Population
23M persons, 1 July latest value, 2023
Population on 1 July. UN estimate to 2023, medium variant from 2024; past UN revisions for forecast checks.
Sri Lanka
All indicators of the Macroscope base for Sri Lanka, with sources. Below: what past UN and IMF releases projected and what actually happened.
GDP per capita, PPP
14,583
constant 2021 international $, 2025
What the data shows
Computed with the same code as the observations under the main chart and in the API (get_insights). Moving together in time does not prove a cause.
How the indicators changed
- Fertility (TFR): 5.46 in 1950 → 1.97 in 2023 (−64%). Threshold: below 2.1 since 2015. The trend broke around 1961 and 1991: −0.01 → −0.1 → −0.01 a year.
- Births: 281k in 1950 → 324k in 2023 (+15%). Peak: 427k in 1979; the latest value is 24% lower. The trend broke around 1980 and 1986: +4.16k → −12.7k → +0.21k a year.
- Population: 7.81M in 1950 → 23M in 2023 (×2.9). The trend broke around 2002: change slowed down (+290k → +152k a year).
- Internet: 0% in 1990 → 54.6% in 2024 (+55 pp). Thresholds: above 10% since 2013, above 50% since 2023. Fastest growth in 2017–2022: 25.1% → 48.3%.
- Urban share: 17.6% in 1960 → 20.5% in 2025 (+2.9 pp). Low: 14.6% in 2001; +5.9 pp since then. The trend broke around 1974 and 2000: +0.41 → −0.35 → +0.26 a year.
- GDP per person (PPP): 4,562 PPP dollars in 1990 → 14,583 PPP dollars in 2025 (×3.2). The trend broke around 2005 and 2017: +169 → +615 → −106 a year.
- GDP growth: on average 4.2% in the 1980s, 5.9% in the 1990s, 5.2% in the 2000s, 5.4% in the 2010s, −1.0% in the 2020s. Lowest: −7.3% in 2022; highest: 12.2% in 1996.
- Inflation: on average 12.8% in the 1980s, 11.2% in the 1990s, 11.1% in the 2000s, 5.2% in the 2010s, 14.9% in the 2020s. Lowest: 1.2% in 2024; highest: 45.2% in 2022.
What changed at the same time
- The fastest decline of "Fertility (TFR)" was in 1978–1988: 3.81 → 2.57. Over the same years: births 415k → 327k; population 14.3M → 16.1M; urban share 21.9% → 19%; GDP growth 2.7% (1988); inflation 14% (1988); no data for the others in those years.
- Over the last 10 years (2013–2023): fertility (TFR) 2.18 → 1.97; births 364k → 324k; population 21.4M → 23M; internet 10% → 51.2%; urban share 18.4% → 20.1%; GDP per person (PPP) 12,250 PPP dollars → 13,065 PPP dollars; GDP growth 4.1% → −2.3%; inflation 6.9% → 17.4%.
How the indicators relate
- Fertility (TFR) and internet (1990–2023, 31 years): levels are strongly related, in opposite directions (r = −0.81); year-to-year changes show no reliable link (r = −0.14). This looks like a shared trend: both change over time, but not in step from year to year.
- Fertility (TFR) and urban share (1960–2023, 64 years): levels are noticeably related, in the same direction (r = 0.54); year-to-year changes show no reliable link (r = 0.08).
- Fertility (TFR) and GDP per person (PPP) (1990–2023, 34 years): levels are strongly related, in opposite directions (r = −0.86); year-to-year changes show no reliable link (r = −0.01). This looks like a shared trend: both change over time, but not in step from year to year.
Forecasts vs actual
- Fertility (TFR): past UN projections. The outcome was below the projection in 3 of 11 revisions (1998–2022) and above in 8; median gap +0.8%.
- The UN 2008 projection expected today's level (1.97, 2023) only around 2028: reality is 5 years ahead of it.
- The UN 2019 projection expected today's level (1.97, 2023) only around 2035: reality is 12 years ahead of it.
- Fertility (TFR): UN 2024 projection (medium): 2050 — 1.77 (−10% vs 2023), 2100 — 1.70 (−14% vs 2023); low variant for 2100: 1.20.
- Births: past UN projections. The outcome was below the projection in 1 of 11 revisions (1998–2022) and above in 10; median gap +8.8%.
- The UN 2004 projection expected this level (324k) already around 2008: reality is 15 years behind it.
- The UN 2012 projection expected today's level (324k, 2023) only around 2026: reality is 3 years ahead of it.
