Sao Tome and Principe has a population density of 661 people per square mile compared to 928 people in Sri Lanka. Sao Tome and Principe has 45,745 sq ft of land per person vs 32,224 sq ft in Sri Lanka. Sao Tome and Principe and Sri Lanka rank 46th and 25th by population density, respectively.
Population density is calculated as the ratio of population to land area. Sao Tome and Principe has 0.003% of the world's population and 0.0006% 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 Sao Tome and Principe 28.7% lower than in Sri Lanka.
Population density by year
people per square mile
| Year | Population density | |
|---|---|---|
Sao Tome
|
Sri Lanka
|
|
| 2026 | 661 | 928 |
| 2025 | 648 | 923 |
| 2024 | 635 | 918 |
| 2023 | 623 | 923 |
| 2022 | 611 | 929 |
| 2021 | 599 | 928 |
| 2020 | 587 | 918 |
| 2019 | 576 | 913 |
| 2018 | 567 | 907 |
| 2017 | 558 | 898 |
| 2016 | 550 | 888 |
| 2015 | 540 | 878 |
| 2014 | 531 | 858 |
| 2013 | 521 | 850 |
| 2012 | 511 | 874 |
| 2011 | 501 | 868 |
| 2010 | 490 | 862 |
| 2009 | 480 | 857 |
| 2008 | 469 | 852 |
| 2007 | 458 | 846 |
| 2006 | 447 | 841 |
| 2005 | 436 | 835 |
| 2004 | 425 | 830 |
| 2003 | 415 | 824 |
| 2002 | 404 | 818 |
| 2001 | 395 | 810 |
| 2000 | 389 | 797 |
| 1999 | 384 | 782 |
| 1998 | 380 | 768 |
| 1997 | 375 | 754 |
| 1996 | 370 | 739 |
| 1995 | 364 | 725 |
| 1994 | 358 | 714 |
| 1993 | 352 | 703 |
| 1992 | 346 | 691 |
| 1991 | 339 | 680 |
| 1990 | 332 | 675 |
| 1989 | 324 | 671 |
| 1988 | 315 | 664 |
| 1987 | 307 | 657 |
| 1986 | 299.9 | 650 |
| 1985 | 293.1 | 642 |
| 1984 | 287 | 638 |
| 1983 | 281.6 | 636 |
| 1982 | 276.6 | 631 |
| 1981 | 271.4 | 624 |
| 1980 | 265.9 | 613 |
| 1979 | 259.7 | 602 |
| 1978 | 253 | 591 |
| 1977 | 246.3 | 580 |
| 1976 | 239.9 | 570 |
| 1975 | 233.9 | 560 |
| 1974 | 228.4 | 550 |
| 1973 | 223.4 | 539 |
| 1972 | 218.6 | 529 |
| 1971 | 214 | 518 |
| 1970 | 209.4 | 507 |
| 1969 | 205.3 | 496 |
| 1968 | 201.7 | 485 |
| 1967 | 198.6 | 473 |
| 1966 | 195.8 | 462 |
| 1965 | 193.4 | 451 |
| 1964 | 191.2 | 440 |
| 1963 | 189.2 | 429 |
| 1962 | 187.2 | 419 |
| 1961 | 185.4 | 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/sao-tome-and-principe/sri-lanka | CC BY 
From 2006 to 2026, population density in Sao Tome and Principe increased by 48%, compared to a 10.4% growth in Sri Lanka.
In 2006, Sao Tome and Principe ranked 50th by population density and is 46th now. Sri Lanka was 25th in 2006 and still ranks 25th out of 197 currently.
Population density comparison
|
Sao Tome
|
Sri Lanka
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Population density | 661 ppl/mi² | 928 ppl/mi² |
| Population density rank | 46/197 | 25/197 |
| Population |
246362
|
22185425
|
| Land area | 371 sq mi | 23,884 sq mi |
| Land area per capita | 43,872 sq ft | 30,382 sq ft |
| Rural population | 31.1% | 79.7% |
| Urban population | 68.9% | 20.3% |
| Living in agglomerations of 1M+ people | 0% | 0% |
Share of urban population by year
| Year | Urban population | |
|---|---|---|
|
Sao Tome
|
Sri Lanka
|
|
| 2024 | 68.9% | 20.3% |
| 2023 | 68.6% | 20.1% |
| 2022 | 68.4% | 20% |
| 2021 | 68.2% | 19.8% |
| 2020 | 68% | 19.7% |
| 2019 | 67.9% | 19.5% |
| 2018 | 67.8% | 19.3% |
| 2017 | 67.7% | 19.2% |
| 2016 | 67.5% | 19% |
| 2015 | 67.4% | 18.8% |
| 2014 | 67.3% | 18.6% |
| 2013 | 67.1% | 18.4% |
| 2012 | 67% | 18.3% |
| 2011 | 66.7% | 17.8% |
| 2010 | 66.1% | 17.2% |
| 2009 | 65.1% | 16.7% |
| 2008 | 63.9% | 16.3% |
| 2007 | 62.5% | 15.9% |
| 2006 | 61% | 15.5% |
| 2005 | 59.4% | 15.2% |
| 2004 | 57.9% | 14.9% |
| 2003 | 56.4% | 14.7% |
| 2002 | 55.1% | 14.6% |
| 2001 | 54% | 14.6% |
| 2000 | 53% | 14.6% |
| 1999 | 52% | 14.7% |
| 1998 | 51.1% | 14.9% |
| 1997 | 50.2% | 15.2% |
| 1996 | 49.4% | 15.5% |
| 1995 | 48.5% | 15.9% |
| 1994 | 47.6% | 16.3% |
| 1993 | 46.7% | 16.7% |
| 1992 | 45.8% | 17.1% |
| 1991 | 44.8% | 17.6% |
| 1990 | 43.7% | 18.1% |
| 1989 | 42.5% | 18.6% |
| 1988 | 41.3% | 19% |
| 1987 | 40% | 19.5% |
| 1986 | 38.7% | 19.9% |
| 1985 | 37.5% | 20.3% |
| 1984 | 36.3% | 20.7% |
| 1983 | 35.3% | 21% |
| 1982 | 34.5% | 21.3% |
| 1981 | 33.8% | 21.5% |
| 1980 | 33.3% | 21.6% |
| 1979 | 32.9% | 21.8% |
| 1978 | 32.6% | 21.9% |
| 1977 | 32.3% | 22% |
| 1976 | 32.1% | 22.1% |
| 1975 | 31.8% | 22.2% |
| 1974 | 31.5% | 22.3% |
| 1973 | 31.2% | 22.4% |
| 1972 | 30.8% | 22.4% |
| 1971 | 30.4% | 22.4% |
| 1970 | 29.8% | 22.3% |
| 1969 | 28.8% | 22% |
| 1968 | 27.4% | 21.5% |
| 1967 | 25.7% | 21% |
| 1966 | 23.8% | 20.4% |
| 1965 | 21.9% | 19.8% |
| 1964 | 20% | 19.3% |
| 1963 | 18.3% | 18.9% |
| 1962 | 16.9% | 18.5% |
| 1961 | 15.9% | 18% |
| 1960 | 15.4% | 17.6% |
Data sources: World Bank | Health (1960–2024, retrieved 2026-04-06).
GeoRank.org/population-density/sao-tome-and-principe/sri-lanka | CC BY
From 2004 to 2024, the share of urban population changed from 57.9% to 68.9% in Sao Tome and Principe 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
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/sao-tome-and-principe/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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