Colombo– Sri Lanka’s total population, as recorded in the 2024 Census of Population and Housing, has reached 21,763,170 — marking an increase of 1,403,731 people since the last census in 2012, according to the country’s Department of Census and Statistics (DCS).
The average annual population growth rate during the 2012–2024 intercensal period stands at 0.5 percent, down from 0.7 percent reported between 2001 and 2012, the DCS said.
The Western Province continues to house the largest share of the population, with 28.1 percent of the country’s residents, while the Northern Province has the smallest share at 5.3 percent.
Colombo District has the highest population density, with 3,549 people per square kilometer. In contrast, Mullaitivu District in the Northern Province has the lowest, at just 50 people per square kilometer, according to data reported by Xinhua News Agency.
Sri Lanka launched its latest decennial population and housing census in November 2023. The exercise began at the Presidential Secretariat, which was recorded as the first building in the census.
A notable feature of this year’s census was the use of tablet computers alongside traditional printed forms for data collection, according to the President’s Office.
The Population and Housing Census serves as a critical source of information for national policy-making, public administration, and understanding demographic, ethnic, and social trends.
The census also includes housing data down to the village-level administrative divisions. This comprehensive effort involved assigning unique identification numbers to all buildings and recording their GPS coordinates.
Additionally, it produced digitized maps for each village administrative division.
The DCS had initially planned to conduct the census in 2021 but postponed it due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The last census was conducted in 2012. (Source: IANS)
