Skip to main content

Explore All Countries

Sri Lanka

Page last updated: August 20, 2025

Photos of Sri Lanka

First built in 1848, the Galle lighthouse is the oldest lighthouse in Sri Lanka. It lies at the entrance to Galle harbor on the southwestern coast of Sri Lanka, about 120 km south of Colombo. The current lighthouse is 26.5 m tall and was built in 1939 after the original lighthouse was destroyed by fire in 1934.

First built in 1848, the Galle lighthouse is the oldest lighthouse in Sri Lanka. It lies at the entrance to Galle harbor on the southwestern coast of Sri Lanka, about 120 km south of Colombo. The current lighthouse is 26.5 m tall and was built in 1939 after the original lighthouse was destroyed by fire in 1934.

Country Flag

View Details

Country Map

View Details

Special Country Products

Country Factsheet

Travel Facts

Locator Map

View Details

Introduction

Background

Visit the Definitions and Notes page to view a description of each topic.

Definitions and Notes

Geography

Location

Geographic coordinates

Map references

Area

comparison ranking: total 122

Area - comparative

Area comparison map:

Area comparison map

Land boundaries

Coastline

Maritime claims

Climate

Terrain

Elevation

Natural resources

Land use

Irrigated land

Population distribution

Natural hazards

Geography - note

People and Society

Population

comparison rankings: total 61; female 60; male 62

Nationality

Ethnic groups

Languages

Religions

Age structure

2024 population pyramid:

2024 population pyramid

Dependency ratios

Median age

comparison ranking: total 107

Population growth rate

comparison ranking: 159

Birth rate

comparison ranking: 116

Death rate

comparison ranking: 101

Net migration rate

comparison ranking: 179

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas - population

Sex ratio

Mother's mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

comparison ranking: 126

Infant mortality rate

comparison ranking: total 157

Life expectancy at birth

comparison ranking: total population 100

Total fertility rate

comparison ranking: 93

Gross reproduction rate

Drinking water source

Health expenditure

Physician density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

comparison ranking: 182

Alcohol consumption per capita

comparison ranking: total 122

Tobacco use

comparison ranking: total 82

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

comparison ranking: 14

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

Child marriage

Education expenditure

comparison ranking: Education expenditure (% GDP) 188

Literacy

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

Environment

Environmental issues

International environmental agreements

Climate

Land use

Urbanization

Carbon dioxide emissions

comparison ranking: total emissions 88

Particulate matter emissions

Waste and recycling

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Government

Country name

Government type

Capital

Administrative divisions

Legal system

Constitution

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage

Executive branch

Legislative branch

Judicial branch

Political parties

Diplomatic representation in the US

Diplomatic representation from the US

International organization participation

Independence

National holiday

Flag description

National symbol(s)

National color(s)

National anthem(s)

This is an audio of the National Anthem for Sri Lanka. The national anthem is generally a patriotic musical composition - usually in the form of a song or hymn of praise - that evokes and eulogizes the history, traditions, or struggles of a nation or its people. National anthems can be officially recognized as a national song by a country's constitution or by an enacted law, or simply by tradition. Although most anthems contain lyrics, some do not.:

National heritage

Economy

Economic overview

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

comparison ranking: 62

Real GDP growth rate

comparison ranking: 41

Real GDP per capita

comparison ranking: 130

GDP (official exchange rate)

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

comparison ranking: 5

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

comparison rankings: services 107; industry 82; agriculture 83

GDP - composition, by end use

Agricultural products

Industries

Industrial production growth rate

comparison ranking: 6

Labor force

comparison ranking: 62

Unemployment rate

comparison ranking: 88

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

comparison ranking: total 45

Population below poverty line

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income

comparison ranking: 60

Average household expenditures

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Remittances

Budget

Public debt

comparison ranking: 41

Taxes and other revenues

comparison ranking: 130

Current account balance

comparison ranking: 53

Exports

comparison ranking: 96

Exports - partners

Exports - commodities

Imports

comparison ranking: 99

Imports - partners

Imports - commodities

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

comparison ranking: 92

Debt - external

comparison ranking: 19

Exchange rates

Energy

Electricity access

Electricity

comparison rankings: transmission/distribution losses 114; consumption 85; installed generating capacity 89

Electricity generation sources

Coal

Petroleum

Energy consumption per capita

comparison ranking: 145

Communications

Telephones - fixed lines

comparison ranking: total subscriptions 54

Telephones - mobile cellular

comparison ranking: total subscriptions 47

Broadcast media

Internet country code

Internet users

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

comparison ranking: total 61

Transportation

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports

comparison ranking: 144

Heliports

comparison ranking: 147

Railways

Merchant marine

comparison ranking: total 92

Ports

Military and Security

Military and security forces

Military expenditures

Military and security service personnel strengths

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

Military service age and obligation

Military deployments

Military - note

Terrorism

Terrorist group(s)

Transnational Issues

Refugees and internally displaced persons

People and Society

Military and Security

Transnational Issues