Urban councils of Sri Lanka
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There are 41 Urban councils in Sri Lanka, which are the legislative bodies that preside over the second tier municipalities in the country.[1][2] Introduced in 1987 through the 13th Amendment to the Constitution of Sri Lanka, Urban councils became a devolved subject under the Provincial Councils in the Local Government system of Sri Lanka.[3] The Urban councils collectively govern approximately 1,388,000 people. There are 417 Councillors in total, ranging from 22 to 7 per council.[4][5]
Urban councils
Current
United National Party Illankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi National People's Power (NPP) Independent Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna Samagi Jana Balawegaya
| Province | District | Urban council | Municipality | Established/ Elevated |
No. of Councillors |
Chairman | Area (km2) [4] |
Population (2024)[6] |
Website | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Western | 1 | Colombo | 1 | Kolonnawa | Kolonnawa | 1930 | 19 (1) | (List) | 43,470 | |||
| 2 | Seethawakapura | Seethawakapura | 25 | (List) | 113,257 | seethawakapura.uc.gov.lk | ||||||
| 3 | Maharagama | Maharagama | 1963 | 43 (21) | (List) | 144,675 | maharagama.uc.gov.lk | |||||
| 4 | Boralesgamuwa | Boralesgamuwa | 2006 | 17 (8) | (List) | 40,678 | ||||||
| 5 | Kesbewa | Kesbewa | 1988 | 34 (1) | (List) | 154,494 | kesbewa.uc.gov.lk | |||||
| 2 | Gampaha | 6 | Wattala-Mabola | Wattala-Mabola | 16 | (List) | 21,374 | |||||
| 7 | Peliyagoda | Peliyagoda | 17 | (List) | 17,983 | |||||||
| 8 | Katunayake-Seeduwa | Katunayake-Seeduwa | 19 | (List) | 30,890 | |||||||
| 9 | Minuwangoda | Minuwangoda | 17 (6) | (List) | 6,256 | |||||||
| 10 | Ja-Ela | Ja-Ela | 17 (1) | (List) | 141,170 | |||||||
| 3 | Kalutara | 11 | Panadura | Panadura | 1923 | 18 (1) | (List) | 23,841 | ||||
| 12 | Horana | Horana | 13 (4) | (List) | 139,731 | |||||||
| 13 | Kalutara | Kalutara | 1923 | 31 (11) | (List) | 56,280 | ||||||
| 14 | Beruwala | Beruwala | 16 | (List) | 30,394 | |||||||
| North Western | 4 | Kurunegala | 15 | Kuliyapitiya | Kuliyapitiya | 16 | (List) | 4,049 | ||||
| 5 | Puttalam | 16 | Puttalam | Puttalam | 19 | (List) | 36,523 | puttalamuc.com | ||||
| 17 | Chilaw | Chilaw | 20 (2) | (List) | 18,488 | |||||||
| Central | 6 | Kandy | 18 | Wattegama | Wattegama | 16 | (List) | 6,977 | ||||
| 19 | Kadugannawa | Kadugannawa | 15 (4) | (List) | 10,894 | |||||||
| 20 | Gampola | Gampola | 29 | (List) | 34,028 | |||||||
| 21 | Nawalapitiya | Nawalapitiya | 15 (1) | (List) | 10,391 | |||||||
| 7 | Nuwara Eliya | 22 | Hatton-Dickoya | Hatton-Dickoya | 15 (1) | (List) | 11,108 | |||||
| 23 | Talawakele-Lindula | Talawakele-Lindula | 1948 | 12 (3) | (List) | 4,319 | talawakelle-lindula.uc.gov.lk | |||||
| Uva | 8 | Badulla | 24 | Haputale | Haputale | 11 | (List) | 3,051 | ||||
| Southern | 9 | Galle | 25 | Ambalangoda | Ambalangoda | 22 (1) | (List) | 20 | 18,804 | ambalangoda.uc.gov.lk | ||
| 26 | Hikkaduwa | Hikkaduwa | 19 (8) | (List) | 23,107 | |||||||
| 10 | Matara | 27 | Weligama | Weligama | 10 (8) | (SJB) | 17,769 | |||||
| 11 | Hambantota | 28 | Tangalle | Tangalle | 19 | (List) | 7,105 | |||||
| Sabaragamuwa | 12 | Ratnapura | 29 | Balangoda | Balangoda | 16 | (List) | 17,455 | balangoda.uc.gov.lk | |||
| 30 | Embilipitiya | Embilipitiya | 200 | 14 | (List) | 32,567 | embilipitiya.uc.gov.lk | |||||
| 13 | Kegalle | 31 | Kegalle | Kegalle | 21 (3) | (List) | 14,561 | |||||
| Northern | 14 | Jaffna | 32 | Point Pedro | Point Pedro | 15 (6) | (List) | 8,792 | ||||
| 33 | Valvettithurai | Valvettithurai | 16 (1) | (List) | 7,041 | |||||||
| 34 | Chavakachcheri | Chavakachcheri | 18 (7) | (List) | 13,996 | |||||||
| 15 | Mannar | 35 | Mannar | Mannar | 2006 | 16 (2) | (List) | 16,196 | ||||
| 16 | Vavuniya | 36 | Vavuniya | Vavuniya | 21 (3) | (List) | 20,609 | |||||
| Eastern | 17 | Batticaloa | 37 | Kattankudi | Kattankudi | 18 (9) | (List) | 34,686 | kattankudy.uc.gov.lk | |||
| 38 | Eravur | Eravur | 2011 | 17 (8) | (List) | 20,561 | ||||||
| 18 | Ampara | 39 | Ampara | Ampara | 17 (1) | (List) | 17,811 | |||||
| 19 | Trincomalee | 40 | Trincomalee | Trincomalee | 1940 | 25 | (List) | 38,338 | ||||
| 41 | Kinniya | Kinniya | 2006 | 15 | (List) | 36,772 | ||||||
Former
- Elevated to Municipal council status in 1959
- Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia Urban Council
- Elevated to Municipal council status in 1997
- Moratuwa Urban Council
- Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte Urban Council
- Elevated to Municipal council status in 2011
- Bandarawela Urban Council
- Hambantota Urban Council
See also
References
- ^ "Compilation of Local Authority" (PDF). Ministry of Local Government & Provincial Councils. Retrieved 26 June 2016.
- ^ "Results of Local Authorities Elections 2006/2008". www.slelections.gov.lk. Retrieved 24 September 2008.
- ^ "Local government". Ministry of Local Government & Provincial Councils. Archived from the original on 20 December 2014. Retrieved 5 December 2014.
- ^ a b "Area, Population, Registered voters and Employees of Municipalities, 2011 - 2012" (PDF). Statistics Statistical Abstract 2013. Department of Census and Statistics Sri Lanka. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 December 2014. Retrieved 5 December 2014.
- ^ "Local Government Statistics, 2012" (PDF). www.statistics.gov.lk/. Department of Census and Statistics. Retrieved 5 December 2014.
- ^ "Live Sri Lanka Presidential Election Results 2024 | Real-Time Results". results.elections.gov.lk. Retrieved 25 June 2025.