Land area in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: Land area was 61,860 sq. km in 2023. ▬ Flat
Latest (2023)
61,860 sq. km
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
123rd
of 216 countries
All-time high
62,710 sq. km
in 1961
All-time low
61,860 sq. km
in 2020
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Land area in Sri Lanka, 1961–2023
Source: FAOSTAT, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Measured in sq. km.
Analysis
In 2023, land area in Sri Lanka stood at 61,860 sq. km. That is the lowest value across all 63 years on record.
That represents a change of down 1.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, land area in Sri Lanka peaked at 62,710 sq. km in 1961 and was at its lowest, 61,860 sq. km, in 2020.
Sri Lanka ranks 123rd of 216 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
Land area in Sri Lanka, year by year
| Year | sq. km | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 62,710 sq. km | — |
| 1962 | 62,710 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1963 | 62,710 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1964 | 62,710 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1965 | 62,710 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1966 | 62,710 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1967 | 62,710 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1968 | 62,710 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1969 | 62,710 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1970 | 62,710 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1971 | 62,710 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1972 | 62,710 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1973 | 62,710 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1974 | 62,710 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1975 | 62,710 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1976 | 62,710 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1977 | 62,710 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1978 | 62,710 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1979 | 62,710 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1980 | 62,710 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1981 | 62,710 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1982 | 62,710 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1983 | 62,710 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1984 | 62,710 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1985 | 62,710 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1986 | 62,710 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1987 | 62,710 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1988 | 62,710 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1989 | 62,710 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1990 | 62,710 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1991 | 62,710 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 62,710 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 62,710 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 62,710 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 62,710 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 62,710 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 62,710 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 62,710 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 62,710 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 62,710 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 62,710 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 62,710 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 62,710 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 62,710 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 62,710 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 62,710 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 62,710 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 62,710 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 62,710 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 62,710 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 62,710 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 62,710 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 62,710 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 62,710 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 61,893 sq. km | -1.3% |
| 2016 | 61,893 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 61,893 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 61,864 sq. km | -0.0% |
| 2019 | 61,864 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 61,860 sq. km | -0.0% |
| 2021 | 61,860 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 61,860 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 61,860 sq. km | +0.0% |
Sri Lanka compared with similar countries
- Sri Lanka's 61,860 sq. km is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 96,297 sq. km, 64% of the median. (58 countries reporting)
- Sri Lanka's 61,860 sq. km is below the median for South Asia, which is 95,920 sq. km, 64% of the median. (6 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 62,710 sq. km | 62,710 sq. km | 62,710 sq. km | 9 |
| 1970s | 62,710 sq. km | 62,710 sq. km | 62,710 sq. km | 10 |
| 1980s | 62,710 sq. km | 62,710 sq. km | 62,710 sq. km | 10 |
| 1990s | 62,710 sq. km | 62,710 sq. km | 62,710 sq. km | 10 |
| 2000s | 62,710 sq. km | 62,710 sq. km | 62,710 sq. km | 10 |
| 2010s | 62,296 sq. km | 61,864 sq. km | 62,710 sq. km | 10 |
| 2020s | 61,860 sq. km | 61,860 sq. km | 61,860 sq. km | 4 |
Countries ranked near Sri Lanka
More agriculture & rural data for Sri Lanka
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 9.1 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0836 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 418.3 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate -0.9172 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0.0002 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.7955 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 8.4% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 8.4% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 2.7% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 1.9% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is land area in Sri Lanka?
- Land area in Sri Lanka was 61,860 sq. km in 2023, according to FAOSTAT, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
- What is the highest land area recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The highest recorded value was 62,710 sq. km in 1961.
- What is the lowest land area recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The lowest recorded value was 61,860 sq. km in 2020.
- How does Sri Lanka rank for land area?
- Sri Lanka ranks 123rd out of 216 countries with data for 2023.
- Is land area rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
- Over the last ten years it is down 1.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Sri Lanka data come from?
- The figures come from FAOSTAT, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), published as part of Land area (sq. km). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Land area is a country's total area, excluding area under inland water bodies, national claims to continental shelf, and exclusive economic zones. In most cases the definition of inland water bodies includes major rivers and lakes.