Sri Lanka has a population density of 916 people per square mile compared to 374 people in Syria. Sri Lanka has 32,461 sq ft of land per person vs 77,800 sq ft in Syria. Sri Lanka and Syria rank 25th and 68th by population density, respectively.
Population density is calculated as the ratio of population to land area. Sri Lanka has 0.27% of the world's population and 0.04% of all countries' land area, compared to 0.31% of the population and 0.12% of the land area for Syria, making the population density in Sri Lanka 144.7% higher than in Syria.
Population density by year
people per square mile
| Year | Population density | |
|---|---|---|
Sri Lanka
|
Syria
|
|
| 2026 | 916 | 374 |
| 2025 | 911 | 361 |
| 2024 | 918 | 348 |
| 2023 | 923 | 333 |
| 2022 | 929 | 317 |
| 2021 | 928 | 305 |
| 2020 | 918 | 296.9 |
| 2019 | 913 | 287.1 |
| 2018 | 907 | 276.1 |
| 2017 | 898 | 271.2 |
| 2016 | 888 | 270.7 |
| 2015 | 878 | 274 |
| 2014 | 858 | 285.9 |
| 2013 | 850 | 306 |
| 2012 | 874 | 321 |
| 2011 | 868 | 323 |
| 2010 | 862 | 317 |
| 2009 | 857 | 310 |
| 2008 | 852 | 305 |
| 2007 | 846 | 294.5 |
| 2006 | 841 | 277 |
| 2005 | 835 | 265.4 |
| 2004 | 830 | 258.7 |
| 2003 | 824 | 252.4 |
| 2002 | 818 | 246.2 |
| 2001 | 810 | 240.3 |
| 2000 | 797 | 234.5 |
| 1999 | 782 | 228.7 |
| 1998 | 768 | 223 |
| 1997 | 754 | 217.3 |
| 1996 | 739 | 211.6 |
| 1995 | 725 | 206 |
| 1994 | 714 | 200.2 |
| 1993 | 703 | 194.4 |
| 1992 | 691 | 188.6 |
| 1991 | 680 | 182.9 |
| 1990 | 675 | 177.3 |
| 1989 | 671 | 171.6 |
| 1988 | 664 | 166 |
| 1987 | 657 | 160.5 |
| 1986 | 650 | 155.1 |
| 1985 | 642 | 149.7 |
| 1984 | 638 | 144.6 |
| 1983 | 636 | 139.6 |
| 1982 | 631 | 134.9 |
| 1981 | 624 | 130.5 |
| 1980 | 613 | 126.2 |
| 1979 | 602 | 122.1 |
| 1978 | 591 | 118 |
| 1977 | 580 | 114 |
| 1976 | 570 | 110.2 |
| 1975 | 560 | 106.5 |
| 1974 | 550 | 102.9 |
| 1973 | 539 | 99.5 |
| 1972 | 529 | 96.2 |
| 1971 | 518 | 93 |
| 1970 | 507 | 89.9 |
| 1969 | 496 | 87 |
| 1968 | 485 | 84.3 |
| 1967 | 473 | 81.6 |
| 1966 | 462 | 79 |
| 1965 | 451 | 76.6 |
| 1964 | 440 | 74.3 |
| 1963 | 429 | 72 |
| 1962 | 419 | 69.9 |
| 1961 | 409 | 67.9 |
Data sources: World Bank | Agriculture & Rural Development (1961–2026, retrieved 2026-07-08); United Nations | World Population Prospects (2026, retrieved 2026-07-08).
GeoRank.org/population-density/sri-lanka/syria | CC BY 
From 2006 to 2026, population density in Sri Lanka increased by 8.93%, compared to a 35.1% growth in Syria.
In 2006, Sri Lanka ranked 25th by population density and is 25th still. Syria was 74th in 2006 and ranks 68th out of 197 currently.
