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Sri Lanka: cities by population

By James Burfield, SEO consultant, Bath · Page updated 18 September 2026 · UN World Population Prospects

Sri Lanka has a population of 23,348,315 (UN estimate, 2026), with Colombo as its capital. The 50 largest of its 88 recorded towns and cities, ranked.

+21%

since 2000 (19,293,054)

+6%

projected by 2050 (24,813,690)

372

people per km²

UN estimates to 2026; the dashed line is the medium-variant projection to 2050, a forecast rather than a measurement. Source: World Population Prospects 2024.

Full UN series, 1950 to 2050

Year	Population
1950	7,811,047
1975	13,548,984
2000	19,293,054
2005	20,216,524
2010	20,879,089
2015	21,729,971
2020	22,561,807
2025	23,229,470
2026	23,348,315
2030 projected	23,767,952
2050 projected	24,813,690

Medium variant. Figures from 2026 onward are projections, not measurements.

Figures are the latest available in GeoNames (CC BY 4.0), which draws on national censuses of varying dates — treat them as recent, not same-year. Country totals are UN World Population Prospects 2024 (medium variant) where the UN lists the country separately; the handful it reports under a parent state keep a GeoNames figure and are marked as such. Sources & method.

Largest cities in Sri Lanka

#	Place	Region	Population
1	Colombo	Western Province	648,034
2	Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia	Western Province	219,827
3	Maharagama	Western Province	195,355
4	Jaffna	Northern Province	169,102
5	Moratuwa	Western Province	168,280
6	Negombo	Western Province	137,223
7	Pita Kotte	Western Province	118,179
8	Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte	Western Province	115,826
9	Kandy	Central Province	111,701
10	Trincomalee	Eastern Province	108,420
11	Kalmunai	Eastern Province	100,171
12	Galle	Southern Province	93,118
13	Point Pedro	Northern Province	89,810
14	Batticaloa	Eastern Province	86,742
15	Katunayaka	Western Province	84,643
16	Ambalantota	Southern Province	80,506
17	Valvedditturai	Northern Province	78,205
18	Matara	Southern Province	76,254
19	Battaramulla South	Western Province	75,633
20	Dambulla	Central Province	66,716
21	Kolonnawa	Western Province	64,887
22	Kotikawatta	Western Province	64,565
23	Anuradhapura	North Central Province	60,943
24	Vavuniya	Northern Province	60,176
25	Beliatta	Southern Province	58,675
26	Hendala	Western Province	56,978
27	Ambalangoda	Southern Province	56,783
28	Ratnapura	Sabaragamuwa Province	47,832
29	Badulla	Uva Province	47,587
30	Pottuvil	Eastern Province	45,727
31	Puttalam	North Western Province	45,661
32	Devinuwara	Southern Province	45,000
33	Ampara	Eastern Province	43,720
34	Welisara	Western Province	41,306
35	Kalutara	Western Province	37,081
36	Bentota	Southern Province	37,000
37	Matale	Central Province	36,462
38	Mannar	Northern Province	35,817
39	Homagama	Western Province	34,664
40	Beruwala	Western Province	34,250
41	Panadura	Western Province	33,735
42	Mulleriyawa	Western Province	33,540
43	Kandana	Western Province	33,424
44	Ja Ela	Western Province	32,175
45	Wattala	Western Province	30,725
46	Mullaittivu	Northern Province	28,973
47	Kelaniya	Western Province	28,846
48	Peliyagoda	Western Province	28,784
49	Kurunegala	North Western Province	28,571
50	Nuwara Eliya	Central Province	27,500

Twenty years earlier: Sri Lanka in the 2005 World Gazetteer — population then 19,466,567.

Common questions

What is the population of Sri Lanka?

Sri Lanka has a population of 23,348,315, the UN World Population Prospects estimate for 2026. The UN's medium-variant projection for 2050 is 24,813,690 — a forecast, not a measurement.

What is the capital of Sri Lanka?

Colombo.

Go deeper

Colombo

The largest place we record in Sri Lanka: 648,034 people

Sri Lanka in 2005

The World Gazetteer's archive edition: 19,466,567 then

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