Rural population share — all countries

Rural population share — Sri Lanka

Rural population share in Sri Lanka in 2025 — 79.5%. Ranked 6 in the world out of 217. Since 1960, the indicator has fallen by 2.9 pp.

2025 79.5% −0.2 pp vs 2024
World rank 6of 217
Period maximum 85.4%2001
Period minimum 77.6%1972

Trend over time

1960–2025 · % of population

Rural population share — Sri Lanka, 1960–202576788082848619601967197419811988199520022009201620231960: 82.4%1962: 81.5%1964: 80.7%1966: 79.6%1968: 78.5%1970: 77.7%1972: 77.6%1974: 77.7%1976: 77.9%1978: 78.1%1980: 78.4%1982: 78.7%1984: 79.3%1986: 80.1%1988: 81%1990: 81.9%1992: 82.9%1994: 83.7%1996: 84.5%1998: 85.1%2000: 85.4%2002: 85.4%2004: 85.1%2006: 84.5%2008: 83.7%2010: 82.8%2012: 81.7%2014: 81.4%2016: 81%2018: 80.7%2020: 80.3%2022: 80%2024: 79.7%2025: 79.5%
Change over the period: −2.9 pp Annual average: -0.04 pp

Comparison, 2025

How the value compares with the world and the groups this territory belongs to: Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka 79.5%
World 42.2%
South Asia 64.2%
Southern Asia computed 62.1%
Rural population share — Sri Lanka, by year Sri Lanka All countries CSV XLSX
Year % Change, pp
2025 79.5 −0.2 pp
2024 79.7 −0.2 pp
2023 79.9 −0.2 pp
2022 80 −0.2 pp
2021 80.2 −0.2 pp
2020 80.3 −0.2 pp
2019 80.5 −0.2 pp
2018 80.7 −0.2 pp
2017 80.8 −0.2 pp
2016 81 −0.2 pp
2015 81.2 −0.2 pp
2014 81.4 −0.2 pp
2013 81.6 −0.2 pp
2012 81.7 −0.5 pp
2011 82.2 −0.5 pp
2010 82.8 −0.5 pp
2009 83.3 −0.5 pp
2008 83.7 −0.4 pp
2007 84.1 −0.4 pp
2006 84.5 −0.3 pp
2005 84.8 −0.3 pp
2004 85.1 −0.2 pp
2003 85.3 −0.1 pp
2002 85.4 −0 pp
2001 85.4 +0 pp
2000 85.4 +0.1 pp
1999 85.3 +0.2 pp
1998 85.1 +0.3 pp
1997 84.8 +0.3 pp
1996 84.5 +0.4 pp
1995 84.1 +0.4 pp
1994 83.7 +0.4 pp
1993 83.3 +0.5 pp
1992 82.9 +0.5 pp
1991 82.4 +0.5 pp
1990 81.9 +0.5 pp
1989 81.4 +0.5 pp
1988 81 +0.5 pp
1987 80.5 +0.4 pp
1986 80.1 +0.4 pp
1985 79.7 +0.4 pp
1984 79.3 +0.3 pp
1983 79 +0.3 pp
1982 78.7 +0.2 pp
1981 78.5 +0.2 pp
1980 78.4 +0.1 pp
1979 78.2 +0.1 pp
1978 78.1 +0.1 pp
1977 78 +0.1 pp
1976 77.9 +0.1 pp
1975 77.8 +0.1 pp
1974 77.7 +0.1 pp
1973 77.6 +0 pp
1972 77.6 −0 pp
1971 77.6 −0.2 pp
1970 77.7 −0.3 pp
1969 78 −0.4 pp
1968 78.5 −0.5 pp
1967 79 −0.6 pp
1966 79.6 −0.6 pp
1965 80.2 −0.5 pp
1964 80.7 −0.4 pp
1963 81.1 −0.4 pp
1962 81.5 −0.4 pp
1961 82 −0.5 pp
1960 82.4

Southern Asia, 2025

The same indicator for neighboring countries — with links to their pages

About the indicator

The share of population living outside urban settlements, as a percent of the total. It is computed as the difference between total and urban population, and therefore inherits every particularity of national definitions of urban areas.

Source: World Population Prospects (UN), license CC BY 3.0 IGO.