Census: urban, rural and estate population

Census population by district and sector, urban, rural and estate, at each census. Irregular, 2001–2024.

Published by the Department of Census and Statistics; read from CBSL Economic and Social Statistics.

Period

Column

1 Jan 2024

25 districts × 21 columns

	2001 Census - Total	2001 Census - Urban	2001 Census - Rural	2001 Census - Estate	2001 Census - Urban (%)	2001 Census - Rural (%)	2001 Census - Estate (%)	2012 Census - Total	2012 Census - Urban	2012 Census - Rural	2012 Census - Estate	2012 Census - Urban (%)	2012 Census - Rural (%)	2012 Census - Estate (%)	2024 Census - Total	2024 Census - Urban	2024 Census - Rural	2024 Census - Estate	2024 Census - Urban (%)	2024 Census - Rural (%)	2024 Census - Estate (%)
Colombo	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	2,375	1,777	594	5	75	25	0
Gampaha	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	2,436	350	2,085	0	14	86	0
Kalutara	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	1,306	151	1,121	34	12	86	3
Kandy	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	1,462	172	1,209	82	12	83	6
Matale	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	526.9	62.8	447.1	16.9	11.9	84.9	3.2
Nuwara Eliya	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	725.3	42.3	308.4	374.6	5.8	42.5	51.7
Galle	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	1,097	136	945	17	12	86	2
Matara	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	837.9	98.9	721.9	17.1	11.8	86.2	2.0
Hambantota	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	671.4	33.9	637.4	0.1	5.1	94.9	0.0
Jaffna	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	594.8	113.8	480.9	–	19.1	80.9	–
Mannar	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	123.8	24.1	99.6	–	19.5	80.5	–
Vavuniya	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	172.3	28.7	143.6	–	16.6	83.4	–
Mullaitivu	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	122.6	0.0	122.6	–	0.0	100.0	–
Kilinochchi	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	136.7	0.0	136.7	–	0.0	100.0	–
Batticaloa	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	595.9	166.4	429.5	–	27.9	72.1	–
Ampara	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	744.6	175.5	569.0	–	23.6	76.4	–
Trincomalee	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	442.7	95.6	347.1	–	21.6	78.4	–
Kurunegala	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	1,768	31	1,731	6	2	98	0
Puttalam	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	818.8	70.7	747.1	1.0	8.6	91.2	0.1
Anuradhapura	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	960.1	52.7	906.9	0.5	5.5	94.5	0.0
Polonnaruwa	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	447.5	37.3	410.2	–	8.3	91.7	–
Badulla	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	872.3	72.3	645.5	154.4	8.3	74.0	17.7
Monaragala	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	527.6	0.0	519.0	8.6	0.0	98.4	1.6
Ratnapura	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	1,145	111	938	96	10	82	8
Kegalle	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	870.5	16.2	800.9	53.3	1.9	92.0	6.1
Total	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	21,782	3,819	17,097	866	18	78	4