Rural population, per square kilometre in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: Rural population, per square kilometre was 284.47 units per square kilometre in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
284.47 units per square kilometre
Change on year
down 0.8%
World rank
8th
of 215 countries
All-time high
287.15 units per square kilometre
in 2021
All-time low
129.42 units per square kilometre
in 1961
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Rural population, per square kilometre in Sri Lanka, 1961–2023
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in units per square kilometre.
Analysis
Sri Lanka recorded 284.47 units per square kilometre for rural population, per square kilometre in 2023.
That represents a change of down 0.8% on the previous year and up 6.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, rural population, per square kilometre in Sri Lanka peaked at 287.15 units per square kilometre in 2021 and was at its lowest, 129.42 units per square kilometre, in 1961.
Sri Lanka ranks 8th of 215 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 63 years of available data.
Rural population, per square kilometre in Sri Lanka, year by year
| Year | units per square kilometre | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 129.42 units per square kilometre | — |
| 1962 | 131.9 units per square kilometre | +1.9% |
| 1963 | 134.48 units per square kilometre | +2.0% |
| 1964 | 137.08 units per square kilometre | +1.9% |
| 1965 | 139.55 units per square kilometre | +1.8% |
| 1966 | 141.95 units per square kilometre | +1.7% |
| 1967 | 144.38 units per square kilometre | +1.7% |
| 1968 | 146.9 units per square kilometre | +1.7% |
| 1969 | 149.51 units per square kilometre | +1.8% |
| 1970 | 152.28 units per square kilometre | +1.9% |
| 1971 | 155.26 units per square kilometre | +2.0% |
| 1972 | 158.43 units per square kilometre | +2.0% |
| 1973 | 161.62 units per square kilometre | +2.0% |
| 1974 | 164.79 units per square kilometre | +2.0% |
| 1975 | 167.99 units per square kilometre | +1.9% |
| 1976 | 171.29 units per square kilometre | +2.0% |
| 1977 | 174.7 units per square kilometre | +2.0% |
| 1978 | 178.24 units per square kilometre | +2.0% |
| 1979 | 181.92 units per square kilometre | +2.1% |
| 1980 | 185.62 units per square kilometre | +2.0% |
| 1981 | 189.12 units per square kilometre | +1.9% |
| 1982 | 191.94 units per square kilometre | +1.5% |
| 1983 | 193.87 units per square kilometre | +1.0% |
| 1984 | 195.31 units per square kilometre | +0.7% |
| 1985 | 197.5 units per square kilometre | +1.1% |
| 1986 | 200.88 units per square kilometre | +1.7% |
| 1987 | 204.34 units per square kilometre | +1.7% |
| 1988 | 207.59 units per square kilometre | +1.6% |
| 1989 | 211 units per square kilometre | +1.6% |
| 1990 | 213.59 units per square kilometre | +1.2% |
| 1991 | 216.45 units per square kilometre | +1.3% |
| 1992 | 221.17 units per square kilometre | +2.2% |
| 1993 | 226.18 units per square kilometre | +2.3% |
| 1994 | 230.68 units per square kilometre | +2.0% |
| 1995 | 235.65 units per square kilometre | +2.2% |
| 1996 | 241.25 units per square kilometre | +2.4% |
| 1997 | 246.78 units per square kilometre | +2.3% |
| 1998 | 252.24 units per square kilometre | +2.2% |
| 1999 | 257.56 units per square kilometre | +2.1% |
| 2000 | 262.68 units per square kilometre | +2.0% |
| 2001 | 267 units per square kilometre | +1.6% |
| 2002 | 269.69 units per square kilometre | +1.0% |
| 2003 | 271.3 units per square kilometre | +0.6% |
| 2004 | 272.56 units per square kilometre | +0.5% |
| 2005 | 273.48 units per square kilometre | +0.3% |
| 2006 | 274.3 units per square kilometre | +0.3% |
| 2007 | 274.97 units per square kilometre | +0.2% |
| 2008 | 275.42 units per square kilometre | +0.2% |
| 2009 | 275.57 units per square kilometre | +0.1% |
| 2010 | 275.52 units per square kilometre | -0.0% |
| 2011 | 275.43 units per square kilometre | -0.0% |
| 2012 | 275.93 units per square kilometre | +0.2% |
| 2013 | 267.75 units per square kilometre | -3.0% |
| 2014 | 269.66 units per square kilometre | +0.7% |
| 2015 | 275.13 units per square kilometre | +2.0% |
| 2016 | 277.65 units per square kilometre | +0.9% |
| 2017 | 280.24 units per square kilometre | +0.9% |
| 2018 | 282.6 units per square kilometre | +0.8% |
| 2019 | 283.73 units per square kilometre | +0.4% |
| 2020 | 284.66 units per square kilometre | +0.3% |
| 2021 | 287.15 units per square kilometre | +0.9% |
| 2022 | 286.9 units per square kilometre | -0.1% |
| 2023 | 284.47 units per square kilometre | -0.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 139.46 units per square kilometre | 129.42 units per square kilometre | 149.51 units per square kilometre | 9 |
| 1970s | 166.65 units per square kilometre | 152.28 units per square kilometre | 181.92 units per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1980s | 197.72 units per square kilometre | 185.62 units per square kilometre | 211 units per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1990s | 234.15 units per square kilometre | 213.59 units per square kilometre | 257.56 units per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2000s | 271.7 units per square kilometre | 262.68 units per square kilometre | 275.57 units per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2010s | 276.36 units per square kilometre | 267.75 units per square kilometre | 283.73 units per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2020s | 285.8 units per square kilometre | 284.47 units per square kilometre | 287.15 units per square kilometre | 4 |
Countries ranked near Sri Lanka
- 5 Mauritius 381.38 units per square kilometre compare
- 6 India 314.06 units per square kilometre compare
- 7 Comoros 305.47 units per square kilometre compare
- 9 Barbados 266.42 units per square kilometre compare
- 10 Aruba 227.63 units per square kilometre compare
- 11 Grenada 218.8 units per square kilometre compare
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)
- Agriculture share gdp 8.36 (2025)
- Value added in the agricultural sector as of gdp vs gdp per capita 8.36 (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 2.7% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 1.9% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is rural population, per square kilometre in Sri Lanka?
- Rural population, per square kilometre in Sri Lanka was 284.47 units per square kilometre in 2023, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest rural population, per square kilometre recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The highest recorded value was 287.15 units per square kilometre in 2021.
- What is the lowest rural population, per square kilometre recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The lowest recorded value was 129.42 units per square kilometre in 1961.
- How does Sri Lanka rank for rural population, per square kilometre?
- Sri Lanka ranks 8th out of 215 countries with data for 2023.
- Is rural population, per square kilometre rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
- Over the last ten years it is up 6.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sri Lanka data come from?
- The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Rural population, per square kilometre. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 63 observations, free to reuse under Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page.
How this figure is calculated
Rural population divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.
Rural population ÷ Land area (sq. km)
Computed from
- Rural population World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN)
- Land area FAOSTAT, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
Statizoid computes this series; the underlying measurements belong to the publishers named above. The arithmetic is applied to every country and year where both inputs report, and nothing is estimated unless the page says so.
About this data
Rural population divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.