Population Pyramids of the World from 1950 to 2100

Sri Lanka Population Pyramid 1972

Sri Lanka
Afghanistan Africa Albania Algeria Angola Antigua and Barbuda Argentina Armenia Aruba Asia Australia Australia/New Zealand Austria Azerbaijan Bahamas Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belarus Belgium Belize Benin Bhutan Bolivia (Plurinational State of) Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana Brazil Brunei Darussalam Bulgaria Burkina Faso Burundi Cabo Verde Cambodia Cameroon Canada Caribbean Central African Republic Central America Central Asia Chad Channel Islands Chile China China, Hong Kong SAR China, Macao SAR Colombia Comoros Congo Costa Rica Croatia Cuba Curaçao Cyprus Czech Republic Côte d'Ivoire Dem. People's Republic of Korea Democratic Republic of the Congo Denmark Djibouti Dominican Republic Eastern Africa Eastern Asia Eastern Europe Ecuador Egypt El Salvador Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Estonia Ethiopia Europe Fiji Finland France French Guiana French Polynesia Gabon Gambia Georgia Germany Ghana Greece Grenada Guadeloupe Guam Guatemala Guinea Guinea-Bissau Guyana Haiti Honduras Hungary Iceland India Indonesia Iran (Islamic Republic of) Iraq Ireland Israel Italy Jamaica Japan Jordan Kazakhstan Kenya Kiribati Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Lao People's Democratic Republic Latin America and the Caribbean Latvia Least developed countries Lebanon Lesotho Less developed regions Less developed regions, excluding China Less developed regions, excluding least developed countries Liberia Libya Lithuania Luxembourg Madagascar Malawi Malaysia Maldives Mali Malta Martinique Mauritania Mauritius Mayotte Melanesia Mexico Micronesia Micronesia (Fed. States of) Middle Africa Mongolia Montenegro More developed regions Morocco Mozambique Myanmar Namibia Nepal Netherlands New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua Niger Nigeria Northern Africa Northern America Northern Europe Norway Oceania Oman Other non-specified areas Pakistan Panama Papua New Guinea Paraguay Peru Philippines Poland Polynesia Portugal Puerto Rico Qatar Republic of Korea Republic of Moldova Romania Russian Federation Rwanda Réunion Saint Lucia Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Samoa Sao Tome and Principe Saudi Arabia Senegal Serbia Seychelles Sierra Leone Singapore Slovakia Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia South Africa South America South Sudan South-Central Asia South-Eastern Asia Southern Africa Southern Asia Southern Europe Spain Sri Lanka State of Palestine Sub-Saharan Africa Sudan Suriname Swaziland Sweden Switzerland Syrian Arab Republic TFYR Macedonia Tajikistan Thailand Timor-Leste Togo Tonga Trinidad and Tobago Tunisia Turkey Turkmenistan Uganda Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom United Republic of Tanzania United States Virgin Islands United States of America Uruguay Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of) Viet Nam Western Africa Western Asia Western Europe Western Sahara World Yemen Zambia Zimbabwe
1972
Population: 12,809,205

Year

-5 -1   1972  +1 +5

Country

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W Y Z
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Summary

Sri Lanka in 1972

As of 1972, Sri Lanka counted 12,809,205 inhabitants. Over the previous ten years the population grew by 26.3%, up from 10,143,754 in 1962.

The median age was 20.2 years, and for every 100 people of working age (15–64) there were 68.9 children under 15 and 6.8 people aged 65 or over. This is an expansive pyramid — each cohort of children is larger than the one above it, the signature of high birth rates and rapid growth.

Ranks #44 of 201 by population Ranks #70 of 201 by median age Ranks #101 of 201 by growth

Share of the population by age group, 1950–2100

Data source: United Nations World Population Prospects, 2024 revision (medium variant) — last updated July 2024.

Key indicators for Sri Lanka
Population
12,809,205
Median age
20.2
0-14 %
39.2%
65+ %
3.9%
Child dependency
68.9
Old-age dependency
6.8
Region
ASIA
Pyramid shape
Expansive
Population 2050
24,813,690
Population 2100
21,249,406
What is driving the change
Births per woman
Total fertility rate, 1960–2023
123456
1960Replacement level (2.1)2023 · 1.97

In 2023 women in Sri Lanka had on average 1.97 children, below the replacement level of 2.1.

Source: World Bank World Development Indicators, latest available year.

Life expectancy at birth
Years, 1960–2023
Total Women Men
5060708090
19602023 · 77.5

Life expectancy at birth was 77.5 years in 2023: 80.6 for women and 74.2 for men.

Source: World Bank World Development Indicators, latest available year.

People supported per 100 workers
Dependency ratios, 1950–2100
Children Older adults
20406080
19502100
Migration to and from Sri Lanka
Where immigrants come from (2024)

38,716 immigrants live in Sri Lanka, 0.2% of the population.

India10,957
Italy5,226
China2,509
Kuwait1,772
United Arab Emirates1,707
Where emigrants live (2024)

1,491,939 people born in Sri Lanka live in other countries.

India253,869
Qatar161,747
United Kingdom160,178
Australia156,876
Canada140,870
Explore
Immigration statistics Origin of migrant stocks map

Source: United Nations International Migrant Stock 2024.

How Sri Lanka compares with its neighbours
Country Population Median age Relative size
Sri Lanka 12,809,205 20.2
Nepal 12,989,099 19.7
Afghanistan 11,853,696 17.8
Bhutan 330,264 19.3
Maldives 130,968 17.2
Frequently asked questions about Sri Lanka's population
How many people lived in Sri Lanka in 1972?
Sri Lanka had a population of 12,809,205 in 1972.
Is the population of Sri Lanka increasing or decreasing?
Yes, growing: up 26.3% from 1962, with a projected population of 24,813,690 in 2050.
How old is the population of Sri Lanka?
Sri Lanka's median age is 20.2 years.
What share of Sri Lanka's population is over 65 or under 15?
3.9% of Sri Lanka's population is 65 or older, and 39.2% is under 15.
What type of population pyramid does Sri Lanka have?
Sri Lanka has an expansive pyramid: a wide base of young cohorts reflecting high fertility and continued population growth.

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