Papua New Guinea has a population density of 62.6 people per square mile compared to 928 people in Sri Lanka. Papua New Guinea has 471,041 sq ft of land per person vs 32,224 sq ft in Sri Lanka. Papua New Guinea and Sri Lanka rank 165th and 25th by population density, respectively.
Population density is calculated as the ratio of population to land area. Papua New Guinea has 0.13% of the world's population and 0.3% 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 Papua New Guinea 93.2% lower than in Sri Lanka.
Population density by year
people per square mile
| Year | Population density | |
|---|---|---|
Papua New Guinea
|
Sri Lanka
|
|
| 2026 | 62.6 | 928 |
| 2025 | 61.6 | 923 |
| 2024 | 60.5 | 918 |
| 2023 | 59.4 | 923 |
| 2022 | 58.4 | 929 |
| 2021 | 57.3 | 928 |
| 2020 | 56.1 | 918 |
| 2019 | 55 | 913 |
| 2018 | 53.7 | 907 |
| 2017 | 52.5 | 898 |
| 2016 | 51.3 | 888 |
| 2015 | 50 | 878 |
| 2014 | 48.7 | 858 |
| 2013 | 47.5 | 850 |
| 2012 | 46.2 | 874 |
| 2011 | 44.9 | 868 |
| 2010 | 43.7 | 862 |
| 2009 | 42.4 | 857 |
| 2008 | 41.1 | 852 |
| 2007 | 39.8 | 846 |
| 2006 | 38.6 | 841 |
| 2005 | 37.4 | 835 |
| 2004 | 36.2 | 830 |
| 2003 | 35 | 824 |
| 2002 | 33.9 | 818 |
| 2001 | 32.8 | 810 |
| 2000 | 31.7 | 797 |
| 1999 | 30.6 | 782 |
| 1998 | 29.5 | 768 |
| 1997 | 28.5 | 754 |
| 1996 | 27.5 | 739 |
| 1995 | 26.6 | 725 |
| 1994 | 25.6 | 714 |
| 1993 | 24.7 | 703 |
| 1992 | 23.8 | 691 |
| 1991 | 23 | 680 |
| 1990 | 22.3 | 675 |
| 1989 | 21.7 | 671 |
| 1988 | 21.2 | 664 |
| 1987 | 20.8 | 657 |
| 1986 | 20.3 | 650 |
| 1985 | 19.9 | 642 |
| 1984 | 19.5 | 638 |
| 1983 | 19.1 | 636 |
| 1982 | 18.7 | 631 |
| 1981 | 18.3 | 624 |
| 1980 | 17.9 | 613 |
| 1979 | 17.5 | 602 |
| 1978 | 17.2 | 591 |
| 1977 | 16.8 | 580 |
| 1976 | 16.5 | 570 |
| 1975 | 16.1 | 560 |
| 1974 | 15.7 | 550 |
| 1973 | 15.4 | 539 |
| 1972 | 15 | 529 |
| 1971 | 14.7 | 518 |
| 1970 | 14.3 | 507 |
| 1969 | 14 | 496 |
| 1968 | 13.7 | 485 |
| 1967 | 13.4 | 473 |
| 1966 | 13.1 | 462 |
| 1965 | 12.8 | 451 |
| 1964 | 12.5 | 440 |
| 1963 | 12.2 | 429 |
| 1962 | 12 | 419 |
| 1961 | 11.7 | 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/papua-new-guinea/sri-lanka | CC BY 
From 2006 to 2026, population density in Papua New Guinea increased by 62.3%, compared to a 10.4% growth in Sri Lanka.
In 2006, Papua New Guinea ranked 167th by population density and is 165th now. Sri Lanka was 25th in 2006 and still ranks 25th out of 197 currently.
