Share of the population that is female in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: Share of the population that is female was 51.6% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
51.6%
Change on year
up 0.0%
World rank
33rd
of 215 countries
All-time high
51.6%
in 2025
All-time low
47.3%
in 1960
Years of data
66
1960–2025
Share of the population that is female in Sri Lanka, 1960–2025
Source: United Nations Population Division and World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in % of total.
Analysis
In 2025, share of the population that is female in Sri Lanka stood at 51.6%. That is the highest value across all 66 years on record.
The figure is up 0.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of the population that is female in Sri Lanka peaked at 51.6% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 47.3%, in 1960.
Sri Lanka ranks 33rd of 215 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 66 years of available data.
Share of the population that is female in Sri Lanka, year by year
| Year | % of total | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 47.3% | — |
| 1961 | 47.4% | +0.2% |
| 1962 | 47.5% | +0.2% |
| 1963 | 47.6% | +0.2% |
| 1964 | 47.7% | +0.2% |
| 1965 | 47.8% | +0.2% |
| 1966 | 47.9% | +0.2% |
| 1967 | 48.0% | +0.2% |
| 1968 | 48.1% | +0.2% |
| 1969 | 48.2% | +0.2% |
| 1970 | 48.2% | +0.2% |
| 1971 | 48.3% | +0.2% |
| 1972 | 48.4% | +0.2% |
| 1973 | 48.5% | +0.1% |
| 1974 | 48.5% | +0.1% |
| 1975 | 48.6% | +0.1% |
| 1976 | 48.7% | +0.1% |
| 1977 | 48.7% | +0.1% |
| 1978 | 48.8% | +0.1% |
| 1979 | 48.8% | +0.1% |
| 1980 | 48.9% | +0.1% |
| 1981 | 49.0% | +0.1% |
| 1982 | 49.0% | +0.1% |
| 1983 | 49.1% | +0.1% |
| 1984 | 49.1% | +0.1% |
| 1985 | 49.2% | +0.1% |
| 1986 | 49.2% | +0.1% |
| 1987 | 49.3% | +0.2% |
| 1988 | 49.4% | +0.2% |
| 1989 | 49.5% | +0.2% |
| 1990 | 49.6% | +0.2% |
| 1991 | 49.7% | +0.2% |
| 1992 | 49.7% | +0.2% |
| 1993 | 49.8% | +0.2% |
| 1994 | 49.9% | +0.1% |
| 1995 | 50.0% | +0.1% |
| 1996 | 50.0% | +0.1% |
| 1997 | 50.1% | +0.1% |
| 1998 | 50.1% | +0.1% |
| 1999 | 50.2% | +0.1% |
| 2000 | 50.3% | +0.1% |
| 2001 | 50.3% | +0.1% |
| 2002 | 50.4% | +0.2% |
| 2003 | 50.5% | +0.2% |
| 2004 | 50.6% | +0.2% |
| 2005 | 50.7% | +0.2% |
| 2006 | 50.8% | +0.2% |
| 2007 | 50.9% | +0.2% |
| 2008 | 51.1% | +0.2% |
| 2009 | 51.2% | +0.2% |
| 2010 | 51.3% | +0.2% |
| 2011 | 51.4% | +0.2% |
| 2012 | 51.5% | +0.1% |
| 2013 | 51.5% | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 51.5% | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 51.5% | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 51.5% | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 51.5% | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 51.5% | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 51.6% | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 51.6% | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 51.6% | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 51.6% | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 51.6% | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 51.6% | +0.0% |
| 2025 | 51.6% | +0.0% |
Sri Lanka compared with similar countries
- Sri Lanka's 51.6% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 50.3%, 1.0× the median. (58 countries reporting)
- Sri Lanka's 51.6% is above the median for South Asia, which is 49.6%, 1.0× the median. (6 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 47.7% | 47.3% | 48.2% | 10 |
| 1970s | 48.6% | 48.2% | 48.8% | 10 |
| 1980s | 49.2% | 48.9% | 49.5% | 10 |
| 1990s | 49.9% | 49.6% | 50.2% | 10 |
| 2000s | 50.7% | 50.3% | 51.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 51.5% | 51.3% | 51.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 51.6% | 51.6% | 51.6% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Sri Lanka
More gender data for Sri Lanka
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) 4,804 (2030)
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) (0-14), annual growth -0.8687 % change on previous year (2030)
- Population 18,964 (2030)
- Working-age population (UN estimates and projections) 18,964 (2030)
- Population (UN estimates and projections), annual growth rate 0.7411 % change on previous year (2030)
- Age population, age 00, female, interpolated 155,366 (2025)
- Age population, age 00, male, interpolated 162,031 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, female, interpolated 156,342 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, male, interpolated 163,015 (2025)
- Age population, age 02, female, interpolated 157,484 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of the population that is female in Sri Lanka?
- Share of the population that is female in Sri Lanka was 51.6% in 2025, according to United Nations Population Division and World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of the population that is female recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The highest recorded value was 51.6% in 2025.
- What is the lowest share of the population that is female recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The lowest recorded value was 47.3% in 1960.
- How does Sri Lanka rank for share of the population that is female?
- Sri Lanka ranks 33rd out of 215 countries with data for 2025.
- Is share of the population that is female rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
- Over the last ten years it is up 0.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sri Lanka data come from?
- The figures come from United Nations Population Division and World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of the population that is female. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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