Sri Lanka Cities by Population 2026
5 Most Populated Sri Lanka Cities
| City | 2026 Pop. ↓ | Annual Change |
|---|---|---|
| Colombo | 468,377 | -1.28% |
| Kaduwela (Battaramulla) | 319,383 | 1.71% |
| Maharagama | 211,706 | 0.54% |
| Negombo | 174,048 | 1.44% |
| Moratuwa | 157,164 | -0.49% |
| Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia | 155,896 | -1.19% |
| Kalmunai (incl. Sainthamarathu) | 107,090 | 0.5% |
| Sri Jayawardenepura | 98,062 | -0.68% |
| Batticaloa | 94,388 | 0.65% |
| Kandy | 86,895 | -0.91% |
| Galle | 81,570 | -0.4% |
| Matara | 71,650 | -0.25% |
| Gampaha | 69,141 | 0.74% |
| Jaffna | 68,075 | -1.22% |
| Gampola | 66,672 | 4.12% |
| Kolonnawa | 66,612 | 0.74% |
| Puttalam | 50,775 | 0.79% |
| Trincomalee | 50,293 | 0.28% |
| Kattankudy (Kathankudi) | 48,819 | 1.37% |
| Ratnapura | 48,305 | 0.18% |
| Katunayake (-Seeduwa) | 48,118 | -1.67% |
| Anuradhapura | 47,519 | -0.45% |
| Hambantota | 46,792 | 5.13% |
| Seethawakapura (Avissawella) | 46,650 | 3.13% |
| Beruwala | 44,821 | 1.23% |
| Badulla | 43,859 | 0.27% |
| Matale | 36,476 | 0% |
| Ja-Ela | 31,647 | 0.09% |
| Ampara | 30,014 | 2.08% |
| Wattala-Mabole | 27,020 | -0.26% |
| Kalutara | 26,977 | -1.3% |
| Panadura | 26,274 | -0.96% |
| Kadugannawa | 25,482 | 5.13% |
| Peliyagoda | 25,228 | -0.68% |
| Balangoda | 24,617 | 2.89% |
| Weligama | 23,156 | 0.24% |
| Nuwara Eliya | 21,930 | -0.58% |
| Kurunegala | 20,933 | -1.21% |
| Ambalangoda | 20,339 | 0.12% |
| Vavuniya | 20,325 | -3.77% |
| Chilaw | 18,472 | -1.06% |
| Hatton-Dickoya | 15,016 | 0.21% |
| Kegalle | 14,645 | -0.62% |
| Nawalapitiya | 13,094 | -0.13% |
| Horana | 10,086 | 0.39% |
| Wattegama | 8,575 | 0.36% |
| Minuwangoda | 7,363 | -0.16% |
| Tangalle | 6,482 | -1.89% |
| Thalawakele-Lindula | 6,246 | 2.08% |
| Haputale | 6,013 | 0.92% |
| Kuliyapitiya | 4,569 | -1.32% |
Sri Lanka Overview
The largest city in Sri Lanka is Colombo, with a population of 468,377 people.
The island nation of Sri Lanka lies off the south coast of India in the Indian Ocean. It has a diverse landscape that features rainforests, beaches, highlands and plains, as well as many ancient Buddhist ruins. The country’s recent history has been turbulent due to a civil war lasting thirty years. However, the war officially ended in 2009. Sri Lanka has two capital cities: Sri Jayawardenepura, the administrative capital, and Colombo, the economic capital and largest city. Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte has a relatively small population of 98.1K, but it lies within the urban area of Colombo, meaning its metropolitan population is much larger at 2,234,289.
The city of Colombo is the financial and cultural center of Sri Lanka, and has a population of 468.4K residents. Colombo was also the legislative capital of Sri Lanka until 1982, when this function was transferred to nearby Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte. Colombo is an ancient trading city due to its harbor and strategic location along the East-West sea trade routes. Today, the city features a combination of colonial-era and modern buildings, as well as ruins.
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