Demographics of Sri Lanka
This is a demography of the population of Sri Lanka including population density, ethnicity, education level, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects of the population.
| Demographics of Sri Lanka | |
|---|---|
Sri Lanka population pyramid in 2020 | |
| Population | 23,187,516 (2022) |
| Density | 332/km2 (2018) |
| Growth rate | 0.61% (2022) |
| Birth rate | 17.04 births/1,000 population (2012 est.) |
| Death rate | 5.96 deaths/1,000 population (July 2012 est.) |
| Life expectancy | 75.94 years (2012 est.) |
| • male | 72.43 years (2012 est.) |
| • female | 79.59 years (2012 est.) |
| Fertility rate | 2.00 children born/woman (2017 est.)[1] |
| Infant mortality rate | 9.47 deaths/1,000 live births (2012 est.) |
| Age structure | |
| 0–14 years | 25.24% (2019)[2] |
| 15–64 years | 66.92% (2019)[2] |
| 65 and over | 7.84% (2019)[2] |
| Sex ratio | |
| Total | 0.93 male(s)/female (2018)[2] |
| At birth | 1.02 male(s)/female (2018)[2] |
| Under 15 | 1.02 male(s)/female (2018)[2] |
| 15–64 years | 0.93 male(s)/female (2018)[2] |
| 65 and over | 0.76 male(s)/female (2018)[2] |
| Nationality | |
| Nationality | noun: Sri Lankan(s) adjective: Sri Lankan |
| Major ethnic | Sinhala (74.9%) (2012 census) |
| Minor ethnic |
|
| Language | |
| Official | Sinhala, Tamil |
| Spoken | English |
Sri Lanka is an island in the Indian Ocean, also called Ceylon and many other names. It is about the size of Ireland. It is about 28 kilometres (18 mi.) off the south-eastern coast of India with a population of about 22 million. Density is highest in the south west where Colombo, the country's main port and industrial center, is located. The net population growth is about 0.7%. Sri Lanka is ethnically, linguistically, and religiously diverse.
Overview
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1789[a] | 1,200,000 | — |
| 1827[b] | 889,584 | −25.9% |
| 1871 | 2,400,380 | +169.8% |
| 1881 | 2,759,738 | +15.0% |
| 1891 | 3,007,789 | +9.0% |
| 1901 | 3,565,954 | +18.6% |
| 1911 | 4,106,350 | +15.2% |
| 1921 | 4,498,605 | +9.6% |
| 1931 | 5,306,871 | +18.0% |
| 1946 | 6,657,339 | +25.4% |
| 1953 | 8,097,895 | +21.6% |
| 1963 | 10,582,064 | +30.7% |
| 1971 | 12,689,897 | +19.9% |
| 1981 | 14,846,750 | +17.0% |
| 1990 | 17,325,773 | +16.7% |
| 2000 | 18,777,601 | +8.4% |
| 2010 | 20,261,737 | +7.9% |
| 2020 | 21,413,249 | +5.7% |
| Source: [3][4][5][6][7] | ||
According to the 2012 census the population of Sri Lanka was 20,359,439, giving a population density of 325/km2.[7] The population had grown by 5,512,689 (37.1%) since the 1981 census (the last full census), equivalent to an annual growth rate of 1.1%.[7] 3,704,470 (18.2%) lived in urban sectors - areas governed by municipal and urban councils.[8]
5,131,666 (25.2%) of the population were aged 14 or under whilst 2,525,573 (12.4%) were aged 60 or over, leaving a working age (15-59) population of 12,702,700.[9] The dependency ratio was 60.2%.[7] The mean age was 32 years and the median age was 31 years.[7] The sex ratio was 94 males per 100 females.[7] The fertility rate for married females aged 15 or over was 2.65 live births.[10] There were 5,264,282 households, of which 3,986,236 (75.7%) were headed by males and 1,278,046 (24.3%) were headed by females.[7]
Of the 15,227,773 aged 15 or over, 10,322,105 (67.8%) were married, 3,927,602 (25.8%) were never married, 792,947 (5.2%) were widowed and 185,119 (1.2%) were divorced or separated.[11]
