Sri Lanka’s population has increased by 1,422,361 since 2012, reaching a total of 21,781,800, according to the latest Census of Population and Housing (2024). 

The census revealed that females outnumber males in every district across the country, with women making up 51.7% of the population.

The Department of Census and Statistics presented the final report to President Anura Kumara Dissanayake at the Presidential Secretariat. The report, prepared by Director General K.M.D.S.D. Karunaratne, shows a slight decline in the sex ratio, now at 93.3 males per 100 females, down from 93.8 in 2012.

Notably, Gampaha District is the most populous with 2,436,142 residents, surpassing Colombo, which has 2,375,415 people. Kurunegala ranks third with 1,768,156 residents, while Mullaitivu remains the least populated with just 122,619 residents.

The population is categorized into key age groups: over 13.3 million are of working age (15–59 years), approximately 4.5 million are children under 14, and around 2.7 million are aged 65 and above.

This census, the 15th in Sri Lanka’s history, utilised around 15,000 tablets and smartphones for data collection, marking the first time digital tools were used, enhancing the accuracy and speed of the process.