India vs Sri Lanka

India vs Sri Lanka: Urban population

Urban population in 2025: 35.7% in India and 20.5% in Sri Lanka, by UN estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in India, by 15.2 percentage points, or 1.75 times that in Sri Lanka.

Watch it change on the map

% of people · UN

India vs Sri Lanka: Urban populationUrban population in 2025: 35.7% in India and 20.5% in Sri Lanka, by UN estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in India, by 15.2 percentage points, or 1.75 times that in Sri Lanka.
IndiaSri LankaUN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025)

What the numbers say

  • India has been higher since 1977, when it overtook Sri Lanka.
  • In 2025, India ranked 191 and Sri Lanka ranked 222 of 229 countries, counting from the highest.
  • The UN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025) puts India at 43.1% and Sri Lanka at 22.6% in 2050.

Every year

% of people · UN

YearIndiaSri Lanka
202535.720.5
202435.420.3
202335.120.2
202234.820
202134.419.8
202034.119.7
201933.819.5
201833.519.3
201733.219.2
201632.919
201532.618.8
201432.218.6
201331.918.4
201231.618.3
201131.317.8
201030.917.3
200930.516.7
200830.116.3
200729.815.9
200629.415.5
200529.115.2
200428.814.9
200328.514.7
200228.214.6
200127.914.6
200027.714.6
199927.414.7
199827.214.9
19972715.2
199626.815.5
199526.615.9
199426.416.3
199326.216.7
19922617.2
199125.817.6
199025.618.1
198925.418.6
198825.219
19872519.5
198624.819.9
198524.720.3
198424.520.7
198324.321
19822421.3
198123.821.5
198023.521.6
197923.221.8
197822.821.9
197722.422
197621.922.1
197521.522.3
19742122.3
197320.622.4
197220.322.4
19712022.4
197019.722.3
196919.522
196819.221.5
19671921
196618.820.4
196518.619.8
196418.419.3
196318.318.9
196218.118.5
19611818
196017.917.6
195917.917.1
195817.816.7
195717.716.2
195617.715.9
195517.615.6
195417.615.4
195317.515.3
195217.415.3
195117.315.3
195017.215.3
UN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025) · 2026–2050
YearIndiaSri Lanka
20263620.6
202736.320.7
202836.620.9
202936.921
203037.221.1
203137.521.3
203237.821.4
203338.121.5
203438.421.6
203538.721.7
20363921.8
203739.321.9
203839.622
203939.922.1
204040.222.2
204140.522.2
204240.822.3
204341.122.4
204441.422.4
204541.722.4
204641.922.5
204742.222.5
204842.522.5
204942.822.6
205043.122.6

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

India vs Sri Lanka

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