Of those aged 15 or over, 7,857,370 (51.6%) were economically active, 4,199,558 (27.6%) did housework, 1,431,105 (9.4%) were students, 914,934 (6.0%) were unable to work and 346,084 (2.3%) were pensioners.[12] 521,938 (6.6%) of the economically active were unemployed.[7] 604,540 Sri Lankans were living aboard for more than six months but were intending to return to Sri Lanka, mostly in the Gulf states (373,050 61.7%).[13]
The overall literacy rate for those aged 10 and over was 95.7% but amongst those living in the estate sector it was only 86.1%.[14] Of the 18,615,577 aged 5 or over, 499,563 (2.7%) had received a higher education qualification, 2,293,841 (12.3%) had passed G.C.E. A/L, 3,159,402 (17.0%) had passed G.C.E. O/L and 700,419 (3.8%) had no formal schooling.[15] The remaining 11,962,352 (64.3%) had left school with no qualifications or were currently at school.[15]
Sri Lanka's population is aging faster than any other nation in South Asia and has the fifth highest rapidly growing population of older people in Asia after China, Thailand, South Korea and Japan.[16][17][18] In 2015, Sri Lanka's population aged over 60 was 13.9%, by 2030 this will increase to 21% and by 2050 this number will reach 27.4%.[17][18] Sri Lanka's rapidly growing older population has ignited concerns of the socio-economic challenges that the country will face because of this.[19]
Ethnicity
The Sinhalese make up 74.9% of the population (according to 2012 census) and are concentrated in the densely populated south-west and central parts of the island.[20]
The Sri Lanka Tamils, who live predominantly in the north and east of the island, form the largest minority group at 11.1% (according to the 2012 census) of the population.[20]
The Moors, descendants of Arab and Indian traders, form the third largest ethnic group at 9.3% of the population.[20] They are mostly concentrated in urban areas in the southern parts of the island with substantial populations in the Central and Eastern provinces. During times of Portuguese colonization, Moors were persecuted, and many forced to retreat to the central highlands and the eastern coast.[citation needed]
There are also Indian Tamils who form a distinct ethnic group comprising 4.1% of the population.[20] The British brought them to Sri Lanka in the 19th century as tea and rubber plantation workers, and they remain concentrated in the "tea country" of south-central Sri Lanka. The Indian Tamils of Sri Lanka were considered to be "stateless" and over 300,000 Indian Tamils were deported back to India, due to the agreement between Sri Lanka and India in 1964.[21] Under the pact, India granted citizenship to the remainder, some 200,000 of whom now live in India. Another 75,000 Indian Tamils, who themselves or whose parents once applied for Indian citizenship, now wish to remain in Sri Lanka. The government has stated these Tamils will not be forced to return to India, although they are not technically citizens of Sri Lanka. By the 1990s most Indian Tamils had received Sri Lankan citizenship, and some even were not granted Sri Lankan citizenship until 2003.[21][22]
Smaller minorities include the Veddas, the indigenous people of Sri Lanka; Malays who descend from Austronesian settlers; the Burghers, who are descendants of European colonists, principally from Portugal, the Netherlands and, the UK; the ethnic Chinese migrants who came to the island in the 18th and 19th centuries; and the Kaffirs, a small population who are descended from Africans.
