Sri Lanka: internet and everyday apps

Sri Lanka in numbers

2025–2026

Internet users: 21.4 million21,400,000 · #46
Penetration: 93.0%#43
Population: 23 million23,000,000 · #60
GDP: $100B#74
GDP growth: +5.0%#44
GDP per person: $4,330#149
Land area: 65.6k km²#121
Capital: Colombo
Region: Asia
Official languages: Sinhala, Tamil

How Sri Lanka goes online

In Sri Lanka the same phone holds several languages at once. Facebook doubles as the news desk, WhatsApp carries family and work conversations, and both move between Sinhala, Tamil and English without ceremony. Daraz is where the parcel comes from, PickMe is how people cross town or order dinner, and the older generation still telephones to confirm what was written in the group, even when it came from a cousin.

Around 93%. With a population of about 23 million and 21.4 million online, roughly 1.6 million people are still offline — mostly because of rural coverage, device cost and age.

All 45 apps below are grouped by category.

What people actually use

45 Most-used apps

Websites people in Sri Lanka actually use

18

The 18 sites locals open most often — news, shopping, search, banking and government services. Every link goes to the official site.

News3 Telecom3 Shopping2 Transport2 Classifieds1 Health1 Banking1 Mail1 Education1 Sport1 Government1 Jobs1

Ada DeranaNewsadaderana.lkWhere many people go first for news, and it updates through the day. Daily MirrorNewsdailymirror.lkEnglish-language news with decent politics and business coverage. Hiru NewsNewshirunews.lkNews from Hiru TV, quick to read in Sinhala. DialogTelecomdialog.lkReloading, checking data packages and paying the phone bill. SLT-MobitelTelecomslt.lkThe state carrier, bundling fixed line, broadband and mobile. SLT-MobitelTelecomsltmobitel.lkFixed lines and broadband. Daraz Sri LankaShoppingdaraz.lkThe place for online shopping, where plenty of people wait for sales. KaprukaShoppingkapruka.comGifts and groceries, and cake delivery. PickMeTransportpickme.lkTaxis, bikes and food orders, used daily by many people in Colombo. SriLankan AirlinesTransportsrilankan.comThe flag carrier, linking Colombo with the Gulf, South Asia and East Asia. Ikman.lkClassifiedsikman.lkAds for vehicles, phones and houses, where people come to check prices. eChannellingHealthechannelling.comBooking a doctor online so you can skip the hospital queue. Central Bank of Sri LankaBankingcbsl.gov.lkPolicy rates and rupee exchange rates, first-hand. Sri Lanka PostMailslpost.gov.lkA postal service over two centuries old, still running rural branches. University of ColomboEducationcmb.ac.lkThe oldest university. Sri Lanka CricketSportsrilankacricket.lkFixtures and tickets. Department of MeteorologyGovernmentmeteo.gov.lkForecasts and warnings. TopJobsJobstopjobs.lkColombo hiring, and the CV database.

2808 websites →

Nearby and similar markets

Compare with

China中国 1.3 billion

India印度 1 billion

Indonesia印度尼西亚 212 million

Pakistan巴基斯坦 117 million

Japan日本 107 million

Philippines菲律宾 98 million

Frequently asked questions

6 Q&A

How many people in Sri Lanka are online?

About 21.4 million (21,400,000 people). That works out to roughly 93% of the population, which puts Sri Lanka at #46 in the world for total internet users. Figures come from DataReportal’s Digital 2026, which draws on ITU and national statistics.

Which apps do people in Sri Lanka use most?

Mostly WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube — they cover Messaging, Social, Video, Shopping, Mobility, Tools, Cloud storage, AI assistants, Learning, Health, Parcels, Maps, Gaming, Reading. The full list, grouped by category, is further down this page.

What is the leading Messaging app in Sri Lanka?

WhatsApp dominate this space. The best-known is WhatsApp — The most widely used messenger on earth.

How high is internet penetration in Sri Lanka?

Around 93%. With a population of about 23 million and 21.4 million online, roughly 1.6 million people are still offline — mostly because of rural coverage, device cost and age.

Where do these app facts come from?

Usage figures come from DataReportal’s Digital 2026 (Kepios, based on ITU and national statistics); app details come from each product’s official site. Updated 2026-11-12.

Which websites are most popular in Sri Lanka?

The everyday ones are Ada Derana, Daily Mirror, Hiru News, plus the other 18 sites listed above. They cover news, shopping, search, banking and official paperwork, and every link points to the official site.

Sources

Updated 2026-11-12