Sri Lanka: Rural population
In , Sri Lanka's Rural population was 17.47 million.
That's down 0.7% from 2023, the highest value since .
The global average for this indicator in 2024 was 15,899,365.08 . Sri Lanka ranks #32 globally out of 217 reporting countries. Within South Asia, it ranks #3 of 6.
Source: World Bank Open Data (SP.RUR.TOTL) • Data as of 2024
Trend (2005–2024)
- 2020 · COVID-19 pandemic
Highlights
- Peak
- 17.76M
- Trough
- 16.79M
- 1-year change
- -0.7%
- 5-year change
- -0.5%
- -0.1% / yr
- 10-year change
- +3.3%
- +0.3% / yr
Historical Data — Last 10 Years
| Year | Rural population |
|---|---|
| 17.467M | |
| 17.598M | |
| 17.748M | |
| 17.763M | |
| 17.609M | |
| 17.553M | |
| 17.482M | |
| 17.345M | |
| 17.185M | |
| 17.028M |
About Rural population
Rural population refers to people living in rural areas as defined by national statistical offices. It is calculated as the difference between total population and urban population. Aggregation of urban and rural population may not add up to total population because of different country coverages.
Indicator code: SP.RUR.TOTL • Category: Health & Population
Frequently asked questions
- What was Sri Lanka's Rural population in 2024?
- In 2024, Sri Lanka's Rural population was 17.47 million, according to World Bank Open Data.
- Is Sri Lanka's Rural population rising or falling?
- Sri Lanka's Rural population fell 0.7% from 2023 to 2024.
- How does Sri Lanka rank globally on Rural population?
- In 2024, Sri Lanka ranked #32 out of 217 countries reporting Rural population.
- How does Sri Lanka's Rural population compare to the world average?
- The global average for Rural population in 2024 was 15.90 million, so Sri Lanka is above the world average. Within South Asia, it ranks #3 of 6.
- What is Rural population and how is it measured?
- Rural population refers to people living in rural areas as defined by national statistical offices. It is calculated as the difference between total population and urban population. Aggregation of urban and rural population may not add up to total population because of different country coverages.
Source: World Bank Open Data (SP.RUR.TOTL), CC BY 4.0.