| Year | Sinhalese | Sri Lankan Tamils[c] | Sri Lankan Moors[d] | Indian Tamils[c] | Sri Lankan Malays | Burghers/ Eurasian | Indian Moors[d] | Others | Total No. | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | ||
| 1881 Census | 1,846,600 | 66.91% | 687,200 | 24.90% | 184,500 | 6.69% | 8,900 | 0.32% | 17,900 | 0.65% | 14,500 | 0.53% | 2,759,700 | ||||
| 1891 Census | 2,041,200 | 67.86% | 723,900 | 24.07% | 197,200 | 6.56% | 10,100 | 0.34% | 21,200 | 0.70% | 14,200 | 0.47% | 3,007,800 | ||||
| 1901 Census | 2,330,800 | 65.36% | 951,700 | 26.69% | 228,000 | 6.39% | 11,900 | 0.33% | 23,500 | 0.66% | 20,000 | 0.56% | 3,566,000 | ||||
| 1911 Census | 2,715,500 | 66.13% | 528,000 | 12.86% | 233,900 | 5.70% | 531,000 | 12.93% | 13,000 | 0.32% | 26,700 | 0.65% | 32,700 | 0.80% | 25,600 | 0.62% | 4,106,400 |
| 1921 Census | 3,016,200 | 67.05% | 517,300 | 11.50% | 251,900 | 5.60% | 602,700 | 13.40% | 13,400 | 0.30% | 29,400 | 0.65% | 33,000 | 0.73% | 34,600 | 0.77% | 4,498,600 |
| 1931 Estimate | 3,473,000 | 65.45% | 598,900 | 11.29% | 289,600 | 5.46% | 818,500 | 15.43% | 16,000 | 0.30% | 32,300 | 0.61% | 36,300 | 0.68% | 41,800 | 0.79% | 5,306,000 |
| 1946 Census[e] | 4,620,500 | 69.41% | 733,700 | 11.02% | 373,600 | 5.61% | 780,600 | 11.73% | 22,500 | 0.34% | 41,900 | 0.63% | 35,600 | 0.53% | 48,900 | 0.73% | 6,657,300 |
| 1953 Census[f] | 5,616,700 | 69.36% | 884,700 | 10.93% | 464,000 | 5.73% | 974,100 | 12.03% | 25,400 | 0.31% | 46,000 | 0.57% | 47,500 | 0.59% | 39,500 | 0.49% | 8,097,900 |
| 1963 Census | 7,512,900 | 71.00% | 1,164,700 | 11.01% | 626,800 | 5.92% | 1,123,000 | 10.61% | 33,400 | 0.32% | 45,900 | 0.43% | 55,400 | 0.52% | 19,900 | 0.19% | 10,582,000 |
| 1971 Census | 9,131,241 | 71.96% | 1,423,981 | 11.22% | 855,724 | 6.74% | 1,174,606 | 9.26% | 43,459 | 0.34% | 45,376 | 0.36% | 15,510 | 0.12% | 12,689,897 | ||
| 1981 Census | 10,979,561 | 73.95% | 1,886,872 | 12.71% | 1,046,926 | 7.05% | 818,656 | 5.51% | 46,963 | 0.32% | 39,374 | 0.27% | 28,398 | 0.19% | 14,846,750 | ||
| 2001 Census[g] | |||||||||||||||||
| 2011 Census[h] | 15,250,081 | 74.90% | 2,269,266 | 11.15% | 1,892,638 | 9.30% | 839,504 | 4.12% | 44,130 | 0.22% | 38,293 | 0.19% | 25,527 | 0.13% | 20,359,439 | ||
Religion
Religion in Sri Lanka (2012)[25]
According to the 2012 census Buddhists make up 70.2% of the population, Hindus 12.6%, Muslims 9.7% and Christians 7.6%.[26] Most Sinhalese are Buddhist; most Tamils are Hindu; and the Moors and Malays are mostly Muslim. Sizeable minorities of both Sinhalese and Tamils are Christians, most of whom are Roman Catholic. The Burgher population is mostly Roman Catholic or Presbyterian. The Veddas have Animist and Buddhist practices. The 1978 constitution, while assuring freedom of religion, gives "the foremost place" to Buddhism.[27][28]
