Sri Lanka has a population density of 928 people per square mile compared to 750 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. Sri Lanka and the United Kingdom rank 25th and 35th 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 0.85% of the population and 0.16% of the land area for the United Kingdom, making the population density in Sri Lanka 23.7% higher than in the United Kingdom.
Population density by year
people per square mile
| Year | Population density | |
|---|---|---|
Sri Lanka
|
United Kingdom
|
|
| 2026 | 928 | 750 |
| 2025 | 923 | 746 |
| 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 |
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/united-kingdom | CC BY 
From 2006 to 2026, population density in Sri Lanka increased by 10.4%, compared to a 15.1% growth in the United Kingdom.
In 2006, Sri Lanka ranked 25th by population density and is 25th still. The United Kingdom was 35th in 2006 and still ranks 35th out of 197 currently.
Population density comparison
|
Sri Lanka
|
United Kingdom
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Population density | 928 ppl/mi² | 750 ppl/mi² |
| Population density rank | 25/197 | 35/197 |
| Population |
22185425
|
70154914
|
| Land area | 23,884 sq mi | 93,410 sq mi |
| Land area per capita | 30,382 sq ft | 37,618 sq ft |
| Rural population | 79.7% | 16.8% |
| Urban population | 20.3% | 83.2% |
| Living in agglomerations of 1M+ people | 0% | 14.2% |
Share of urban population by year
| Year | Urban population | |
|---|---|---|
|
Sri Lanka
|
United Kingdom
|
|
| 2024 | 20.3% | 83.2% |
| 2023 | 20.1% | 83.2% |
| 2022 | 20% | 83.1% |
| 2021 | 19.8% | 83% |
| 2020 | 19.7% | 82.9% |
| 2019 | 19.5% | 82.7% |
| 2018 | 19.3% | 82.4% |
| 2017 | 19.2% | 82.2% |
| 2016 | 19% | 82% |
| 2015 | 18.8% | 81.8% |
| 2014 | 18.6% | 81.6% |
| 2013 | 18.4% | 81.5% |
| 2012 | 18.3% | 81.3% |
| 2011 | 17.8% | 81.1% |
| 2010 | 17.2% | 81% |
| 2009 | 16.7% | 80.9% |
| 2008 | 16.3% | 80.8% |
| 2007 | 15.9% | 80.6% |
| 2006 | 15.5% | 80.5% |
| 2005 | 15.2% | 80.4% |
| 2004 | 14.9% | 80.3% |
| 2003 | 14.7% | 80.2% |
| 2002 | 14.6% | 80.1% |
| 2001 | 14.6% | 80% |
| 2000 | 14.6% | 79.8% |
| 1999 | 14.7% | 79.6% |
| 1998 | 14.9% | 79.4% |
| 1997 | 15.2% | 79.1% |
| 1996 | 15.5% | 78.9% |
| 1995 | 15.9% | 78.7% |
| 1994 | 16.3% | 78.4% |
| 1993 | 16.7% | 78.3% |
| 1992 | 17.1% | 78.2% |
| 1991 | 17.6% | 78.1% |
| 1990 | 18.1% | 78.1% |
| 1989 | 18.6% | 78.1% |
| 1988 | 19% | 78.2% |
| 1987 | 19.5% | 78.3% |
| 1986 | 19.9% | 78.3% |
| 1985 | 20.3% | 78.4% |
| 1984 | 20.7% | 78.5% |
| 1983 | 21% | 78.5% |
| 1982 | 21.3% | 78.6% |
| 1981 | 21.5% | 78.6% |
| 1980 | 21.6% | 78.6% |
| 1979 | 21.8% | 78.5% |
| 1978 | 21.9% | 78.3% |
| 1977 | 22% | 78.1% |
| 1976 | 22.1% | 77.8% |
| 1975 | 22.2% | 77.5% |
| 1974 | 22.3% | 77.3% |
| 1973 | 22.4% | 77.1% |
| 1972 | 22.4% | 77% |
| 1971 | 22.4% | 76.9% |
| 1970 | 22.3% | 76.9% |
| 1969 | 22% | 77% |
| 1968 | 21.5% | 77.1% |
| 1967 | 21% | 77.2% |
| 1966 | 20.4% | 77.4% |
| 1965 | 19.8% | 77.6% |
| 1964 | 19.3% | 77.8% |
| 1963 | 18.9% | 78% |
| 1962 | 18.5% | 78.2% |
| 1961 | 18% | 78.4% |
| 1960 | 17.6% | 78.6% |
Data sources: World Bank | Health (1960–2024, retrieved 2026-04-06).
GeoRank.org/population-density/sri-lanka/united-kingdom | CC BY
From 2004 to 2024, the share of urban population changed from 14.9% to 20.3% in Sri Lanka and from 80.3% to 83.2% in the United Kingdom.
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 |
|
United Kingdom
|
|
|---|---|
| City | Population |
| London | 8.8M |
| Birmingham | 1.14M |
| Glasgow | 626K |
| Manchester | 548K |
| Leeds | 536K |
| Sheffield | 518K |
| Liverpool | 513K |
| Edinburgh | 488K |
| Bristol | 472K |
| Cardiff | 384K |
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/united-kingdom | 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.