Sri Lanka has a population density of 928 people per square mile compared to 212.2 people in Tanzania. Sri Lanka has 32,224 sq ft of land per person vs 148,726 sq ft in Tanzania. Sri Lanka and Tanzania rank 25th and 106th 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 0.84% of the population and 0.59% of the land area for Tanzania, making the population density in Sri Lanka 337% higher than in Tanzania.
Population density by year
people per square mile
| Year | Population density | |
|---|---|---|
Sri Lanka
|
Tanzania
|
|
| 2026 | 928 | 212.2 |
| 2025 | 923 | 206.3 |
| 2024 | 918 | 200.5 |
| 2023 | 923 | 194.8 |
| 2022 | 929 | 189.2 |
| 2021 | 928 | 183.7 |
| 2020 | 918 | 178.3 |
| 2019 | 913 | 173 |
| 2018 | 907 | 167.9 |
| 2017 | 898 | 162.7 |
| 2016 | 888 | 157.4 |
| 2015 | 878 | 152.1 |
| 2014 | 858 | 147.2 |
| 2013 | 850 | 142.8 |
| 2012 | 874 | 138.5 |
| 2011 | 868 | 134.6 |
| 2010 | 862 | 130.9 |
| 2009 | 857 | 127.6 |
| 2008 | 852 | 124.5 |
| 2007 | 846 | 121.2 |
| 2006 | 841 | 117.8 |
| 2005 | 835 | 114.6 |
| 2004 | 830 | 111.4 |
| 2003 | 824 | 108.4 |
| 2002 | 818 | 105.6 |
| 2001 | 810 | 102.9 |
| 2000 | 797 | 100.2 |
| 1999 | 782 | 97.4 |
| 1998 | 768 | 94.8 |
| 1997 | 754 | 92.3 |
| 1996 | 739 | 90.5 |
| 1995 | 725 | 88.8 |
| 1994 | 714 | 86.1 |
| 1993 | 703 | 82.8 |
| 1992 | 691 | 80.3 |
| 1991 | 680 | 78.3 |
| 1990 | 675 | 76.3 |
| 1989 | 671 | 74.4 |
| 1988 | 664 | 72.4 |
| 1987 | 657 | 70.3 |
| 1986 | 650 | 68 |
| 1985 | 642 | 65.8 |
| 1984 | 638 | 63.7 |
| 1983 | 636 | 61.6 |
| 1982 | 631 | 59.6 |
| 1981 | 624 | 57.8 |
| 1980 | 613 | 56.1 |
| 1979 | 602 | 54.4 |
| 1978 | 591 | 52.6 |
| 1977 | 580 | 50.7 |
| 1976 | 570 | 48.9 |
| 1975 | 560 | 47.2 |
| 1974 | 550 | 45.5 |
| 1973 | 539 | 43.9 |
| 1972 | 529 | 42.3 |
| 1971 | 518 | 40.9 |
| 1970 | 507 | 39.5 |
| 1969 | 496 | 38.1 |
| 1968 | 485 | 36.8 |
| 1967 | 473 | 35.7 |
| 1966 | 462 | 34.6 |
| 1965 | 451 | 33.5 |
| 1964 | 440 | 32.5 |
| 1963 | 429 | 31.6 |
| 1962 | 419 | 30.7 |
| 1961 | 409 | 29.8 |
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/sri-lanka/tanzania | CC BY 
From 2006 to 2026, population density in Sri Lanka increased by 10.4%, compared to a 80.1% growth in Tanzania.
In 2006, Sri Lanka ranked 25th by population density and is 25th still. Tanzania was 128th in 2006 and ranks 106th out of 197 currently.
