What is the capital of Sri Lanka?
Colombo lies on the west coast of Sri Lanka, around a natural harbour on the Indian Ocean.
Colombo is the capital and seat of government of Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka itself has an estimated population of 21,756,000 (2025).
Colombo is also the largest city in Sri Lanka, which is the usual arrangement, though it is far from universal: see the countries where capital and largest city differ.
Colombo at a glance
| City population | 752,993 (2011 census) |
|---|---|
| Metropolitan area | 5,600,000 (estimate) |
| Country | 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka |
| Largest city in Sri Lanka | Colombo |
| Time zone | UTC+05:30 (SLST) |
| Currency | Sri Lankan rupee (LKR) |
About Colombo
Sri Lanka has two capitals. Colombo is the commercial capital and seat of the executive: it is the country's largest city and holds the president's office and most ministries. Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte, a neighbouring city about 10 kilometres away, is the legislative capital: Sri Lanka's Parliament has sat there since 1982.
Colombo grew around a natural harbour into the country's main port and business centre.
City facts sourced from Wikipedia: Colombo.
Frequently asked questions
What is the capital of Sri Lanka?
Is Colombo the largest city in Sri Lanka?
What is the population of Colombo?
Where is Colombo located?
What time zone is Colombo in?
What currency is used in Colombo?
Capitals of neighbouring countries
See the full profile of Sri Lanka on its country page, or browse every capital city.
Capital and country data from open datasets; city and metropolitan populations are hand-curated per city and cited where they are shown. Populations of countries come from the World Bank (SP.POP.TOTL). Full sources and vintage on the data page. Last updated . Report a correction.