
1970 58.3% 22.3%
1969 57.4% 22%
1968 56.3% 21.5%
1967 55.1% 21%
1966 53.8% 20.4%
1965 52.4% 19.8%
1964 50.9% 19.3%
1963 49.3% 18.9%
1962 47.6% 18.5%
1961 45.8% 18%
1960 43.9% 17.6%

Data sources: World Bank | Health (1960–2024, retrieved 2026-04-06).

GeoRank.org/population-density/palau/sri-lanka | CC BY

From 2004 to 2024, the share of urban population changed from 76.4% to 79.2% in Palau and from 14.9% to 20.3% in Sri Lanka.

Densely populated cities

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

1x

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/palau/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:

  1. World Bank | Agriculture & Rural Development (1961–2026, retrieved 2026-04-06)
  2. United Nations | World Population Prospects (1961–2026, retrieved 2026-03-10)
  3. U.S. Census Bureau (1961–2025, retrieved 2026-02-08)
  4. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) (2000–2019, retrieved 2026-02-20)
  5. Wikidata (2001–2025, retrieved 2026-02-08)

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.