| Year | Buddhist | Hindu | Muslim | Christian | Others | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | No. | ||
| 1881 Census | 1,698,100 | 61.53% | 593,600 | 21.51% | 197,800 | 7.17% | 268,000 | 9.71% | 2,300 | 0.08% | 2,759,800 | |
| 1891 Census | 1,877,000 | 62.40% | 615,900 | 20.48% | 212,000 | 7.05% | 302,100 | 10.04% | 800 | 0.03% | 3,007,800 | |
| 1901 Census | 2,141,400 | 60.06% | 826,800 | 23.19% | 246,100 | 6.90% | 349,200 | 9.79% | 2,500 | 0.07% | 3,566,000 | |
| 1911 Census | 2,474,200 | 60.25% | 938,300 | 22.85% | 283,600 | 6.91% | 409,200 | 9.96% | 1,100 | 0.03% | 4,106,400 | |
| 1921 Census | 2,769,800 | 61.57% | 982,100 | 21.83% | 302,500 | 6.72% | 443,400 | 9.86% | 800 | 0.02% | 4,498,600 | |
| 1931 Estimate | 3,266,600 | 61.55% | 1,166,900 | 21.99% | 354,200 | 6.67% | 518,100 | 9.76% | 1,100 | 0.02% | 5,306,900 | |
| 1946 Census | 4,294,900 | 64.51% | 1,320,400 | 19.83% | 436,600 | 6.56% | 603,200 | 9.06% | 2,200 | 0.03% | 6,657,300 | |
| 1953 Census | 5,209,400 | 64.33% | 1,610,500 | 19.89% | 541,500 | 6.69% | 724,400 | 8.95% | 12,100 | 0.15% | 8,097,900 | |
| 1963 Census | 7,003,300 | 66.18% | 1,958,400 | 18.51% | 724,000 | 6.84% | 884,900 | 8.36% | 11,400 | 0.11% | 10,582,000 | |
| 1971 Census | 8,536,868 | 67.27% | 2,238,666 | 17.64% | 901,785 | 7.11% | 1,004,326 | 7.91% | 8,252 | 0.07% | 12,689,897 | |
| 1981 Census | 10,288,325 | 69.30% | 2,297,806 | 15.48% | 1,121,717 | 7.56% | 1,130,568 | 7.61% | 8,334 | 0.06% | 14,846,750 | |
| 2001 Census[g] | ||||||||||||
| 2012 Census[h] | 14,272,056 | 70.10% | 2,561,299 | 12.58% | 1,967,523 | 9.66% | 1,552,161 | 7.62% | 6,400 | 0.03% | 20,359,439 | |
Languages
Sinhala, an Indo-Aryan language, is the first language of Sinhalese people.
Tamil, a Dravidian language, is the first language of native Sri Lankan Tamils. Tamil is also the first language of the majority of Sri Lankan Moors and the Indian Tamils - according to the 2012 census 98% of Sri Lankan Moors could speak Tamil but only 59% could speak Sinhala.[31]
English is fluently spoken by approximately 23.8%[32] of the Sri Lanka's population, and widely used for official and commercial purposes.
Malays speak Sri Lanka Malay, a Creole language mixing Sinhala, Tamil and Malay. Many of the Burghers speak Sri Lankan Indo-Portuguese although its use has declined and the majority now speak Sinhala.[31] The Veddas speak Vedda, a Creole language closely based on Sinhala. Use of English has declined since independence, but it continues to be spoken by many in the middle and upper middle classes, particularly in Colombo. According to the 2012 census 24% of the population could speak English.[31] The government is seeking to reverse the decline in the use of English, mainly for economic but also for political reasons. According to the constitution Sinhala and Tamil are official languages whilst English is the link language.[33]
