Sri Lanka Administrative Divisions

Name: Sri Lanka Administrative Divisions Dataset
Creator: GeoPostcodes
License: https://www.geopostcodes.com/pricing/

What is the hierarchy of administrative divisions in Sri Lanka?

Sri Lanka operates on a 3‑level system starting with 9 provinces, then districts, and divisional secretariats as the smallest administrative units.

Here’s a breakdown of the hierarchy:

1. Provinces: Sri Lanka is divided into 9 provinces.

2. Districts: Provinces are subdivided into districts.

3. Divisional secretariats: These are the smallest administrative units, often found within districts.

List of Sri Lanka's administrative divisions with their counts and names

These are the summarized administrative divisions. The full dataset is available in the Download Center.

iso	country	admin level 1	admin level 2	admin level 3	admin level 4
LK	Sri Lanka	Central (Province)	3 Districts	36 Divisional secretariats	This level doesn’t exist for this country.
LK	Sri Lanka	Eastern (Province)	3 Districts	45 Divisional secretariats	This level doesn’t exist for this country.
LK	Sri Lanka	North Central (Province)	2 Districts	29 Divisional secretariats	This level doesn’t exist for this country.
LK	Sri Lanka	Northern (Province)	5 Districts	34 Divisional secretariats	This level doesn’t exist for this country.
LK	Sri Lanka	North Western (Province)	2 Districts	46 Divisional secretariats	This level doesn’t exist for this country.
LK	Sri Lanka	Sabaragamuwa (Province)	2 Districts	28 Divisional secretariats	This level doesn’t exist for this country.
LK	Sri Lanka	Southern (Province)	3 Districts	47 Divisional secretariats	This level doesn’t exist for this country.
LK	Sri Lanka	Uva (Province)	2 Districts	26 Divisional secretariats	This level doesn’t exist for this country.
LK	Sri Lanka	Western (Province)	3 Districts	40 Divisional secretariats	This level doesn’t exist for this country.

Why is building an Administrative Divisions Database complex?

The complexity arises from inconsistent global standards, frequent boundary changes, non-uniform naming conventions (e.g., “suburb” in Australia vs. “county” in the US), and variations in administrative levels across countries. Integrating and harmonizing data from multiple sources requires advanced normalization, versioning, and geospatial validation techniques.

How does GeoPostcodes solve the problem for you?

Our standardized database overcomes the complexity of different administrative division
systems worldwide. Our database follows a unified structure that you can integrate
seamlessly into your system or platform of choice without needing to become an expert in
each country’s unique administrative hierarchy.

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Updated: June 1, 2026

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the administrative divisions of Sri Lanka?

Sri Lanka is divided into 9 provinces (පළාත), which form the top-level administrative units. These are subdivided into 25 districts (දිස්ත්‍රි‌ක්‌ක). The smallest administrative level consists of 331 divisional secretariats (ප්‍රාදේශීය මහලේකම් කාර්යාලය). Major provinces include Central, Eastern, and North Central.

How many administrative levels does Sri Lanka have?

Sri Lanka has 3 administrative levels. Level 1: 9 provinces (පළාත). Level 2: 25 districts (දිස්ත්‍රි‌ක්‌ක). Level 3: 331 divisional secretariats (ප්‍රාදේශීය මහලේකම් කාර්යාලය).

How is Sri Lanka organized into provinces?

Sri Lanka operates on a 3‑level system starting with 9 provinces, then districts, and divisional secretariats as the smallest administrative units.

What are administrative divisions called in Sinhala?

Sri Lankan administrative divisions have specific local names at each level. In Sinhala, provinces are called පළාත; districts are called දිස්ත්‍රි‌ක්‌ක; divisional secretariats are called ප්‍රාදේශීය මහලේකම් කාර්යාලය. These local-language terms appear in official documents, legal records, and government databases, so matching them correctly is important for data integration and compliance.

How often do administrative boundaries change in Sri Lanka?

Administrative boundaries in Sri Lanka change as governments reorganize regions, merge municipalities, or create new administrative units to reflect population shifts and political decisions. Changes most commonly affect the divisional secretariats level, where Sri Lanka currently has 331 units. Businesses that rely on Sri Lankan administrative data should use a regularly updated reference dataset to avoid mismatches in geocoding, tax jurisdiction mapping, and compliance reporting.