Population density comparison
|
Sri Lanka
|
Tanzania
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Population density | 928 ppl/mi² | 212.2 ppl/mi² |
| Population density rank | 25/197 | 106/197 |
| Population |
22185425
|
73145892
|
| Land area | 23,884 sq mi | 342,009 sq mi |
| Land area per capita | 30,382 sq ft | 139,070 sq ft |
| Rural population | 79.7% | 63.8% |
| Urban population | 20.3% | 36.2% |
| Living in agglomerations of 1M+ people | 0% | 6.45% |
Share of urban population by year
| Year | Urban population | |
|---|---|---|
|
Sri Lanka
|
Tanzania
|
|
| 2024 | 20.3% | 36.2% |
| 2023 | 20.1% | 35.5% |
| 2022 | 20% | 34.8% |
| 2021 | 19.8% | 34.4% |
| 2020 | 19.7% | 33.9% |
| 2019 | 19.5% | 33.3% |
| 2018 | 19.3% | 32.8% |
| 2017 | 19.2% | 32.3% |
| 2016 | 19% | 31.8% |
| 2015 | 18.8% | 31.2% |
| 2014 | 18.6% | 30.6% |
| 2013 | 18.4% | 30.1% |
| 2012 | 18.3% | 29.5% |
| 2011 | 17.8% | 28.9% |
| 2010 | 17.2% | 28.2% |
| 2009 | 16.7% | 27.5% |
| 2008 | 16.3% | 26.8% |
| 2007 | 15.9% | 26.1% |
| 2006 | 15.5% | 25.4% |
| 2005 | 15.2% | 24.7% |
| 2004 | 14.9% | 24.1% |
| 2003 | 14.7% | 23.5% |
| 2002 | 14.6% | 23% |
| 2001 | 14.6% | 22.6% |
| 2000 | 14.6% | 22.2% |
| 1999 | 14.7% | 21.8% |
| 1998 | 14.9% | 21.5% |
| 1997 | 15.2% | 21.1% |
| 1996 | 15.5% | 20.8% |
| 1995 | 15.9% | 20.5% |
| 1994 | 16.3% | 20.2% |
| 1993 | 16.7% | 19.9% |
| 1992 | 17.1% | 19.6% |
| 1991 | 17.6% | 19.3% |
| 1990 | 18.1% | 18.9% |
| 1989 | 18.6% | 18.6% |
| 1988 | 19% | 18.2% |
| 1987 | 19.5% | 17.8% |
| 1986 | 19.9% | 17.4% |
| 1985 | 20.3% | 17% |
| 1984 | 20.7% | 16.6% |
| 1983 | 21% | 16.2% |
| 1982 | 21.3% | 15.7% |
| 1981 | 21.5% | 15.3% |
| 1980 | 21.6% | 14.8% |
| 1979 | 21.8% | 14.2% |
| 1978 | 21.9% | 13.7% |
| 1977 | 22% | 13% |
| 1976 | 22.1% | 12.1% |
| 1975 | 22.2% | 11.2% |
| 1974 | 22.3% | 10.1% |
| 1973 | 22.4% | 9.05% |
| 1972 | 22.4% | 8.03% |
| 1971 | 22.4% | 7.08% |
| 1970 | 22.3% | 6.26% |
| 1969 | 22% | 5.62% |
| 1968 | 21.5% | 5.19% |
| 1967 | 21% | 5.04% |
| 1966 | 20.4% | 5% |
| 1965 | 19.8% | 4.97% |
| 1964 | 19.3% | 4.95% |
| 1963 | 18.9% | 4.93% |
| 1962 | 18.5% | 4.92% |
| 1961 | 18% | 4.9% |
| 1960 | 17.6% | 4.89% |
Data sources: World Bank | Health (1960–2024, retrieved 2026-04-06).
GeoRank.org/population-density/sri-lanka/tanzania | CC BY
From 2004 to 2024, the share of urban population changed from 14.9% to 20.3% in Sri Lanka and from 24.1% to 36.2% in Tanzania.
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 |
|
Tanzania
|
|
|---|---|
| City | Population |
| Dar es Salaam | 4.72M |
| Zanzibar | 710K |
| Mwanza | 706K |
| Mbeya | 542K |
| Arusha | 416K |
| Tanga | 221K |
| Dodoma | 214K |
| Morogoro | 207K |
| Moshi | 145K |
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/sri-lanka/tanzania | 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:
- 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)
- Wikidata (2001–2025, retrieved 2026-02-08)
- Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) (2000–2019, retrieved 2026-02-20)
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.