The duel
Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Sri Lanka fits inside the United Kingdom 3.7 times
Sri Lanka: 65,610 km² (2024) · United Kingdom: 243,610 km² (2024)
How much coast is there?
The United Kingdom’s coastline is 9.3 times as long as Sri Lanka’s
Sri Lanka: 1,340 km (2026 edition) · United Kingdom: 12,429 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
Sri Lanka’s highest peak towers 1,179 m above the United Kingdom’s
Sri Lanka: 2,524 m (2026 edition) · United Kingdom: 1,345 m (2026 edition)
How much of the land is farmed?
Farmland covers 69% of the United Kingdom, versus 49% of Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: 48.8% (2024) · United Kingdom: 69.2% (2024)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
The United Kingdom has 3.2 times as many people as Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: 21.8 million (2025) · United Kingdom: 69.5 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
Sri Lanka is 22% more densely populated than the United Kingdom
Sri Lanka: 352 per km² (2025) · United Kingdom: 287 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in the United Kingdom are 10.1 cm taller than in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: 168.1 cm (2019) · United Kingdom: 178.2 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in the United Kingdom are 8.1 cm taller than in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: 155.9 cm (2019) · United Kingdom: 163.9 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in the United Kingdom is 7 years older than in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: 32.8 years (2023) · United Kingdom: 39.8 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in Sri Lanka have 0.4 more children on average than in the United Kingdom
Sri Lanka: 1.95 children per woman (2024) · United Kingdom: 1.55 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
20% of people in the United Kingdom are 65 or older, versus 12% in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: 12.5% (2025) · United Kingdom: 19.7% (2025)
How many refugees does it host?
The United Kingdom hosts 854 times as many refugees per resident as Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: 0.0098 per 1,000 (2025) · United Kingdom: 8.4 per 1,000 (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
The United Kingdom has produced 15.8 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, Sri Lanka none
Sri Lanka: 0 (2026) · United Kingdom: 15.8 (2026)
How many official languages?
Sri Lanka has 2 official languages, the United Kingdom 1
Sri Lanka: 2 (2026) · United Kingdom: 1 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
The United Kingdom’s economy is 37 times the size of Sri Lanka’s
Sri Lanka: $109 billion (2025) · United Kingdom: $4 trillion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
The United Kingdom produces 3.8 times as much per person as Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: Int$17,065 (2025) · United Kingdom: Int$64,607 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in Sri Lanka than in the United Kingdom (Gini 5.3 points higher)
Sri Lanka: 37.7 (2019) · United Kingdom: 32.4 (2021)
How many live on less than $3 a day?
2.7% of people in Sri Lanka live on less than $3 a day, versus 0.4% in the United Kingdom
Sri Lanka: 2.7% (2019) · United Kingdom: 0.4% (2021)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 4.7% in the United Kingdom, versus 4.0% in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: 4% (2025) · United Kingdom: 4.7% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
The United Kingdom spends 2.4% of its GDP on the military, Sri Lanka 1.3%
Sri Lanka: 1.3% (2025) · United Kingdom: 2.4% (2025)
How much does the central government collect in tax?
The United Kingdom’s central government collects 27% of GDP in tax, Sri Lanka’s 9.9%
Sri Lanka: 9.9% (2023) · United Kingdom: 26.9% (2024)
How expensive is it?
The United Kingdom’s price level (US = 100) is 3× Sri Lanka’s
Sri Lanka: 29% (2025) · United Kingdom: 89% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
The United Kingdom spends 44 times as much on health per person as Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: $134 (2023) · United Kingdom: $5,860 (2024)
How long do people live?
People in the United Kingdom live 3.7 years longer than in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: 77.7 years (2024) · United Kingdom: 81.4 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in Sri Lanka is 27% more likely to die before turning one than in the United Kingdom
Sri Lanka: 5.2 per 1,000 (2024) · United Kingdom: 4.1 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
The United Kingdom has 2.9 times as many doctors per person as Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: 1.1 per 1,000 (2023) · United Kingdom: 3.3 per 1,000 (2023)
How many hospital beds are there?
Sri Lanka has 62% more hospital beds per person than the United Kingdom
Sri Lanka: 3.9 per 1,000 (2023) · United Kingdom: 2.4 per 1,000 (2022)
How common is suicide?
The suicide rate in Sri Lanka is 46% higher than in the United Kingdom
Sri Lanka: 14 per 100k (2023) · United Kingdom: 9.6 per 100k (2023)
How common is obesity?