Population density comparison
|
Papua New Guinea
|
Sri Lanka
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Population density | 62.6 ppl/mi² | 928 ppl/mi² |
| Population density rank | 165/197 | 25/197 |
| Population |
11002753
|
22185425
|
| Land area | 174,850 sq mi | 23,884 sq mi |
| Land area per capita | 460,884 sq ft | 30,382 sq ft |
| Rural population | 84.6% | 79.7% |
| Urban population | 15.4% | 20.3% |
| Living in agglomerations of 1M+ people | 0% | 0% |
Share of urban population by year
| Year | Urban population | |
|---|---|---|
|
Papua New Guinea
|
Sri Lanka
|
|
| 2024 | 15.4% | 20.3% |
| 2023 | 15.1% | 20.1% |
| 2022 | 14.7% | 20% |
| 2021 | 14.4% | 19.8% |
| 2020 | 14.2% | 19.7% |
| 2019 | 13.9% | 19.5% |
| 2018 | 13.7% | 19.3% |
| 2017 | 13.5% | 19.2% |
| 2016 | 13.4% | 19% |
| 2015 | 13.2% | 18.8% |
| 2014 | 13.1% | 18.6% |
| 2013 | 13.1% | 18.4% |
| 2012 | 13% | 18.3% |
| 2011 | 13% | 17.8% |
| 2010 | 13% | 17.2% |
| 2009 | 13% | 16.7% |
| 2008 | 13% | 16.3% |
| 2007 | 13% | 15.9% |
| 2006 | 13% | 15.5% |
| 2005 | 13.1% | 15.2% |
| 2004 | 13.1% | 14.9% |
| 2003 | 13.1% | 14.7% |
| 2002 | 13.2% | 14.6% |
| 2001 | 13.2% | 14.6% |
| 2000 | 13.2% | 14.6% |
| 1999 | 13.3% | 14.7% |
| 1998 | 13.5% | 14.9% |
| 1997 | 13.7% | 15.2% |
| 1996 | 14% | 15.5% |
| 1995 | 14.4% | 15.9% |
| 1994 | 14.7% | 16.3% |
| 1993 | 14.9% | 16.7% |
| 1992 | 15.2% | 17.1% |
| 1991 | 15.3% | 17.6% |
| 1990 | 15.4% | 18.1% |
| 1989 | 15.3% | 18.6% |
| 1988 | 15.1% | 19% |
| 1987 | 14.8% | 19.5% |
| 1986 | 14.5% | 19.9% |
| 1985 | 14.2% | 20.3% |
| 1984 | 13.8% | 20.7% |
| 1983 | 13.5% | 21% |
| 1982 | 13.3% | 21.3% |
| 1981 | 13.1% | 21.5% |
| 1980 | 13.1% | 21.6% |
| 1979 | 13.1% | 21.8% |
| 1978 | 13.1% | 21.9% |
| 1977 | 13.1% | 22% |
| 1976 | 13.1% | 22.1% |
| 1975 | 13% | 22.2% |
| 1974 | 12.7% | 22.3% |
| 1973 | 12.2% | 22.4% |
| 1972 | 11.7% | 22.4% |
| 1971 | 11.1% | 22.4% |
| 1970 | 10.2% | 22.3% |
| 1969 | 9.05% | 22% |
| 1968 | 7.77% | 21.5% |
| 1967 | 6.63% | 21% |
| 1966 | 5.88% | 20.4% |
| 1965 | 5.42% | 19.8% |
| 1964 | 4.98% | 19.3% |
| 1963 | 4.57% | 18.9% |
| 1962 | 4.17% | 18.5% |
| 1961 | 3.81% | 18% |
| 1960 | 3.46% | 17.6% |
Data sources: World Bank | Health (1960–2024, retrieved 2026-04-06).
GeoRank.org/population-density/papua-new-guinea/sri-lanka | CC BY
From 2004 to 2024, the share of urban population changed from 13.1% to 15.4% in Papua New Guinea and from 14.9% to 20.3% in Sri Lanka.
Densely populated cities
|
Papua New Guinea
|
|
|---|---|
| City | Population |
| Port Moresby | 317K |
| Lae | 101K |
|
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/papua-new-guinea/sri-lanka | CC BY
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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)
- Wikidata (2001–2025, retrieved 2026-02-08)
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