The latest officially reported population of Nepal was 29,651,054 in 2024 vs 21,916,000 people in Sri Lanka in 2024. In 2025, based on the adjusted UN estimation, the current Nepal's population is 29,627,185 people compared to 22,125,995 in Sri Lanka.
Population statistics:
- Nepal's population is 1.34 times bigger than Sri Lanka's.
- Nepal is ranked the 52nd most populous country in the world, while Sri Lanka is the 63rd.
- The countries together account for 0.63% of the world: 0.36% for Nepal vs 0.27% for Sri Lanka.
- For the last 10 years, Nepal has had an average growth rate of +0.66% per year vs +0.57% in Sri Lanka.
- Since 2005, the population of Nepal has increased from 26.3M people to 29.6M (12.6% growth), while Sri Lanka has grown from 20.2M to 22.1M (9.45% growth).
- Nepal is projected to reach its peak in 2067 at 35.8M people compared to the peak of 23.5M people in 2051 for Sri Lanka.
Nepal vs Sri Lanka: live population counter
|
|
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Current population |
29627185
|
22125995
|
| Population rank | 52/197 | 63/197 |
| Percent of world population | 0.36% | 0.27% |
| One net population change |
12.1 minutes
|
4.34 minutes
|
| One birth every |
54.9 seconds
|
2.13 minutes
|
| One death every |
2.55 minutes
|
2.91 minutes
|
| One migration net change every |
1.31 minutes
|
19.3 minutes
|
| Annual migration change | -401,282 | -27,245 |
| Daily growth/decline | -119 | -332 |
| Annual growth/decline | -43,560 | -121,000 |
| Annual growth/decline rate | -0.15% | -0.55% |
| Population growth rate rank | 174/197 | 187/197 |
Nepal and Sri Lanka: population history and growth rate by year chart
| Year | Population | Growth rate | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 1960 | 10,123,658 | 9,661,389 | - | - |
| 1961 | 10,318,396 | 9,899,372 | 1.92% | 2.46% |
| 1962 | 10,521,116 | 10,143,754 | 1.96% | 2.47% |
| 1963 | 10,729,818 | 10,395,040 | 1.98% | 2.48% |
| 1964 | 10,946,392 | 10,653,397 | 2.02% | 2.49% |
| 1965 | 11,173,411 | 10,916,965 | 2.07% | 2.47% |
| 1966 | 11,408,710 | 11,183,928 | 2.11% | 2.45% |
| 1967 | 11,652,716 | 11,457,328 | 2.14% | 2.44% |
| 1968 | 11,906,266 | 11,736,088 | 2.18% | 2.43% |
| 1969 | 12,167,036 | 12,013,858 | 2.19% | 2.37% |
| 1970 | 12,436,190 | 12,287,110 | 2.21% | 2.27% |
| 1971 | 12,710,061 | 12,551,910 | 2.2% | 2.16% |
| 1972 | 12,989,099 | 12,809,205 | 2.2% | 2.05% |
| 1973 | 13,275,239 | 13,060,916 | 2.2% | 1.97% |
| 1974 | 13,568,435 | 13,305,693 | 2.21% | 1.87% |
| 1975 | 13,870,695 | 13,548,984 | 2.23% | 1.83% |
| 1976 | 14,177,649 | 13,796,770 | 2.21% | 1.83% |
| 1977 | 14,499,175 | 14,049,371 | 2.27% | 1.83% |
