Sri Lanka has a population density of 918 people per square mile compared to 741 people in the United Kingdom. Sri Lanka has 32,224 sq ft of land per person vs 37,705 sq ft in the United Kingdom. In the list of countries ranked from the most to the least densely populated, Sri Lanka and the United Kingdom are ranked 25th and 35th, 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 the land area of all countries, compared to 0.85% of the population and 0.16% of the land area for the United Kingdom, hence the population density in Sri Lanka is 23.8% higher than in the United Kingdom.
Population density comparison
Sri Lanka
|
United Kingdom
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Population density | 918 ppl/mi² | 741 ppl/mi² |
| Population density rank | 25/197 | 35/197 |
| Population |
22125995
|
69945462
|
| Land area | 23,884 sq mi | 93,410 sq mi |
| Land area per capita | 30,382 sq ft | 37,618 sq ft |
| Rural population | 80.6% | 15.1% |
| Urban population | 19.4% | 84.9% |
| Living in agglomerations of 1M+ people | 0% | 14.4% |
Sri Lanka vs the United Kingdom:
Population density chart by year
From 2004 to 2024, population density in Sri Lanka increased by 10.6%, compared to a 15.4% growth in the United Kingdom.
In 2004, Sri Lanka ranked 24th for population density and is in 25th place now. The United Kingdom was 35th in 2004 and still ranks 35th out of 197 currently.
people per square mile
| Year | Population density | |
|---|---|---|
|
Sri Lanka
|
United Kingdom
|
|
| 2024 | 918 | 741 |
| 2023 | 923 | 733 |
| 2022 | 929 | 724 |
| 2021 | 928 | 717 |
| 2020 | 918 | 715 |
| 2019 | 913 | 713 |
| 2018 | 907 | 710 |
| 2017 | 898 | 706 |
| 2016 | 888 | 702 |
| 2015 | 878 | 697 |
| 2014 | 858 | 692 |
| 2013 | 850 | 687 |
| 2012 | 874 | 682 |
| 2011 | 868 | 677 |
| 2010 | 862 | 672 |
| 2009 | 857 | 667 |
| 2008 | 852 | 662 |
| 2007 | 846 | 656 |
| 2006 | 841 | 651 |
| 2005 | 835 | 647 |
| 2004 | 830 | 642 |
| 2003 | 824 | 639 |
| 2002 | 818 | 636 |
| 2001 | 810 | 633 |
| 2000 | 797 | 630 |
| 1999 | 782 | 628 |
| 1998 | 768 | 626 |
| 1997 | 754 | 624 |
| 1996 | 739 | 623 |
| 1995 | 725 | 621 |
| 1994 | 714 | 619 |
| 1993 | 703 | 618 |
| 1992 | 691 | 616 |
| 1991 | 680 | 615 |
| 1990 | 675 | 613 |
| 1989 | 671 | 611 |
| 1988 | 664 | 609 |
| 1987 | 657 | 608 |
| 1986 | 650 | 607 |
| 1985 | 642 | 605 |
| 1984 | 638 | 604 |
| 1983 | 636 | 603 |
| 1982 | 631 | 603 |
| 1981 | 624 | 603 |
| 1980 | 613 | 603 |
| 1979 | 602 | 602 |
| 1978 | 591 | 602 |
| 1977 | 580 | 602 |
| 1976 | 570 | 602 |
| 1975 | 560 | 602 |
| 1974 | 550 | 602 |
| 1973 | 539 | 602 |
| 1972 | 529 | 600 |
| 1971 | 518 | 598 |
| 1970 | 507 | 596 |
| 1969 | 496 | 594 |
| 1968 | 485 | 591 |
| 1967 | 473 | 588 |
| 1966 | 462 | 585 |
