The Department of Census and Statistics has reported that Sri Lanka’s population has increased by 1.43 million since the 2012 census, bringing the total population to 21,763,170. Despite this rise, the country’s population growth rate has slowed.
The average annual growth rate dropped from 0.7% during 2001–2012 to 0.5% in the 2012–2024 period.
Provincial data shows that the Western Province remains the most populated, accounting for 28.1% of the total population, while the Northern Province has the lowest share at 5.3%. At the district level, Gampaha leads with 2,433,685 residents, followed by Colombo with 2,374,461.
In contrast, the districts of Mullaitivu, Mannar, Kilinochchi, and Vavuniya report the lowest population numbers. Interestingly, Mullaitivu recorded the highest annual population growth rate at 2.23%, whereas Vavuniya reported the lowest at just 0.01%.
Colombo District continues to have the highest population density, with 3,549 people per square kilometer, while Mullaitivu has the lowest density, at 50 people per square kilometer.