| 1978 | 14,839,695 | 14,310,128 | 2.35% | 1.86% |
| 1979 | 15,190,590 | 14,579,614 | 2.36% | 1.88% |
| 1980 | 15,553,105 | 14,847,974 | 2.39% | 1.84% |
| 1981 | 15,922,423 | 15,099,414 | 2.37% | 1.69% |
| 1982 | 16,297,987 | 15,286,567 | 2.36% | 1.24% |
| 1983 | 16,689,119 | 15,388,794 | 2.4% | 0.67% |
| 1984 | 17,085,242 | 15,441,860 | 2.37% | 0.34% |
| 1985 | 17,477,692 | 15,544,154 | 2.3% | 0.66% |
| 1986 | 17,868,124 | 15,731,256 | 2.23% | 1.2% |
| 1987 | 18,250,505 | 15,916,576 | 2.14% | 1.18% |
| 1988 | 18,638,661 | 16,078,621 | 2.13% | 1.02% |
| 1989 | 19,057,807 | 16,248,557 | 2.25% | 1.06% |
| 1990 | 19,524,573 | 16,352,458 | 2.45% | 0.64% |
| 1991 | 20,036,500 | 16,475,354 | 2.62% | 0.75% |
| 1992 | 20,609,707 | 16,739,284 | 2.86% | 1.6% |
| 1993 | 21,180,159 | 17,025,918 | 2.77% | 1.71% |
| 1994 | 21,717,479 | 17,275,773 | 2.54% | 1.47% |
| 1995 | 22,245,439 | 17,564,068 | 2.43% | 1.67% |
| 1996 | 22,741,862 | 17,905,018 | 2.23% | 1.94% |
| 1997 | 23,219,463 | 18,248,200 | 2.1% | 1.92% |
| 1998 | 23,680,357 | 18,596,003 | 1.98% | 1.91% |
| 1999 | 24,125,199 | 18,944,731 | 1.88% | 1.88% |
| 2000 | 24,546,509 | 19,293,054 | 1.75% | 1.84% |
| 2001 | 24,946,748 | 19,600,362 | 1.63% | 1.59% |
| 2002 | 25,328,981 | 19,805,752 | 1.53% | 1.05% |
| 2003 | 25,688,758 | 19,951,521 | 1.42% | 0.74% |
| 2004 | 26,016,656 | 20,087,605 | 1.28% | 0.68% |
| 2005 | 26,309,458 | 20,216,524 | 1.13% | 0.64% |
| 2006 | 26,565,425 | 20,352,411 | 0.97% | 0.67% |
| 2007 | 26,788,492 | 20,492,545 | 0.84% | 0.69% |
| 2008 | 26,990,037 | 20,629,378 | 0.75% | 0.67% |
| 2009 | 27,173,035 | 20,756,435 | 0.68% | 0.62% |
| 2010 | 27,341,952 | 20,879,089 | 0.62% | 0.59% |
| 2011 | 27,464,494 | 21,009,048 | 0.45% | 0.62% |
| 2012 | 27,534,915 | 21,169,458 | 0.26% | 0.76% |
| 2013 | 27,589,996 | 20,585,000 | 0.2% | -2.76% |
| 2014 | 27,672,370 | 20,778,000 | 0.3% | 0.94% |
| 2015 | 27,823,629 | 20,970,000 | 0.55% | 0.92% |
| 2016 | 27,955,462 | 21,209,000 | 0.47% | 1.14% |
| 2017 | 28,011,258 | 21,453,000 | 0.2% | 1.15% |
| 2018 | 28,079,689 | 21,670,000 | 0.24% | 1.01% |
| 2019 | 28,414,064 | 21,803,000 | 1.19% | 0.61% |
| 2020 | 28,966,574 | 21,919,000 | 1.94% | 0.53% |
| 2021 | 29,475,010 | 22,156,000 | 1.76% | 1.08% |
| 2022 | 29,715,436 | 22,181,000 | 0.82% | 0.11% |
| 2023 | 29,694,614 | 22,037,000 | -0.07% | -0.65% |
| 2024 | 29,651,054 | 21,916,000 | -0.15% | -0.55% |
| 2025 | 29,618,120 | 22,035,440 | -0.11% | 0.54% |
| 2026 | 29,629,406 | 22,148,172 | 0.04% | 0.51% |
| 2027 | 29,727,164 | 22,255,601 | 0.33% | 0.49% |
| 2028 | 29,947,588 | 22,357,682 | 0.74% | 0.46% |
| 2029 | 30,232,115 | 22,453,922 | 0.95% | 0.43% |
| 2030 | 30,509,999 | 22,546,245 | 0.92% | 0.41% |
