Sri Lanka's population increases by over 1.4 million to 21.76 million

IANS April 7, 2025 203 views

Sri Lanka has completed its first population census since 2012, revealing a total population of 21,763,170 people. The country's population grew by 1.4 million over the past decade, with an average annual growth rate of 0.5%. The Western Province remains the most populous region, hosting 28.1% of the total population. This comprehensive census utilized modern technology like tablet computers and provides crucial data for national policy-making and understanding social characteristics.

"The census is a vital source of data for shaping national policies" - Department of Census and Statistics
Colombo, April 7: The total population of Sri Lanka reported in the Census of Population and Housing 2024 is 21,763,170, an increase of 1,403,731 over the total population reported in the Census of Population and Housing 2012, the country's Department of Census and Statistics (DCS) said on Monday.

Key Points

1

First census since 2012 using innovative tablet technology

2

Western Province hosts largest population concentration

3

Population growth rate slows to 0.5% annually

The average annual growth rate of the population over the 2012-2024 intercensal period is 0.5 per cent. During the 2001-2012 intercensal period, the average annual population growth rate was 0.7 per cent, the DCS said.

The largest percentage of the population lives in the Western Province, where 28.1 per cent of the total population resides, while the smallest population of 5.3 per cent resides in the Northern Province.

The highest population density of 3,549 persons per square kilometre is reported in the Colombo District, while the lowest population density is reported in the Mullaitivu District in the Northern Province, which has a population density of 50 persons per square kilometre, according to the DCS, Xinhua news agency reported.

Sri Lanka had launched its new population and housing census, which is an exercise done once in 10 years, in November 2023.

The census was initiated at the Presidential Secretariat which was listed as the first building to be recorded.

A remarkable feature of the census was the incorporation of tablet computers, alongside traditional printed documents for data collection, the President's Office had said then.

The population and housing census is a vital source of data for shaping national policies, public administration and understanding demographics, ethnic distribution and other social characteristics.

The census encompasses housing information at the village official division level. This comprehensive undertaking includes assigning a unique number to every building and obtaining GPS coordinates for each structure.

Additionally, it results in digitised maps at the village official division level.

The Department of Census and Statistics had planned to conduct a population and housing census of the country in 2021 but postponed it due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The South Asian country's last census was conducted in 2012.

Reader Comments

S
Sanjaya P.
Interesting to see the growth rate slowing down from 0.7% to 0.5%. I wonder if this reflects changing family planning attitudes or economic factors? The Western Province numbers aren't surprising though - everyone keeps moving to Colombo for work!
N
Nimali R.
The population density difference between Colombo and Mullaitivu is shocking! 3,549 vs 50 per km² 😳 Shows how uneven development is across the country. Hope future policies can address this imbalance.
A
Amal K.
While the data is valuable, I wish the article provided more analysis. For example, how does this growth rate compare to other South Asian nations? Still, good to see modern methods like tablets being used for data collection.
P
Priyanka D.
The GPS mapping of every building sounds impressive! This could be really useful for urban planning and disaster management. Hope they make some of this data publicly available for researchers.
R
Romesh T.
As someone from the Northern Province, these numbers make me concerned about regional development. Only 5.3% of population but so much potential! Need better infrastructure to encourage people to stay and invest here.
L
Lakmini S.
The census delay due to COVID makes me wonder - how accurate are these numbers really? So much migration happened during the pandemic years. Still, important baseline data for policymakers 👍

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.

Tags:
Sri Lanka Census Population Statistics Demographics Western Province Department of Census and Statistics
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