Number of deaths in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka: Number of deaths was 162,453 in 2023. ▲ Rising

Latest (2023)
162,453
Change on year
up 2.2%
World rank
63rd
of 229 countries
All-time high
169,409
in 2021
All-time low
95,515
in 1968
Years of data
74
1950–2023

Number of deaths in Sri Lanka, 1950–2023

050.0k100.0k150.0k195019862023

Source: Our World in Data.

Analysis

The most recent figure for number of deaths in Sri Lanka is 162,453, measured in 2023.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 2.2% on the previous year and up 20.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, number of deaths in Sri Lanka peaked at 169,409 in 2021 and was at its lowest, 95,515, in 1968.

Sri Lanka ranks 63rd of 229 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 74 years of available data.

Number of deaths in Sri Lanka, year by year

Annual values for Number of deaths in Sri Lanka, 1950 to 2023.
Year Value Change
1950 148,586
1951 141,806 -4.6%
1952 135,166 -4.7%
1953 129,485 -4.2%
1954 124,283 -4.0%
1955 119,663 -3.7%
1956 115,434 -3.5%
1957 112,244 -2.8%
1958 108,964 -2.9%
1959 106,065 -2.7%
1960 103,368 -2.5%
1961 101,011 -2.3%
1962 99,340 -1.7%
1963 98,238 -1.1%
1964 97,640 -0.6%
1965 96,647 -1.0%
1966 96,012 -0.7%
1967 95,559 -0.5%
1968 95,515 -0.0%
1969 95,646 +0.1%
1970 96,169 +0.5%
1971 98,261 +2.2%
1972 98,019 -0.2%
1973 98,829 +0.8%
1974 99,535 +0.7%
1975 99,444 -0.1%
1976 98,995 -0.5%
1977 98,173 -0.8%
1978 98,315 +0.1%
1979 97,126 -1.2%
1980 96,560 -0.6%
1981 96,736 +0.2%
1982 96,705 -0.0%
1983 97,987 +1.3%
1984 99,568 +1.6%
1985 100,714 +1.2%
1986 102,691 +2.0%
1987 105,171 +2.4%
1988 107,851 +2.5%
1989 121,926 +13.1%
1990 111,340 -8.7%
1991 113,953 +2.3%
1992 113,503 -0.4%
1993 113,875 +0.3%
1994 116,005 +1.9%
1995 122,738 +5.8%
1996 125,676 +2.4%
1997 128,520 +2.3%
1998 130,270 +1.4%
1999 131,555 +1.0%
2000 127,967 -2.7%
2001 127,046 -0.7%
2002 126,875 -0.1%
2003 128,929 +1.6%
2004 165,637 +28.5%
2005 129,685 -21.7%
2006 134,966 +4.1%
2007 137,176 +1.6%
2008 143,310 +4.5%
2009 165,718 +15.6%
2010 133,676 -19.3%
2011 134,596 +0.7%
2012 133,879 -0.5%
2013 134,377 +0.4%
2014 136,637 +1.7%
2015 139,041 +1.8%
2016 142,273 +2.3%
2017 145,951 +2.6%
2018 148,576 +1.8%
2019 151,041 +1.7%
2020 153,685 +1.8%
2021 169,409 +10.2%
2022 159,013 -6.1%
2023 162,453 +2.2%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1950s 124,170 106,065 148,586 10
1960s 97,898 95,515 103,368 10
1970s 98,287 96,169 99,535 10
1980s 102,591 96,560 121,926 10
1990s 120,744 111,340 131,555 10
2000s 138,731 126,875 165,718 10
2010s 140,005 133,676 151,041 10
2020s 161,140 153,685 169,409 4

Countries ranked near Sri Lanka

  1. 60 Malaysia 181,173 compare
  2. 61 Somalia 180,556 compare
  3. 62 Netherlands 166,336 compare
  4. 64 Kazakhstan 136,389 compare
  5. 65 Guinea 131,457 compare
  6. 66 Hungary 128,064 compare

See the full ranking of 236 places →

More health data for Sri Lanka

All data for Sri Lanka →

Frequently asked questions

What is number of deaths in Sri Lanka?
Number of deaths in Sri Lanka was 162,453 in 2023, according to Our World in Data.
What is the highest number of deaths recorded in Sri Lanka?
The highest recorded value was 169,409 in 2021.
What is the lowest number of deaths recorded in Sri Lanka?
The lowest recorded value was 95,515 in 1968.
How does Sri Lanka rank for number of deaths?
Sri Lanka ranks 63rd out of 229 countries with data for 2023.
Is number of deaths rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
Over the last ten years it is up 20.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Sri Lanka data come from?
The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Number of deaths. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Number of deaths in Sri Lanka. Statizoid, drawing on Our World in Data. Retrieved 26 August 2026, from https://health.statizoid.com/stat/number-of-deaths/sri-lanka/

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About this data

Indicator
Number of deaths
Source
Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
236 places, 17,464 data points, 1950–2023
Last refreshed