Sri Lanka’s total population stands at 21,763,170, according to the 15th Population and Housing Census 2024, conducted between October 2024 and February 2025.

The new figure reflects an increase of 1.4 million since the 2012 Census, though the average annual growth rate has slowed from 0.7% (2001–2012) to 0.5% (2012–2024).

The Western Province remains the most populous, accounting for 28.1% of the total population, while the Northern Province has the lowest share at 5.3%.

At the district level, Gampaha (2,433,685) and Colombo (2,374,461) are the only districts with populations exceeding 2 million. Other highly populated districts include Kurunegala, Kandy, Kalutara, Ratnapura, and Galle, each with over 1 million residents.

The least populated districts are Mullaitivu (122,542), Mannar (123,674), Kilinochchi (136,434), and Vavuniya (172,257). Notably, Mullaitivu recorded the highest growth rate of 2.23%, while Vavuniya reported the lowest at 0.01%, according to the Department of Census and Statistics.