People shop at a stand on a road in Colombo, Sri Lanka, April 7, 2025. (Photo by Gayan Sameera/Xinhua)
COLOMBO, April 7 (Xinhua) -- The total population of Sri Lanka reported in the Census of Population and Housing 2024 is 21,763,170, an increase of 1,403,731 over the total population reported in the Census of Population and Housing 2012, the country's Department of Census and Statistics (DCS) said on Monday.
The average annual growth rate of the population over the 2012-2024 intercensal period is 0.5 percent. During the 2001-2012 intercensal period, the average annual population growth rate was 0.7 percent, the DCS said.
The largest percentage of the population lives in the Western Province, where 28.1 percent of the total population resides, while the smallest population of 5.3 percent resides in the Northern Province.
The highest population density of 3,549 persons per square kilometer is reported in the Colombo District, while the lowest population density is reported in the Mullaitivu District in the Northern Province, which has a population density of 50 persons per square kilometer, according to the DCS. ■
This photo taken on April 7, 2025 shows a road crowded with vehicles and people in Colombo, Sri Lanka. (Photo by Gayan Sameera/Xinhua)