Vital statistics
UN estimates:[34]
| Period | Live births per year | Deaths per year | Natural change per year | CBR1 | CDR1 | NC1 | TFR1 | IMR1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950–1955 | 322,000 | 171,000 | 151,000 | 37.4 | 19.8 | 17.5 | 5.80 | 103.9 |
| 1955–1960 | 367,000 | 143,000 | 223,000 | 38.6 | 15.1 | 23.5 | 5.80 | 86.7 |
| 1960–1965 | 377,000 | 128,000 | 248,000 | 35.5 | 12.1 | 23.4 | 5.20 | 77.5 |
| 1965–1970 | 391,000 | 116,000 | 276,000 | 32.9 | 9.7 | 23.2 | 4.70 | 69.3 |
| 1970–1975 | 383,000 | 103,000 | 280,000 | 29.1 | 7.8 | 21.3 | 4.00 | 55.4 |
| 1975–1980 | 401,000 | 99,000 | 302,000 | 27.8 | 6.9 | 20.9 | 3.61 | 38.8 |
| 1980–1985 | 401,000 | 96,000 | 305,000 | 25.6 | 6.1 | 19.5 | 3.19 | 30.3 |
| 1985–1990 | 362,000 | 110,000 | 253,000 | 21.6 | 6.5 | 15.1 | 2.64 | 24.1 |
| 1990–1995 | 349,000 | 119,000 | 230,000 | 19.6 | 6.7 | 12.9 | 2.39 | 22.1 |
| 1995–2000 | 329,000 | 146,000 | 183,000 | 17.8 | 7.9 | 9.9 | 2.16 | 18.9 |
| 2000–2005 | 360,000 | 121,000 | 239,000 | 18.7 | 6.3 | 12.4 | 2.27 | 15.9 |
| 2005–2010 | 386,000 | 132,000 | 253,000 | 19.0 | 6.5 | 12.5 | 2.36 | 12.4 |
| 2010–2015 | 16.4 | 6.6 | 9.8 | 2.11 | ||||
| 2015–2020 | 14.9 | 7.1 | 7.8 | 2.03 | ||||
| 1 CBR = crude birth rate (per 1000); CDR = crude death rate (per 1000); NC = natural change (per 1000); TFR = total fertility rate (number of children per woman); IMR = infant mortality rate per 1000 births | ||||||||
Fertility and births
Total Fertility Rate (TFR) (Wanted Fertility Rate) and Crude Birth Rate (CBR):[35]
| Year | CBR (total) | TFR (total) | CBR (urban) | TFR (urban) | CBR (rural) | TFR (rural) | CBR (estate) | TFR (estate) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1981–1983 | 3,1 | 2,4 | 3,2 | 3,4 | ||||
| 1987 | 2,8 (2,4) | 2,3 (1,9) | 2,9 (2,4) | 3,4 (3,2) | ||||
| 2006–2007 | 18,7 | 2,3 (2,1) | 18,5 | 2,2 (2,0) | 18,6 | 2,3 (2,1) | 20,0 | 2,5 (2,1) |
Births and deaths
| Year | Population | Live births | Deaths | Natural increase | Crude birth rate | Crude death rate | Rate of natural increase | TFR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1948 | 287 695 | 93 711 | 193 984 | 39.7 | 13.0 | 26.7 | ||
| 1949 | 291 191 | 91 889 | 199 302 | 39.1 | 12.4 | 26.7 | ||
| 1950 | 304 635 | 95 142 | 209 493 | 39.7 | 12.6 | 27.1 | ||
| 1951 | 313 662 | 100 072 | 213 590 | 39.8 | 12.9 | 26.9 | ||
| 1952 | 313 532 | 95 298 | 218 234 | 38.8 | 12.0 | 26.8 | ||
| 1953 | 321 217 | 89 003 | 232 214 | 38.7 | 10.9 | 27.8 | ||
| 1954 | 303 894 | 86 794 | 217 100 | 35.7 | 10.4 | 25.3 | ||
| 1955 | 325 538 | 94 368 | 231 170 | 37.3 | 11.0 | 26.3 | ||
| 1956 | 325 067 | 87 561 | 237 506 | 36.4 | 9.8 | 26.6 | ||
| 1957 | 334 135 | 92 759 | 241 376 | 36.5 | 10.1 | 26.4 | ||
| 1958 | 335 690 | 90 815 | 244 875 | 35.8 | 9.7 | 26.1 | ||
| 1959 | 356 336 | 87 971 | 268 365 | 37.0 | 9.1 | 27.9 | ||