Population density comparison
|
Sri Lanka
|
Syria
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Population density | 916 ppl/mi² | 374 ppl/mi² |
| Population density rank | 25/197 | 68/197 |
| Population |
21926160
|
26956472
|
| Land area | 23,884 sq mi | 70,900 sq mi |
| Land area per capita | 30,606 sq ft | 77,148 sq ft |
| Rural population | 79.5% | 27.9% |
| Urban population | 20.5% | 72.1% |
| Living in agglomerations of 1M+ people | 0% | 17.4% |
Share of urban population by year
| Year | Urban population | |
|---|---|---|
|
Sri Lanka
|
Syria
|
|
| 2025 | 20.5% | 72.1% |
| 2024 | 20.3% | 72.1% |
| 2023 | 20.1% | 72.2% |
| 2022 | 20% | 72.6% |
| 2021 | 19.8% | 73% |
| 2020 | 19.7% | 73.4% |
| 2019 | 19.5% | 73.8% |
| 2018 | 19.3% | 74.1% |
| 2017 | 19.2% | 74.5% |
| 2016 | 19% | 75.2% |
| 2015 | 18.8% | 75.8% |
| 2014 | 18.6% | 76% |
| 2013 | 18.4% | 73.1% |
| 2012 | 18.3% | 65.1% |
| 2011 | 17.8% | 58.5% |
| 2010 | 17.2% | 55.7% |
| 2009 | 16.7% | 55% |
| 2008 | 16.3% | 54.6% |
| 2007 | 15.9% | 54.3% |
| 2006 | 15.5% | 54.1% |
| 2005 | 15.2% | 53.8% |
| 2004 | 14.9% | 53.5% |
| 2003 | 14.7% | 53.1% |
| 2002 | 14.6% | 52.7% |
| 2001 | 14.6% | 52.3% |
| 2000 | 14.6% | 51.9% |
| 1999 | 14.7% | 51.5% |
| 1998 | 14.9% | 51.1% |
| 1997 | 15.2% | 50.7% |
| 1996 | 15.5% | 50.4% |
| 1995 | 15.9% | 50% |
| 1994 | 16.3% | 49.8% |
| 1993 | 16.7% | 49.5% |
| 1992 | 17.1% | 49.3% |
| 1991 | 17.6% | 49% |
| 1990 | 18.1% | 48.8% |
| 1989 | 18.6% | 48.6% |
| 1988 | 19% | 48.5% |
| 1987 | 19.5% | 48.3% |
| 1986 | 19.9% | 48.1% |
| 1985 | 20.3% | 47.9% |
| 1984 | 20.7% | 47.7% |
| 1983 | 21% | 47.5% |
| 1982 | 21.3% | 47.3% |
| 1981 | 21.5% | 47% |
| 1980 | 21.6% | 46.7% |
| 1979 | 21.8% | 46.4% |
| 1978 | 21.9% | 46.1% |
| 1977 | 22% | 45.8% |
| 1976 | 22.1% | 45.5% |
| 1975 | 22.2% | 45.2% |
| 1974 | 22.3% | 44.8% |
| 1973 | 22.4% | 44.5% |
| 1972 | 22.4% | 44.1% |
| 1971 | 22.4% | 43.8% |
| 1970 | 22.3% | 43.4% |
| 1969 | 22% | 43% |
| 1968 | 21.5% | 42.7% |
| 1967 | 21% | 42.4% |
| 1966 | 20.4% | 42% |
| 1965 | 19.8% | 41.7% |
| 1964 | 19.3% | 41.4% |
| 1963 | 18.9% | 41% |
| 1962 | 18.5% | 40.7% |
| 1961 | 18% | 40.4% |
| 1960 | 17.6% | 40% |
Data sources: World Bank | Health (1960–2025, retrieved 2026-07-08).
GeoRank.org/population-density/sri-lanka/syria | CC BY
From 2005 to 2025, the share of urban population changed from 15.2% to 20.5% in Sri Lanka and from 53.8% to 72.1% in Syria.
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 |
|
Syria
|
|
|---|---|
| City | Population |
| Damascus | 2.69M |
| Aleppo | 2M |
| Homs | 775K |
| Latakia | 709K |
| Hama | 697K |
| Raqqa | 300K |
| Deir ez-Zor | 272K |
| Al-Hasakah | 188K |
| Qamishli | 184K |
| Idlib | 165K |
Compare countries by 7 more topics
Population density in other countries
Data sources: World Bank | Agriculture & Rural Development (1961–2026, retrieved 2026-07-08); United Nations | World Population Prospects (1961–2026, retrieved 2026-07-08); U.S. Census Bureau (1961–2025, retrieved 2026-07-08); Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) (2000–2019, retrieved 2026-07-08).
GeoRank.org/population-density/sri-lanka/syria | CC BY
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Data sources:
- World Bank | Agriculture & Rural Development (1961–2026, retrieved 2026-07-08)
- United Nations | World Population Prospects (1961–2026, retrieved 2026-07-08)
- U.S. Census Bureau (1961–2025, retrieved 2026-07-08)
- Wikidata (2001–2025, retrieved 2026-07-08)
- Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) (2000–2019, retrieved 2026-07-08)
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