Rural population in Sri Lanka in 2025 — 17,306,869 people. Ranked 32 in the world out of 217. Since 1960, the indicator has risen by 117.3%.
1960–2025 · people
How the value compares with the world and the groups this territory belongs to: Sri Lanka
| Year | people | Change | Change, % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 17.31M | −160,249 | −0.92% |
| 2024 | 17.47M | −130,410 | −0.74% |
| 2023 | 17.6M | −149,980 | −0.85% |
| 2022 | 17.75M | −15,704 | −0.09% |
| 2021 | 17.76M | +153,967 | +0.87% |
| 2020 | 17.61M | +56,660 | +0.32% |
| 2019 | 17.55M | +70,119 | +0.4% |
| 2018 | 17.48M | +137,881 | +0.79% |
| 2017 | 17.34M | +159,944 | +0.93% |
| 2016 | 17.18M | +156,216 | +0.92% |
| 2015 | 17.03M | +118,330 | +0.7% |
| 2014 | 16.91M | +119,387 | +0.71% |
| 2013 | 16.79M | −512,833 | −2.96% |
| 2012 | 17.3M | +31,608 | +0.18% |
| 2011 | 17.27M | −5,801 | −0.03% |
| 2010 | 17.28M | −3,490 | −0.02% |
| 2009 | 17.28M | +9,532 | +0.06% |
| 2008 | 17.27M | +28,123 | +0.16% |
| 2007 | 17.24M | +42,307 | +0.25% |
| 2006 | 17.2M | +51,034 | +0.3% |
| 2005 | 17.15M | +58,289 | +0.34% |
| 2004 | 17.09M | +78,412 | +0.46% |
| 2003 | 17.01M | +101,551 | +0.6% |
| 2002 | 16.91M | +168,162 | +1% |
| 2001 | 16.74M | +271,345 | +1.65% |
| 2000 | 16.47M | +320,879 | +1.99% |
| 1999 | 16.15M | +333,448 | +2.11% |
| 1998 | 15.82M | +342,727 | +2.21% |
| 1997 | 15.48M | +346,843 | +2.29% |
| 1996 | 15.13M | +351,080 | +2.38% |
| 1995 | 14.78M | +311,295 | +2.15% |
| 1994 | 14.47M | +282,314 | +1.99% |
| 1993 | 14.18M | +314,605 | +2.27% |
| 1992 | 13.87M | +295,909 | +2.18% |
| 1991 | 13.57M | +179,219 | +1.34% |
| 1990 | 13.39M | +162,620 | +1.23% |
| 1989 | 13.23M | +213,875 | +1.64% |
| 1988 | 13.02M | +203,487 | +1.59% |
| 1987 | 12.81M | +217,011 | +1.72% |
| 1986 | 12.6M | +212,027 | +1.71% |
| 1985 | 12.39M | +137,320 | +1.12% |
| 1984 | 12.25M | +90,558 | +0.74% |
| 1983 | 12.16M | +120,608 | +1% |
| 1982 | 12.04M | +176,817 | +1.49% |
| 1981 | 11.86M | +219,973 | +1.89% |
| 1980 | 11.64M | +231,414 | +2.03% |
| 1979 | 11.41M | +230,914 | +2.07% |
| 1978 | 11.18M | +222,241 | +2.03% |
| 1977 | 10.96M | +213,600 | +1.99% |
| 1976 | 10.74M | +207,174 | +1.97% |
| 1975 | 10.53M | +200,635 | +1.94% |
| 1974 | 10.33M | +198,405 | +1.96% |
| 1973 | 10.14M | +200,091 | +2.01% |
| 1972 | 9.94M | +199,234 | +2.05% |
| 1971 | 9.74M | +186,505 | +1.95% |
| 1970 | 9.55M | +173,553 | +1.85% |
| 1969 | 9.38M | +164,238 | +1.78% |
| 1968 | 9.21M | +158,045 | +1.75% |
| 1967 | 9.05M | +152,202 | +1.71% |
| 1966 | 8.9M | +150,324 | +1.72% |
| 1965 | 8.75M | +155,256 | +1.81% |
| 1964 | 8.6M | +162,590 | +1.93% |
| 1963 | 8.43M | +162,287 | +1.96% |
| 1962 | 8.27M | +155,198 | +1.91% |
| 1961 | 8.12M | +150,460 | +1.89% |
| 1960 | 7.97M | — | — |
The same indicator for neighboring countries — with links to their pages
The population living outside urban settlements. In the catalog this quantity was present only as a share, while the absolute number shows what the share does not: the world's rural population stopped growing only in the 2020s and still exceeds three billion people, even though the share has been falling for half a century. Each country defines a city itself, so cross-country comparisons of this series call for caution.
Important: It is computed as the difference between total and urban population, and the criterion for a city is national: in some places it is a settlement of two thousand residents, in others twenty thousand. Comparing the trend within a country is more reliable than comparing countries with each other.
Source: World Population Prospects (UN), license CC BY 3.0 IGO.
The part of residents living outside cities — the other side of urbanization.
Demography Urban populationThe absolute number of city dwellers by country.
Demography PopulationResident population of every country as of mid-year — series from 1960 onward.
Labor Employment in agricultureThe share of workers employed in agriculture, forestry and fishing.