| 2031 | 30,780,916 | 22,635,106 | 0.89% | 0.39% |
| 2032 | 31,045,411 | 22,720,118 | 0.86% | 0.38% |
| 2033 | 31,304,035 | 22,802,043 | 0.83% | 0.36% |
| 2034 | 31,555,068 | 22,879,527 | 0.8% | 0.34% |
| 2035 | 31,798,003 | 22,952,739 | 0.77% | 0.32% |
| 2036 | 32,033,714 | 23,022,027 | 0.74% | 0.3% |
| 2037 | 32,262,286 | 23,088,877 | 0.71% | 0.29% |
| 2038 | 32,484,801 | 23,152,480 | 0.69% | 0.28% |
| 2039 | 32,700,695 | 23,211,633 | 0.66% | 0.26% |
| 2040 | 32,909,540 | 23,265,986 | 0.64% | 0.23% |
| 2041 | 33,112,254 | 23,315,260 | 0.62% | 0.21% |
| 2042 | 33,309,062 | 23,359,578 | 0.59% | 0.19% |
| 2043 | 33,499,440 | 23,398,752 | 0.57% | 0.17% |
| 2044 | 33,683,331 | 23,433,096 | 0.55% | 0.15% |
| 2045 | 33,861,058 | 23,464,943 | 0.53% | 0.14% |
| 2046 | 34,032,994 | 23,492,738 | 0.51% | 0.12% |
| 2047 | 34,197,261 | 23,512,629 | 0.48% | 0.08% |
| 2048 | 34,352,077 | 23,525,953 | 0.45% | 0.06% |
| 2049 | 34,500,201 | 23,533,940 | 0.43% | 0.03% |
| 2050 | 34,642,021 | 23,538,230 | 0.41% | 0.02% |
From 2005 to 2015, the population of Nepal increased by 1,514,171 people (a 5.76% growth), while Sri Lanka gained 753,476 people (a 3.73% growth).
For the next 10 years, from 2015 to 2025, Nepal gained 1,803,556 (a 6.48% growth), while Sri Lanka's population increased by 1,155,995 (a 5.51% growth).
Nepal was ranked 43rd most populous country in 2005 and is 52nd in 2025. Sri Lanka was ranked 53rd in 2005 and ranked 63rd now.
The UN's World Population Prospects forecasts that with changing growth rate trends in 25 years (in 2050) Nepal's population will grow by 16.9% to 34,642,021 people with a rank change from 52nd to 58th. The population of Sri Lanka will increase by 6.38% to 23,538,230 people and rank change from 63rd to 70th.
Biggest cities by population
|
|
|
|---|---|
| City | Population |
| Kathmandu | 846K |
| Lalitpur | 513K |
| Pokhara | 354K |
| Birgunj | 268K |
| Biratnagar | 243K |
| Bheemdatta | 105K |
| Dhangadhi | 102K |
| Janakpur | 97.8K |
| Hetauda | 84.7K |
| Damak | 75.1K |
|
|
|
|---|---|
| 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 |
Compare countries by 7 more topics
Population differences between Nepal and Sri Lanka
|
|
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy | 70.9 years | 77.9 years |
| Average age | 29.5 years | 35.8 years |
| Median age | 26 years | 34.1 years |
| Male:Female ratio | 47.9:52.1 | 48.4:51.6 |
| Fertility rate | 1.98 births per woman | 1.97 births per woman |
| Population density | 536 ppl/mi² | 918 ppl/mi² |
Population map with other countries
Population
Growth rate visualization in other countries
Growth rate
Relevant pages:
By topic
vs
comparisons:
Population comparisons