The United Kingdom is 3.7 times bigger by total area compared to Sri Lanka: 93,628 sq mi vs 25,332 sq mi. Without inland water, the land area of the United Kingdom is 93,410 sq mi vs 23,884 sq mi for Sri Lanka — a 3.91 times difference in territory size.
- Sri Lanka ranks 120/197 by total surface area vs 78/197 for the United Kingdom.
- Sri Lanka occupies 0.04% of the land mass of all countries, compared with 0.16% for the United Kingdom.
- 48.6% of Sri Lanka's area is agricultural land vs 70.3% in the United Kingdom.
- Sri Lanka has 0.06% of the world's agricultural land area — the UK has 0.36%.
- 34% of Sri Lanka is covered by forests, compared to 13.3% in the UK.
- 0.05% of the world's forests are in Sri Lanka, and 0.08% are in the United Kingdom.
Total size and land area comparison
Sri Lanka
|
United Kingdom
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Total area |
25,332 sq mi |
93,628 sq mi |
| Size difference ratio | 1 | 3.7 |
| Total area rank | 120/197 | 78/197 |
| Share of all countries' surface area | 0.01% | 0.05% |
| Land area |
23,884 sq mi |
93,410 sq mi |
| Land area difference ratio | 1 | 3.91 |
| Land area rank | 122/197 | 78/197 |
| Share of all countries' land area | 0.04% | 0.16% |
| Population | 21,916,000 | 69,226,000 |
| Population density | 928 ppl/mi² | 750 ppl/mi² |
Surface area by type
|
Sri Lanka
|
United Kingdom
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Forest area |
8,122 sq mi |
12,415 sq mi |
| Forest area as share of land | 34% | 13.3% |
| Forest area rank | 107/196 | 88/196 |
| World's forests share | 0.05% | 0.08% |
Agricultural land area
|
11,610 sq mi |
65,674 sq mi |
| Agricultural land share | 48.6% | 70.3% |
| Agricultural land area rank | 103/194 | 53/194 |
| Share of global agricultural land | 0.06% | 0.36% |
|
Arable land
|
5,297 sq mi |
23,335 sq mi |
| Arable land share | 22.2% | 25% |
| Arable land area rank | 94/191 | 41/191 |
|
Permanent cropland
|
4,614 sq mi |
164.1 sq mi |
| Permanent cropland share | 19.3% | 0.18% |
| Permanent cropland area rank | 31/192 | 125/192 |
|
Water area
|
1,448 sq mi |
218.1 sq mi |
| Water as share of total area | 5.72% | 0.23% |
| Water area rank | 77/197 | 114/197 |
| Roads length |
70,894 mi |
263,542 mi |
| Land borders length |
0 mi |
310 mi |
| Coastline length |
833 mi |
7,723 mi |
| Share of marine protected waters | 0.1% | 46.8% |
Sri Lanka vs United Kingdom size on the map
Data sources: World Bank | Agriculture & Rural Development (2026, retrieved 2026-04-06).
GeoRank.org/size/sri-lanka/united-kingdom | CC BY
The map above outlines the borders of Sri Lanka and the United Kingdom but is not accurate for size comparison because it's a 2d map with Mercator projection that distorts territories near the poles. The farther a country is from the equator, the more magnified it appears. More about country size projections.
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Data sources:
- World Bank | Agriculture & Rural Development (2023–2026, retrieved 2026-04-06)
- Wikidata (2026, retrieved 2026-02-08)
- Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) (2025, retrieved 2026-02-20)
- United Nations | World Population Prospects (2026, retrieved 2026-03-10)
Total agricultural land encompasses all areas used for agriculture: territories under permanent and temporary crops and pastures. It includes land under flowering shrubs, fruit and nut trees, and vineyards, but excludes sites utilized for timber production.
Arable land encompasses fields utilized for temporary crop production, pastures, market or kitchen gardens, and temporarily fallowed land. Land abandoned due to shifting cultivation practices is not included.
Permanent cropland refers to farmland for the long-term cultivation of crops, such as coffee, cocoa, and rubber, which do not require replanting after each harvest. This category encompasses land with permanent crops like flowering shrubs, fruit and nut trees, and vines, but does not include land under trees for timber production.
Inland areas under water, such as large rivers, lakes, and some coastal waterways.
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.