General info

Entity:
Sri Lanka
Capital:
Colombo
Population (2009-07-01):
21,324,791 (CIA)
Area:
65,610 sq.km.
Country code:
lk
Region:
South-central Asia

Census Results

1871-03-27 : 2,400,380
1881-02-17 : 2,759,738
1891-02-26 : 3,007,789
1901-03-01 : 3,565,954
1911-03-01 : 4,106,350
1921-03-18 : 4,497,854
1931-02-26 : 5,306,863
1946-03-19 : 6,657,339
1953-03-20 : 8,097,845
1963-07-08 : 10,582,064
1971-10-09 : 12,689,897
1981-03-17 : 14,846,750
2001-07-17 : 18,793,604

Sri Lanka

Administrative units

province
district		capitalarea (sq.km.)population
1981-03-17
census		population
2001-07-17
census
source: Department of Census and Statistics, Sri Lanka.
note: 1 - several districts were not completely covered during the census, due to the "prevailing ground situation". The population of these districts is an estimate.
note: 2 - data incomplete
note: 3 - the population of the area which is administrated by Ampara district only include here.
note: The area of Eragama (Irrakamam) and Navithanveli are included in Samanthurai; The area of Kalmunai is included in Sainthamarathu.
Central (Madhyama) ProvinceKandy5,6742,009,2482,423,966
KandyKandy1,9401,048,3171,279,028
MataleMatale1,993357,354441,328
Nuwara EliyaNuwara Eliya1,741603,577703,610
Eastern (Negenahira) ProvinceTrincomalee9,791975,2511,415,949
AmparaAmpara4,431388,970592,997
Batticaloa (1)Batticaloa2,633330,333486,447
Trincomalee (1)Trincomalee2,727255,948340,158
North Central (Uturumeda) ProvinceAnuradhapura10,472849,4921,104,677
AnuradhapuraAnuradhapura7,179587,929745,693
PolonnaruwaPolonnaruwa3,293261,563358,984
North Western (Wayamba) ProvinceKurunegala7,8881,704,3342,169,892
KurunegalaKurunegala4,8161,211,8011,460,215
PuttalamPuttalam3,072492,533709,677
Northern (Uturu) ProvinceMaangkulam8,8841,109,4041,040,963
Jaffna (1)Jaffna1,025738,788490,621
Kilinochchi (1)Pachchilaipali1,27991,764127,263
Mannar (1)Mannar1,996106,235151,577
Mullaitivu (1)Mullaitivu2,61777,189121,667
Vavuniya (1)Vavuniya1,96795,428149,835
Province of SabaragamuwaRatnapura4,9681,482,0311,801,331
RatnapuraRatnapura3,275797,0871,015,807
KegalleKegalle1,693684,944785,524
Southern (Dakunu) ProvinceGalle5,4441,882,6612,278,271
GalleGalle1,652814,531990,487
HambantotaHambantota2,609424,344526,414
MataraMatara1,283643,786761,370
Province of UvaBadulla8,500914,5221,177,358
BadullaBadulla2,861640,952779,983
MonaragalaMoneragala5,639273,570397,375
Western (Basnahira) ProvinceColombo3,6843,919,8075,381,197
ColomboColombo6991,699,2412,251,274
GampahaGampaha1,3871,390,8622,063,684
KalutaraKalutara1,598829,7041,066,239
total 65,61014,846,75018,793,604

Main cities

namepopulation
1981-03-17
census		population
2001-07-17
census
Colombo587,647380,946
Moratuwa134,826177,563
Kandy97,872160,630
Negombo60,762121,933
Sri Jayawardhanapura Kotte101,039116,366
Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia173,529101,830
source: Department of Census and Statistics, Sri Lanka.
note: data for 2001 is provisional.