Sri Lanka Cities by Population 2024

The island nation of Sri Lanka lies off the south coast of India in the Indian Ocean. It has a diverse landscape that features rainforests, beaches, highlands and plains, as well as many ancient Buddhist ruins. The country's recent history has been turbulent due to a civil war lasting thirty years. However, the war officially ended in 2009. Sri Lanka has two capital cities: Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte, the administrative capital, and Colombo, the economic capital and largest city. Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte has a relatively small population of 115,826, but it lies within the urban area of Colombo, meaning its metropolitan population is much larger at 2,234,289.

The city of Colombo is the financial and cultural center of Sri Lanka, and has a population of 752,993 residents. Colombo was also the legislative capital of Sri Lanka until 1982, when this function was transferred to nearby Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte. Colombo is an ancient trading city due to its harbor and strategic location along the East-West sea trade routes. Today, the city features a combination of colonial-era and modern buildings, as well as ruins. Further ancient ruins can be found in the city of Anuradhapura, a UNESCO World Heritage site located around 200 kilometers north of Colombo. Anuradhapura was Sri Lanka's ancient capital and has well-preserved ruins dating back more than 2,000 years. Today the city has a population of just over 50,000 residents.