| 1960 | 361 702 | 84 918 | 276 784 | 36.6 | 8.6 | 28.0 | ||
| 1961 | 363 677 | 81 653 | 282 024 | 35.8 | 8.0 | 27.8 | ||
| 1962 | 370 762 | 88 928 | 281 834 | 35.5 | 8.5 | 27.0 | ||
| 1963 | 365 842 | 91 673 | 274 169 | 34.1 | 8.5 | 25.6 | ||
| 1964 | 361 577 | 95 618 | 265 959 | 33.2 | 8.8 | 24.4 | ||
| 1965 | 369 437 | 91 728 | 277 709 | 33.1 | 8.8 | 24.3 | ||
| 1966 | 369 153 | 94 419 | 274 734 | 32.3 | 8.3 | 24.0 | ||
| 1967 | 369 531 | 87 877 | 281 654 | 31.9 | 7.5 | 24.4 | ||
| 1968 | 384 178 | 94 903 | 289 275 | 32.0 | 7.9 | 24.1 | ||
| 1969 | 372 774 | 102 356 | 270 418 | 30.4 | 8.1 | 22.3 | ||
| 1970 | 367 901 | 94 129 | 273 772 | 29.4 | 7.5 | 21.9 | ||
| 1971 | 382 668 | 96 328 | 286 340 | 30.4 | 7.7 | 22.7 | ||
| 1972 | 385 462 | 100 080 | 285 382 | 30.0 | 8.1 | 21.9 | ||
| 1973 | 367 158 | 100 678 | 266 480 | 28.0 | 7.7 | 20.3 | ||
| 1974 | 365 902 | 119 518 | 246 384 | 27.5 | 9.0 | 18.5 | ||
| 1975 | 374 689 | 115 108 | 259 581 | 27.8 | 8.5 | 19.3 | ||
| 1976 | 380 702 | 106 506 | 274 196 | 27.8 | 7.8 | 20.0 | ||
| 1977 | 389 522 | 103 284 | 286 238 | 27.9 | 7.4 | 20.5 | ||
| 1978 | 404 831 | 93 971 | 310 860 | 28.5 | 6.6 | 21.9 | ||
| 1979 | 417 986 | 94 244 | 323 742 | 28.9 | 6.5 | 22.4 | ||
| 1980 | 418 373 | 91 020 | 327 353 | 28.4 | 6.2 | 22.2 | ||
| 1981 | 423 973 | 88 481 | 335 492 | 28.2 | 5.9 | 22.3 | ||
| 1982 | 408 895 | 92 244 | 316 651 | 26.9 | 6.1 | 20.8 | ||
| 1983 | 405 122 | 95 174 | 309 948 | 26.3 | 6.2 | 20.1 | ||
| 1984 | 391 064 | 100 725 | 290 339 | 25.1 | 6.5 | 18.6 | ||
| 1985 | 389 599 | 98 089 | 291 510 | 24.6 | 6.2 | 18.4 | ||
| 1986 | 361 735 | 96 145 | 265 590 | 22.4 | 6.0 | 16.4 | ||
| 1987 | 357 723 | 97 756 | 259 967 | 21.8 | 6.0 | 15.8 | ||
| 1988 | 344 179 | 95 934 | 248 245 | 20.7 | 5.8 | 14.9 | ||
| 1989 | 363 343 | 105 239 | 258 104 | 21.6 | 6.3 | 15.3 | ||
| 1990 | 341 223 | 97 713 | 243 510 | 20.8 | 6.0 | 14.8 | ||
| 1991 | 356 593 | 95 574 | 261 019 | 21.7 | 5.8 | 15.9 | ||
| 1992 | 356 842 | 98 380 | 258 462 | 21.5 | 5.9 | 15.6 | ||
| 1993 | 350 707 | 96 179 | 254 528 | 20.8 | 5.7 | 15.1 | ||
| 1994 | 356 071 | 100 394 | 255 677 | 20.8 | 5.9 | 14.9 | ||
| 1995 | 343 224 | 104 707 | 238 517 | 19.9 | 6.0 | 13.9 | ||
| 1996 | 340 649 | 122 161 | 218 488 | 19.5 | 7.0 | 12.5 | ||
| 1997 | 333 219 | 114 591 | 218 628 | 18.8 | 6.4 | 12.4 | ||
| 1998 | 322 672 | 112 653 | 210 019 | 18.2 | 6.2 | 12.0 | ||
| 1999 | 328 725 | 115 330 | 213 395 | 18.1 | 6.3 | 11.8 | ||
| 2000 | 347 749 | 116 200 | 231 549 | 18.4 | 6.1 | 12.3 | ||
| 2001 | 358 583 | 112 858 | 245 725 | 18.9 | 5.9 | 13.0 | ||
| 2002 | 367 709 | 111 863 | 255 846 | 19.1 | 5.8 | 13.3 | ||
| 2003 | 370 643 | 115 495 | 255 148 | 18.9 | 5.9 | 13.0 | ||
| 2004 | 364 711 | 114 915 | 249 796 | 18.5 | 5.8 | 12.7 | ||
| 2005 | 370 731 | 132 097 | 238 634 | 18.1 | 6.5 | 11.6 | ||
| 2006 | 373 538 | 117 467 | 256 071 | 18.8 | 5.9 | 12.9 | ||