- Births: UN 2024 projection (medium): 2050 — 270k (−17% vs 2023), 2100 — 179k (−45% vs 2023); low variant for 2100: 60.4k.
- Population: past UN projections. The outcome was below the projection in 2 of 12 revisions (1998–2022) and above in 10; median gap +4.8%.
- Population: UN 2024 projection (medium): 2050 — 24.8M (+8% vs 2023), 2100 — 21.2M (−8% vs 2023); low variant for 2100: 14M.
- GDP growth: IMF next-year forecasts (33 editions, 2007–2023). On average the outcome was 1.7 pp below the forecast; below it in 67% of cases; typical error ±3.1 pp. The biggest miss was for 2022: IMF, April 2021 expected 4.1%, the outcome was −7.3%.
- Inflation: IMF next-year forecasts (33 editions, 2007–2023). On average the outcome was 1.3 pp above the forecast; below it in 58% of cases; typical error ±6 pp. The biggest miss was for 2022: IMF, April 2021 expected 5.1%, the outcome was 45.2%.
UN projections vs actual
Solid line: actual data, UN WPP 2024 estimates to 2023, then national statistics where comparable with the UN. Dashed: medium variants of past UN revisions. The table shows what each revision expected for the latest year (or five-year period) with actual data.
Population
persons, 1 July
- Actual
- UN 1998
- UN 2000
- UN 2002
- UN 2004
- UN 2006
- UN 2008
- UN 2010
- UN 2012
- UN 2015
- UN 2017
- UN 2019
- UN 2022
- UN 2024, medium
| Release | Target period | Horizon | Expected | Actual | Actual vs expected |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UN 1998 | 2023 | 25 years | 23.2M | 23M | −1.2% |
| UN 2000 | 2023 | 23 years | 22.4M | 23M | +2.8% |
| UN 2002 | 2023 | 21 years | 21.3M | 23M | +7.6% |
| UN 2004 | 2023 | 19 years | 23.2M | 23M | −1% |
| UN 2006 | 2023 | 17 years | 20.3M | 23M | +13.1% |
| UN 2008 | 2023 | 15 years | 21.9M | 23M | +4.8% |
| UN 2010 | 2023 | 13 years | 22.6M | 23M | +1.5% |
| UN 2012 | 2023 | 11 years | 22.7M | 23M | +1.3% |
| UN 2015 | 2023 | 8 years | 21.3M | 23M | +7.7% |
| UN 2017 | 2023 | 6 years | 21.3M | 23M | +8.1% |
| UN 2019 | 2023 | 4 years | 21.6M | 23M | +6.1% |
| UN 2022 | 2023 | 1 year | 21.9M | 23M | +4.9% |
Births
births per year
- Actual
- UN 1998
- UN 2000
- UN 2002
- UN 2004
- UN 2006
- UN 2008
- UN 2010
- UN 2012
- UN 2015
- UN 2017
- UN 2019
- UN 2022
- UN 2024, medium
| Release | Target period | Horizon | Expected | Actual | Actual vs expected |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UN 1998 | 2015–2020 | 20 years | 328k | 339k | +3.2% |
| UN 2000 | 2015–2020 | 18 years | 305k | 339k | +10.9% |
| UN 2002 | 2015–2020 | 16 years | 283k | 339k | +19.5% |
| UN 2004 | 2015–2020 | 14 years | 310k | 339k | +9.3% |
| UN 2006 | 2015–2020 | 12 years | 281k | 339k | +20.4% |
| UN 2008 | 2015–2020 | 10 years | 325k | 339k | +4.2% |
| UN 2010 | 2015–2020 | 8 years | 332k | 339k | +2% |
| UN 2012 | 2015–2020 | 6 years | 355k | 339k | −4.7% |
| UN 2015 | 2015–2020 | 2 years | 312k | 339k | +8.6% |
| UN 2017 | 2015–2020 | 0 years | 311k | 339k | +8.8% |
| UN 2022 | 2023 | 1 year | 298k | 324k | +8.8% |
Total fertility rate
children per woman
- Actual
- UN 1998
- UN 2000
- UN 2002
- UN 2004
- UN 2006
- UN 2008
- UN 2010
- UN 2012
- UN 2015
- UN 2017
- UN 2019
- UN 2022
- UN 2024, medium
| Release | Target period | Horizon | Expected | Actual | Actual vs expected |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UN 1998 | 2015–2020 | 20 years | 2.00 | 2.04 | +2.1% |
| UN 2000 | 2015–2020 | 18 years | 1.90 | 2.04 | +7.5% |
| UN 2002 | 2015–2020 | 16 years | 1.85 | 2.04 | +10.4% |
| UN 2004 | 2015–2020 | 14 years | 1.85 | 2.04 | +10.4% |
| UN 2006 | 2015–2020 | 12 years | 1.85 | 2.04 | +10.4% |
| UN 2008 | 2015–2020 | 10 years | 2.13 | 2.04 | −4% |
| UN 2010 | 2015–2020 | 8 years | 2.13 | 2.04 | −4% |
| UN 2012 | 2015–2020 | 6 years | 2.25 | 2.04 | −9.2% |
| UN 2015 | 2015–2020 | 2 years | 2.03 | 2.04 | +0.8% |
| UN 2017 | 2015–2020 | 0 years | 2.03 | 2.04 | +0.7% |
| UN 2022 | 2023 | 1 year | 1.96 | 1.97 | +0.8% |
IMF forecasts vs actual
Solid line: actual values from the latest IMF edition (data get revised, so we use the newest). Dashed: April editions, current year and five years ahead. The table covers next-year forecasts from all editions: mean error shows bias, mean absolute error shows accuracy.
