Number of people using the Internet in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: Number of people using the Internet was 11.96 million people in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Number of people using the Internet in Sri Lanka, 1990–2024
Source: World Telecommunication/ICT Indicators Database - International Telecommunication Union (ITU), via World Bank (2026); United Nations Population Division, national statistical offices, and Eurostat, vi. Measured in people.
Analysis
Sri Lanka recorded 11.96 million people for number of people using the internet in 2024. That is the highest value across all 32 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 6.0% on the previous year and up 448.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, number of people using the internet in Sri Lanka peaked at 11.96 million people in 2024 and was at its lowest, 0 people, in 1990.
That places Sri Lanka 55th out of 208 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Number of people using the Internet in Sri Lanka, year by year
| Year | people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 0 people | — |
| 1994 | 478.54 people | — |
| 1995 | 962.51 people | +101.1% |
| 1996 | 9,758 people | +913.8% |
| 1997 | 29,562 people | +202.9% |
| 1998 | 55,044 people | +86.2% |
| 1999 | 65,928 people | +19.8% |
| 2000 | 124,905 people | +89.5% |
| 2001 | 155,592 people | +24.6% |
| 2002 | 208,044 people | +33.7% |
| 2003 | 291,009 people | +39.9% |
| 2004 | 290,499 people | -0.2% |
| 2005 | 362,280 people | +24.7% |
| 2006 | 516,456 people | +42.6% |
| 2007 | 795,111 people | +54.0% |
| 2008 | 995,264 people | +25.2% |
| 2009 | 1.22 million people | +22.4% |
| 2010 | 1.44 million people | +18.5% |
| 2011 | 1.67 million people | +15.8% |
| 2012 | 1.91 million people | +14.0% |
| 2013 | 2.07 million people | +8.5% |
| 2014 | 2.18 million people | +5.5% |
| 2015 | 3.20 million people | +46.7% |
| 2016 | 4.71 million people | +47.0% |
| 2017 | 5.38 million people | +14.3% |
| 2018 | 6.14 million people | +14.1% |
| 2019 | 6.98 million people | +13.7% |
| 2020 | 7.93 million people | +13.6% |
| 2021 | 9.85 million people | +24.2% |
| 2022 | 10.71 million people | +8.8% |
| 2023 | 11.28 million people | +5.3% |
| 2024 | 11.96 million people | +6.0% |
Sri Lanka compared with similar countries
- Sri Lanka's 11.96 million people is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 4.93 million people, 2.4× the median. (58 countries reporting)
- Sri Lanka's 11.96 million people is below the median for South Asia, which is 12.85 million people, 93% of the median. (6 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Number of people using the Internet in Sri Lanka changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | +913.8% | 962.51 people | 9,758 people |
| 1997 | +202.9% | 9,758 people | 29,562 people |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 23,105 people | 0 people | 65,928 people | 7 |
| 2000s | 495,725 people | 124,905 people | 1.22 million people | 10 |
| 2010s | 3.57 million people | 1.44 million people | 6.98 million people | 10 |
| 2020s | 10.35 million people | 7.93 million people | 11.96 million people | 5 |
Countries ranked near Sri Lanka
More science & technology data for Sri Lanka
- Mobile landline subscriptions, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Mobile landline subscriptions, gaps filled 132.55 (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, per capita 1.4 units per person (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, per unit of GDP 0.0003 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, gaps filled 30.62 million (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, per square kilometre 528.35 units per square kilometre (2023)
- Mobile landline subscriptions, annual growth rate -6.84 % change on previous year (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, annual growth rate -6.3 % change on previous year (2024)
- Patent applications, nonresidents, gaps filled 181 (2024)
- Patent applications, nonresidents 181 (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is number of people using the internet in Sri Lanka?
- Number of people using the internet in Sri Lanka was 11.96 million people in 2024, according to World Telecommunication/ICT Indicators Database - International Telecommunication Union (ITU), via World Bank (2026); United Nations Population Division, national statistical offices, and Eurostat, vi.
- What is the highest number of people using the internet recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The highest recorded value was 11.96 million people in 2024.
- What is the lowest number of people using the internet recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The lowest recorded value was 0 people in 1990.
- How does Sri Lanka rank for number of people using the internet?
- Sri Lanka ranks 55th out of 208 countries with data for 2024.
- Is number of people using the internet rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
- Over the last ten years it is up 448.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Sri Lanka data come from?
- The figures come from World Telecommunication/ICT Indicators Database - International Telecommunication Union (ITU), via World Bank (2026); United Nations Population Division, national statistical offices, and Eurostat, vi, published as part of Number of people using the Internet. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Number of people who used the Internet in the last three months.