Sri Lanka has 9 provinces and 25 districts. On this map each district is shaded by its province, with its capital pinned. Click a district for its capital, land area and population from the 2024 census, or open Filters to pick a province.
The 9 provinces and their districts
| Province | Districts | Population (2024) |
|---|---|---|
| Western | Colombo, Gampaha, Kalutara | 6,113,698 |
| Central | Kandy, Matale, Nuwara Eliya | 2,712,804 |
| Southern | Galle, Matara, Hambantota | 2,605,506 |
| North Western | Kurunegala, Puttalam | 2,578,894 |
| Sabaragamuwa | Ratnapura, Kegalle | 2,015,039 |
| Eastern | Batticaloa, Ampara, Trincomalee | 1,782,050 |
| North Central | Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa | 1,406,890 |
| Uva | Badulla, Monaragala | 1,399,049 |
| Northern | Jaffna, Kilinochchi, Mannar, Mullaitivu, Vavuniya | 1,149,240 |
What the map shows
- Sri Lanka's population was 21,763,170 at the 2024 census.
- Gampaha is now the most populous district (2,433,685), just ahead of Colombo (2,374,461). Together with Kalutara, the Western Province holds 28.1% of the country's people.
- The Northern Province has five districts but the fewest people: 1,149,240, about 5% of the population. Its Mullaitivu (122,542) and Mannar (123,674) are the least populous districts.
- Colombo is the smallest district by land area (676 km²) and the most crowded: the census counts 3,549 people per square kilometre there, against 50 in Mullaitivu.
- Anuradhapura is the largest district by land area, 6,664 km², followed by Monaragala (5,508 km²) and Kurunegala (4,624 km²).
Every district, with its province, capital, area and population, is in the spreadsheet of all 25, free to download.
How this map was made
District and province boundaries are from geoBoundaries (OpenStreetMap). Population figures are from the Department of Census and Statistics' Census of Population and Housing 2024 (preliminary report), and the 25 district figures add up exactly to the national total. Land areas are from the Department's Statistical Abstract; district capitals are the district secretariat towns.
Make a map like this
This is a Create Mappins map: searchable, filterable, and easy to put on any website. If you have a list of places, the Excel to map guide shows how to turn your spreadsheet into a map like it in a few minutes.