Sri Lanka: capital, population, area and flag
Sri Lanka is a country in Southern Asia (Asia). It has more than one capital: Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte, Colombo. The population is about 21.8M (#62 of 193) and the area is about 65,610 km² (#120 of 193).
Key facts
- Capitals
- Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte, Colombo
- Region
- Asia / Southern Asia
- Population
- 21,756,000 (2025) #62 of 193
- Total area
- 65,610 km² (2024) #120 of 193
- Population density
- 354.3 people/km² (2024) #23 of 193
- GDP (total)
- $109B (2025) #70 of 189
- GDP per capita
- $5,002 (2025) #120 of 189
- Life expectancy
- 77.7 years (2024) #62 of 193
- Distance from Japan
- 6,847 km #158 of 192
- Area compared with Japan
- about 1/6 that of Japan
- Population compared with Japan
- about 1/6 that of Japan
- Main languages
- Sinhala, Tamil
- Currency
- Sri Lankan Rupee (LKR)
- Calling code
- +94
- Time zone (capital)
- UTC+5:30
- Time difference from Japan (standard time)
- 3 h 30 min behind Japan
- Driving side
- Left
- Capital location
- 6.90°N 79.92°E
Population of Sri Lanka, 1950–2100 (Japanese)
See past estimates, future projections and the population pyramid in the World Population Time Machine.
Map of Sri Lanka
Capital: Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte, Colombo
Sri Lanka: in the world’s top 10 for food & farming
Sri Lanka ranks among the world’s top 10 for these crops, animals, seafood and farm products (latest FAO data).
Neighbors by land
Sri Lanka has no land borders with other countries.
Top rankings
Sri Lanka is in the top 10 for:
Sri Lanka in world rankings
How Sri Lanka compares with other countries, indicator by indicator. Click an indicator to see the full ranking.
Questions about Sri Lanka
What is the capital of Sri Lanka?
Sri Lanka has more than one capital: Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte, Colombo. The first one listed is the main capital.
What is the population of Sri Lanka?
Sri Lanka has a population of about 21.8M (2025), #62 of 193 among countries.
How big is Sri Lanka?
Sri Lanka covers about 65,610 km², #120 of 193 among countries.
Which continent is Sri Lanka in?
Sri Lanka is in Asia, in the region of Southern Asia.
What currency and languages are used in Sri Lanka?
The currency is the Sri Lankan Rupee. Main languages: Sinhala, Tamil.
How does Sri Lanka compare with Japan in size and population?
The area of Sri Lanka is about 1/6 that of Japan, and its population is about 1/6 that of Japan.
How far is Sri Lanka from Japan?
The capital, Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte, is about 6,847 km from Tokyo, the capital of Japan, in a straight line.
What is the time difference between Sri Lanka and Japan?
The capital, Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte, is on UTC+5:30 in standard time: 3 h 30 min behind Japan.
More countries in Southern Asia
Play with Sri Lanka
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