Real GDP growth
% per year
- Actual (IMF)
- WEO, April editions
| Indicator | Forecasts | Mean error | Mean absolute error | Actual below forecast |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Real GDP growth | 33 | −1.7 pp | 3.1 pp | 67% |
| Inflation | 33 | +1.3 pp | 6 pp | 58% |
| Unemployment rate | 26 | −0.1 pp | 0.6 pp | 46% |
| Government gross debt | 15 | +4.6 pp | 6 pp | 27% |
All indicators
Demography
Births
324k births per year latest value, 2023
Live births per calendar year. UN WPP 2024 and national statistics (64 countries, 2015-2025).
Total fertility rate
1.97 children per woman latest value, 2023
Average number of children a woman would have at the age-specific fertility rates of the year.
Life expectancy at birth, women
80.6 years latest value, 2023
Years a newborn girl would live at the mortality rates of the year (UN).
Life expectancy at birth, men
74.2 years latest value, 2023
Years a newborn boy would live at the mortality rates of the year (UN).
Median age
32.8 years latest value, 2023
Age that divides the population in two halves (UN).
Mean age of mothers at childbirth
29.6 years latest value, 2023
Mean age of mothers at the birth of their children of any order (UN).
Sex ratio at birth
104.4 boys per 100 girls latest value, 2023
Boys born per 100 girls born (UN).
Net migration
−28k persons per year latest value, 2023
Immigrants minus emigrants per year (UN estimate and projection).
Old-age dependency
18.4 persons 65+ per 100 aged 20-64 latest value, 2020
Persons aged 65+ per 100 aged 20-64, every five years (UN).
Digitalisation
Internet users
54.6 % of population latest value, 2024
Share of individuals who used the Internet in the last three months from any device. ITU data.
Mobile cellular subscriptions
132.5 per 100 people latest value, 2024
Active mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 people; can exceed 100 when people have several SIM cards. ITU data.
Fixed broadband subscriptions
8.5 subscriptions per 100 people latest value, 2024
Fixed subscriptions to high-speed Internet (256 kbit/s or more) per 100 people. ITU data.
Economy
GDP per capita, PPP
14,583 constant 2021 international $ latest value, 2025
Gross domestic product per person at purchasing power parity, constant 2021 international dollars (World Bank, ICP).
Real GDP growth
5 % per year latest value, 2024
Annual change of GDP at constant prices. Actual values and forecasts from IMF WEO editions.
Inflation
1.2 % per year, average latest value, 2024
Change of the annual average consumer price index (IMF WEO).
Government gross debt
100.8 % of GDP latest value, 2024
General government gross debt, percent of GDP (IMF WEO).
Unemployment rate
4.4 % of labour force latest value, 2024
Unemployed as a share of the labour force (IMF WEO; national definitions).
GDP per capita, US dollars
4,516 current US dollars latest value, 2024
GDP per person in current US dollars at market exchange rates (IMF WEO).
Society
Urban population
20.5 % of population latest value, 2025
Share of people living in urban areas as defined by national statistical offices (World Bank, from UN World Urbanization Prospects).
Tertiary enrolment, women
26 % gross latest value, 2023
Women enrolled in tertiary education as a share of women in the five-year age group after secondary school; can exceed 100 (UNESCO).
Women with upper secondary education
66.1 % of women 25+ latest value, 2024
Share of women aged 25+ who completed at least upper secondary education (UNESCO).
Life expectancy at birth
77.7 years latest value, 2024
Life expectancy at birth, both sexes (World Bank, from UN and national statistics).
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