29% of adults in the United Kingdom are obese, versus 11% in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: 11.2% (2024) · United Kingdom: 29.2% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
21% of adults in Sri Lanka smoke, versus 13% in the United Kingdom
Sri Lanka: 20.7% (2024) · United Kingdom: 12.8% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in the United Kingdom rate their lives 2.68 points higher than in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: 4.01 (2025) · United Kingdom: 6.69 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in the United Kingdom drink 4.2 times as much alcohol as in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: 2.5 litres (2023) · United Kingdom: 10.4 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
The United Kingdom has 7.3 times as much meat per person as Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: 11.6 kg (2023) · United Kingdom: 84.4 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
The United Kingdom has 759 kcal more food per person per day than Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: 2,675 kcal (2023) · United Kingdom: 3,435 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in Sri Lanka put in 530 more hours a year than in the United Kingdom
Sri Lanka: 2,053 hours (2023) · United Kingdom: 1,523 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in the United Kingdom went to school 2.7 years longer than in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: 10.8 years (2023) · United Kingdom: 13.5 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
The United Kingdom welcomed 17 times as many tourists per resident as Sri Lanka (2019)
Sri Lanka: 0.03 (2022) · United Kingdom: 0.55 (2024)
How many World Heritage sites?
The United Kingdom has 27 more World Heritage sites than Sri Lanka (35 against 8)
Sri Lanka: 8 (2026) · United Kingdom: 35 (2026)
How many Olympic medals has it won?
The United Kingdom has won 1,025 Olympic medals, Sri Lanka 2
Sri Lanka: 2 (2026 edition) · United Kingdom: 1,025 (2026 edition)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
95% of people in the United Kingdom are online, versus 55% in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: 55% (2024) · United Kingdom: 95% (2024)
How fast is home internet?
Home internet in the United Kingdom is 4.8 times as fast as in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: 63 Mbps (2026) · United Kingdom: 303 Mbps (2026)
Who has electricity at home?
Sri Lanka and the United Kingdom are practically level
Sri Lanka: 100% (2024) · United Kingdom: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
83% of people in the United Kingdom live in cities, versus 20% in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: 20% (2025) · United Kingdom: 83% (2025)
How many phones per person?
Sri Lanka has 133 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, the United Kingdom 122
Sri Lanka: 133 (2024) · United Kingdom: 122 (2024)
How much railway is there?
The United Kingdom’s railway network is 10 times as long as Sri Lanka’s
Sri Lanka: 1,562 km (2019) · United Kingdom: 16,179 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from the United Kingdom fly 9.6 times as many passengers per resident as those from Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: 0.18 (2023) · United Kingdom: 1.71 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 34% of Sri Lanka, but only 13% of the United Kingdom
Sri Lanka: 34.4% (2024) · United Kingdom: 13.5% (2024)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in the United Kingdom emits 5 times as much CO₂ as someone in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: 0.9 t (2024) · United Kingdom: 4.5 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
62% of Sri Lanka’s electricity is renewable, versus 52% in the United Kingdom
Sri Lanka: 61.6% (2025) · United Kingdom: 52% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in Sri Lanka carries 2.4 times as much fine dust as in the United Kingdom
Sri Lanka: 20.7 µg/m³ (2024) · United Kingdom: 8.8 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 3 times as likely to be murdered in Sri Lanka as in the United Kingdom
Sri Lanka: 3.3 per 100k (2019) · United Kingdom: 1.1 per 100k (2021)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in Sri Lanka are 5.4 times as deadly as in the United Kingdom
Sri Lanka: 21.1 per 100k (2023) · United Kingdom: 3.9 per 100k (2023)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
Sri Lanka is on average 16.9 °C warmer than the United Kingdom
Sri Lanka: 26.8°C (2016–2025 avg) · United Kingdom: 9.9°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
Sri Lanka gets 72% more rain than the United Kingdom
Sri Lanka: 1,839 mm (2016–2025 avg) · United Kingdom: 1,070 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Between them
People, goods and passports that cross from one to the other
Quick answers
Is Sri Lanka bigger than the United Kingdom?
The United Kingdom is larger. Sri Lanka fits inside the United Kingdom 3.7 times.
Which has more people, Sri Lanka or the United Kingdom?
The United Kingdom has 3.2 times as many people as Sri Lanka (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Sri Lanka or the United Kingdom?
People in the United Kingdom live 3.7 years longer than in Sri Lanka. Life expectancy at birth is 77.7 years in Sri Lanka and 81.4 in the United Kingdom.
Are people taller in Sri Lanka or the United Kingdom?
Men in the United Kingdom are 10.1 cm taller than in Sri Lanka (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
