Skip to content

Population density: Palestine vs Sri Lanka compared

Updated on by Georank team

Palestine has a population density of 2,352 people per square mile compared to 928 people in Sri Lanka. Palestine has 12,251 sq ft of land per person vs 32,224 sq ft in Sri Lanka. Palestine and Sri Lanka rank 8th and 25th by population density, respectively.

Population density is calculated as the ratio of population to land area. Palestine has 0.07% of the world's population and 0.004% 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 Palestine 153.6% higher than in Sri Lanka.

Population density by year

Palestine
Sri Lanka

people per square mile

1x
Year Population density
Palestine Sri Lanka
2026 2,352 928
2025 2,311 923
2024 2,274 918
2023 2,221 923
2022 2,168 929
2021 2,116 928
2020 2,067 918
2019 2,016 913
2018 1,966 907
2017 1,917 898
2016 1,879 888
2015 1,837 878
2014 1,796 858
2013 1,754 850
2012 1,712 874
2011 1,671 868
2010 1,629 862
2009 1,587 857
2008 1,545 852
2007 1,503 846
2006 1,466 841
2005 1,429 835
2004 1,392 830
2003 1,357 824
2002 1,323 818
2001 1,290 810
2000 1,257 797
1999 1,225 782
1998 1,195 768
1997 1,164 754
1996 1,113 739
1995 1,065 725
1994 1,018 714
1993 973 703
1992 931 691
1991 890 680
1990 851 675
1989 819 671
1988 766 664
1987 745 657
1986 729 650
1985 697 642
1984 670 638
1983 648 636
1982 629 631
1981 611 624
1980 595 613
1979 579 602
1978 564 591
1977 548 580
1976 532 570
1975 516 560
1974 499 550
1973 484 539
1972 474 529
1971 469 518
1970 471 507
1969 476 496
1968 483 485
1967 485 473
1966 484 462
1965 480 451
1964 472 440
1963 464 429
1962 457 419
1961 449 409

Data sources: World Bank | Agriculture & Rural Development (1961–2026, retrieved 2026-04-06); United Nations | World Population Prospects (1961–2026, retrieved 2026-03-10).

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

From 2006 to 2026, population density in Palestine increased by 60.5%, compared to a 10.4% growth in Sri Lanka.

In 2006, Palestine ranked 11th by population density and is 8th now. Sri Lanka was 25th in 2006 and still ranks 25th out of 197 currently.

Share of urban population by year

Palestine
Sri Lanka
1x
Year Urban population
Palestine Sri Lanka
2024 87.1% 20.3%
2023 86.9% 20.1%
2022 86.6% 20%
2021 86.3% 19.8%
2020 86.1% 19.7%
2019 85.8% 19.5%
2018 85.5% 19.3%
2017 85.4% 19.2%
2016 85.3% 19%
2015 85.2% 18.8%
2014 85% 18.6%
2013 84.8% 18.4%
2012 84.5% 18.3%
2011 84.2% 17.8%
2010 83.9% 17.2%
2009 83.5% 16.7%
2008 83.1% 16.3%
2007 82.6% 15.9%
2006 81.8% 15.5%
2005 80.5% 15.2%
2004 79% 14.9%
2003 77.3% 14.7%
2002 75.5% 14.6%
2001 73.7% 14.6%
2000 72.1% 14.6%
1999 70.6% 14.7%
1998 69.5% 14.9%
1997 68.7% 15.2%
1996 68.1% 15.5%
1995 67.5% 15.9%
1994 67% 16.3%
1993 66.5% 16.7%
1992 66.1% 17.1%
1991 65.7% 17.6%
1990 65.3% 18.1%
1989 - 18.6%
1988 - 19%
1987 - 19.5%
1986 - 19.9%
1985 - 20.3%
1984 - 20.7%
1983 - 21%
1982 - 21.3%
1981 - 21.5%
1980 - 21.6%
1979 - 21.8%
1978 - 21.9%
1977 - 22%
1976 - 22.1%
1975 - 22.2%
1974 - 22.3%
1973 - 22.4%
1972 - 22.4%
1971 - 22.4%
1970 - 22.3%
1969 - 22%
1968 - 21.5%
1967 - 21%
1966 - 20.4%
1965 - 19.8%
1964 - 19.3%
1963 - 18.9%
1962 - 18.5%
1961 - 18%
1960 - 17.6%

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

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

From 2004 to 2024, the share of urban population changed from 79% to 87.1% in Palestine and from 14.9% to 20.3% in Sri Lanka.

Densely populated cities

Palestine
City Population
Gaza 590K
Ashdod 220K
Hebron 215K
Nablus 178K
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/palestine/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.