| 1965 | 451 | 582 |
| 1964 | 440 | 578 |
| 1963 | 429 | 574 |
| 1962 | 419 | 570 |
| 1961 | 409 | 565 |
Share of urban population by year
| Year | Urban population | |
|---|---|---|
|
Sri Lanka
|
United Kingdom
|
|
| 2024 | 19.4% | 84.9% |
| 2023 | 19.2% | 84.6% |
| 2022 | 19% | 84.4% |
| 2021 | 18.9% | 84.2% |
| 2020 | 18.7% | 83.9% |
| 2019 | 18.6% | 83.7% |
| 2018 | 18.5% | 83.4% |
| 2017 | 18.4% | 83.1% |
| 2016 | 18.3% | 82.9% |
| 2015 | 18.3% | 82.6% |
| 2014 | 18.2% | 82.4% |
| 2013 | 18.2% | 82.1% |
| 2012 | 18.2% | 81.8% |
| 2011 | 18.2% | 81.6% |
| 2010 | 18.2% | 81.3% |
| 2009 | 18.2% | 81% |
| 2008 | 18.3% | 80.8% |
| 2007 | 18.3% | 80.5% |
| 2006 | 18.3% | 80.2% |
| 2005 | 18.3% | 79.9% |
| 2004 | 18.3% | 79.6% |
| 2003 | 18.3% | 79.3% |
| 2002 | 18.3% | 79% |
| 2001 | 18.4% | 78.8% |
| 2000 | 18.4% | 78.7% |
| 1999 | 18.4% | 78.6% |
| 1998 | 18.4% | 78.5% |
| 1997 | 18.4% | 78.5% |
| 1996 | 18.4% | 78.4% |
| 1995 | 18.5% | 78.4% |
| 1994 | 18.5% | 78.3% |
| 1993 | 18.5% | 78.2% |
| 1992 | 18.5% | 78.2% |
| 1991 | 18.5% | 78.1% |
| 1990 | 18.5% | 78.1% |
| 1989 | 18.6% | 78.2% |
| 1988 | 18.6% | 78.2% |
| 1987 | 18.6% | 78.3% |
| 1986 | 18.6% | 78.3% |
| 1985 | 18.6% | 78.4% |
| 1984 | 18.6% | 78.4% |
| 1983 | 18.6% | 78.5% |
| 1982 | 18.7% | 78.5% |
| 1981 | 18.7% | 78.6% |
| 1980 | 18.6% | 78.5% |
| 1979 | 18.5% | 78.3% |
| 1978 | 18.4% | 78.2% |
| 1977 | 18.3% | 78% |
| 1976 | 18.2% | 77.8% |
| 1975 | 18.1% | 77.7% |
| 1974 | 18% | 77.5% |
| 1973 | 17.9% | 77.4% |
| 1972 | 17.8% | 77.2% |
| 1971 | 17.7% | 77% |
| 1970 | 17.6% | 77.1% |
| 1969 | 17.5% | 77.3% |
| 1968 | 17.4% | 77.4% |
| 1967 | 17.3% | 77.5% |
| 1966 | 17.2% | 77.7% |
| 1965 | 17.1% | 77.8% |
| 1964 | 17% | 78% |
| 1963 | 16.9% | 78.1% |
| 1962 | 16.8% | 78.2% |
| 1961 | 16.6% | 78.4% |
| 1960 | 16.4% | 78.4% |
From 2004 to 2024 share of the urban population changed from 18.3% to 19.4% in Sri Lanka and from 79.6% to 84.9% in the United Kingdom.
Densely populated cities
|
Sri Lanka
|
|
|---|---|
| City | Population |
| Colombo | 753K |
| Gampaha | 191K |
| Beruwala | 165K |
| Negombo | 142K |
| Kandy | 120K |
| Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte | 116K |
| Trincomalee | 99.1K |
| Galle | 93.1K |
| Matara | 68.2K |
| Anuradhapura | 63.2K |
|
United Kingdom
|
|
|---|---|
| City | Population |
| London | 8.8M |
| Birmingham | 1.14M |
| Glasgow | 626K |
| Manchester | 548K |
| Leeds | 536K |
| Sheffield | 518K |
| Liverpool | 513K |
| Edinburgh | 488K |
| Bristol | 472K |
| Leicester | 464K |
Compare countries by 7 more topics
Population density in other countries
people per square mile
Population density
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comparisons:
Population density comparisons
