Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka
Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka: Urban population
Urban population in 2025: 33.2% in Bangladesh and 20.5% in Sri Lanka, by UN estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Bangladesh, by 12.8 percentage points, or 1.63 times that in Sri Lanka.
% of people · UN
What the numbers say
- Bangladesh has been higher since 1989, when it overtook Sri Lanka.
- In 2025, Bangladesh ranked 197 and Sri Lanka ranked 222 of 229 countries, counting from the highest.
- The UN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025) puts Bangladesh at 59.3% and Sri Lanka at 22.6% in 2050.
Every year
% of people · UN
| Year | Bangladesh | Sri Lanka |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 33.2 | 20.5 |
| 2024 | 32.7 | 20.3 |
| 2023 | 32.2 | 20.2 |
| 2022 | 31.7 | 20 |
| 2021 | 31.4 | 19.8 |
| 2020 | 31.1 | 19.7 |
| 2019 | 30.8 | 19.5 |
| 2018 | 30.5 | 19.3 |
| 2017 | 30.2 | 19.2 |
| 2016 | 29.9 | 19 |
| 2015 | 29.5 | 18.8 |
| 2014 | 29.2 | 18.6 |
| 2013 | 28.8 | 18.4 |
| 2012 | 28.5 | 18.3 |
| 2011 | 28.1 | 17.8 |
| 2010 | 27.7 | 17.3 |
| 2009 | 27.3 | 16.7 |
| 2008 | 26.9 | 16.3 |
| 2007 | 26.4 | 15.9 |
| 2006 | 26 | 15.5 |
| 2005 | 25.5 | 15.2 |
| 2004 | 25 | 14.9 |
| 2003 | 24.6 | 14.7 |
| 2002 | 24.1 | 14.6 |
| 2001 | 23.7 | 14.6 |
| 2000 | 23.3 | 14.6 |
| 1999 | 23 | 14.7 |
| 1998 | 22.6 | 14.9 |
| 1997 | 22.3 | 15.2 |
| 1996 | 22 | 15.5 |
| 1995 | 21.7 | 15.9 |
| 1994 | 21.3 | 16.3 |
| 1993 | 21 | 16.7 |
| 1992 | 20.7 | 17.2 |
| 1991 | 20.3 | 17.6 |
| 1990 | 19.9 | 18.1 |
| 1989 | 19.5 | 18.6 |
| 1988 | 19 | 19 |
| 1987 | 18.6 | 19.5 |
| 1986 | 18.1 | 19.9 |
| 1985 | 17.6 | 20.3 |
| 1984 | 17.1 | 20.7 |
| 1983 | 16.6 | 21 |
| 1982 | 16 | 21.3 |
| 1981 | 15.4 | 21.5 |
| 1980 | 14.7 | 21.6 |
| 1979 | 13.8 | 21.8 |
| 1978 | 12.7 | 21.9 |
| 1977 | 11.6 | 22 |
| 1976 | 10.6 | 22.1 |
| 1975 | 9.6 | 22.3 |
| 1974 | 9 | 22.3 |
| 1973 | 8.5 | 22.4 |
| 1972 | 8.1 | 22.4 |
| 1971 | 7.7 | 22.4 |
| 1970 | 7.4 | 22.3 |
| 1969 | 7.1 | 22 |
| 1968 | 6.8 | 21.5 |
| 1967 | 6.5 | 21 |
| 1966 | 6.3 | 20.4 |
| 1965 | 6.1 | 19.8 |
| 1964 | 5.9 | 19.3 |
| 1963 | 5.7 | 18.9 |
| 1962 | 5.5 | 18.5 |
| 1961 | 5.3 | 18 |
| 1960 | 5.1 | 17.6 |
| 1959 | 5 | 17.1 |
| 1958 | 4.9 | 16.7 |
| 1957 | 4.8 | 16.2 |
| 1956 | 4.7 | 15.9 |
| 1955 | 4.7 | 15.6 |
| 1954 | 4.6 | 15.4 |
| 1953 | 4.5 | 15.3 |
| 1952 | 4.4 | 15.3 |
| 1951 | 4.4 | 15.3 |
| 1950 | 4.3 | 15.3 |
UN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025) · 2026–2050
| Year | Bangladesh | Sri Lanka |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 33.8 | 20.6 |
| 2027 | 34.5 | 20.7 |
| 2028 | 35.2 | 20.9 |
| 2029 | 35.9 | 21 |
| 2030 | 36.6 | 21.1 |
| 2031 | 37.4 | 21.3 |
| 2032 | 38.3 | 21.4 |
| 2033 | 39.2 | 21.5 |
| 2034 | 40.1 | 21.6 |
| 2035 | 41 | 21.7 |
| 2036 | 42 | 21.8 |
| 2037 | 43 | 21.9 |
| 2038 | 44.1 | 22 |
| 2039 | 45.1 | 22.1 |
| 2040 | 46.3 | 22.2 |
| 2041 | 47.4 | 22.2 |
| 2042 | 48.6 | 22.3 |
| 2043 | 49.8 | 22.4 |
| 2044 | 51.1 | 22.4 |
| 2045 | 52.4 | 22.4 |
| 2046 | 53.7 | 22.5 |
| 2047 | 55.1 | 22.5 |
| 2048 | 56.4 | 22.5 |
| 2049 | 57.9 | 22.6 |
| 2050 | 59.3 | 22.6 |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- The share of people living in places the country itself counts as urban.
- Source: UN DESA, World Urbanization Prospects 2025.
- The dashed line is the UN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025), a scenario rather than a forecast.
- Ranks count the 229 countries with a value in 2025, highest first.
How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time
Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka
Health
- Life expectancyBangladesh: 74.7 years in 2023Sri Lanka: 77.5 years in 2023
- Child mortalityBangladesh: 3.1 per 100 live births in 2024Sri Lanka: 0.6 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityBangladesh: 22.8 per 1,000 live births in 2023Sri Lanka: 5.1 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- Safe drinking waterBangladesh: 59.1% in 2022Sri Lanka: 47.1% in 2022
- DepressionBangladesh: 4.11% in 2017Sri Lanka: 3.44% in 2017
- Suicide rateBangladesh: 6 per 100,000 people in 2017Sri Lanka: 19.8 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationBangladesh: 172 million people in 2023Sri Lanka: 23 million people in 2023
- Population growthBangladesh: 1.21% a year in 2023Sri Lanka: 0.58% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateBangladesh: 2.16 births per woman in 2023Sri Lanka: 1.97 births per woman in 2023
- Median ageBangladesh: 25.3 years in 2023Sri Lanka: 32.8 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overBangladesh: 6.3% in 2023Sri Lanka: 11.7% in 2023
- Net migration rateBangladesh: -3.2 per 1,000 people in 2023Sri Lanka: -1.2 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingBangladesh: 0.81% of GDP in 2025Sri Lanka: 1.31% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsBangladesh: $3.67B in 2025Sri Lanka: $1.36B in 2025
- Military spending per personBangladesh: $22 in 2025Sri Lanka: $60 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingBangladesh: 7.1% of government spending in 2025Sri Lanka: 4.9% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelBangladesh: 227,000 people in 2020Sri Lanka: 317,000 people in 2020
- National powerBangladesh: 1.01% of world capability in 2022Sri Lanka: 0.31% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersBangladesh: 0.32% of the labour force in 2020Sri Lanka: 3.74% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsBangladesh: 32 million TIV in 2025Sri Lanka: 11 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsBangladesh: 2 million TIV in 1984Sri Lanka: 8 million TIV in 1998