| 2007 | 386 573 | 118 992 | 267 581 | 19.2 | 5.9 | 13.3 | ||
| 2008 | 373 575 | 123 814 | 249 761 | 18.4 | 6.1 | 12.3 | ||
| 2009 | 368 304 | 127 776 | 240 528 | 18.0 | 6.2 | 11.8 | ||
| 2010 | 364 565 | 128 603 | 235 962 | 17.7 | 6.2 | 11.4 | ||
| 2011 | 363 415 | 123 261 | 240 154 | 17.4 | 5.9 | 11.5 | ||
| 2012 | 20,425,000 | 355 900 | 122 063 | 233 837 | 17.5 | 6.0 | 11.5 | 2.252 |
| 2013 | 20,585,000 | 365 792 | 127 124 | 238 668 | 17.9 | 6.2 | 11.7 | 2.264 |
| 2014 | 20,771,000 | 349 715 | 127 758 | 221 957 | 16.8 | 6.2 | 10.6 | 2.148 |
| 2015 | 20,970,000 | 334 821 | 131 634 | 203 187 | 16.0 | 6.3 | 9.7 | 2.046 |
| 2016 | 21,203,000 | 331 073 | 130 765 | 200 308 | 15.6 | 6.2 | 9.4 | 1.985 |
| 2017 | 21,444,000 | 326 052 | 139 822 | 186 230 | 15.2 | 6.5 | 8.7 | |
| 2018 | 21,670,000 | 328 112 | 139 498 | 188 614 | 15.1 | 6.4 | 8.7 | |
| 2019 | 21,803,000 | 319 010 | 146 053 | 172 957 | 14.6 | 6.7 | 7.9 | |
| 2020 | 21,919,000 | 301 706 | 132 431 | 169 275 | 13.8 | 6.0 | 7.8 | |
| 2021 | 22,156,000 | 284 848 | 163 936 | 120 912 | 12.9 | 7.4 | 5.5 | 1.7(e) |
Life expectancy
| Period | Life expectancy in Years | Period | Life expectancy in Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1950–1955 | 54.5 | 1985–1990 | 68.9 |
| 1955–1960 | 58.3 | 1990–1995 | 70.0 |
| 1960–1965 | 60.3 | 1995–2000 | 69.1 |
| 1965–1970 | 62.9 | 2000–2005 | 73.2 |
| 1970–1975 | 65.2 | 2005–2010 | 74.1 |
| 1975–1980 | 67.0 | 2010–2015 | 74.6 |
| 1980–1985 | 69.1 |
Source: UN World Population Prospects[38]
Population pyramid
| Age Group | Male | Female | Total | % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 9 856 634 | 10 502 805 | 20 359 439 | 100 |
| 0–4 | 879 223 | 864 639 | 1 743 862 | 8.57 |
| 5–9 | 882 108 | 865 644 | 1 747 752 | 8.58 |
| 10–14 | 829 069 | 810 983 | 1 640 052 | 8.06 |
| 15–19 | 819 927 | 824 322 | 1 644 249 | 8.08 |
| 20–24 | 742 316 | 790 567 | 1 532 883 | 7.53 |
| 25–29 | 743 510 | 809 338 | 1 552 848 | 7.63 |
| 30–34 | 796 866 | 842 549 | 1 639 415 | 8.05 |
| 35–39 | 686 037 | 723 040 | 1 409 077 | 6.92 |
| 40–44 | 661 623 | 697 586 | 1 359 209 | 6.68 |
| 45–49 | 618 140 | 667 690 | 1 285 830 | 6.32 |
| 50–54 | 581 293 | 638 167 | 1 219 460 | 5.99 |
| 55–59 | 500 871 | 563 358 | 1 064 229 | 5.23 |
| 60–64 | 425 428 | 492 482 | 917 910 | 4.51 |
| 65-69 | 283 764 | 349 525 | 633 289 | 3.11 |
| 70-74 | 181 846 | 230 568 | 412 414 | 2.03 |
| 75-79 | 116 389 | 166 797 | 283 186 | 1.39 |
| 80-84 | 64 250 | 95 129 | 159 379 | 0.78 |
| 85-89 | 28 293 | 45 148 | 73 441 | 0.36 |
| 90-94 | 9 293 | 14 965 | 24 258 | 0.12 |
| 95+ | 6 388 | 10 308 | 16 696 | 0.08 |
| Age group | Male | Female | Total | Percent |
| 0–14 | 2 590 400 | 2 541 266 | 5 131 666 | 25.21 |
| 15–64 | 6 576 011 | 7 049 099 | 13 625 110 | 66.92 |
| 65+ | 690 223 | 912 440 | 1 602 663 | 7.87 |
Immigrant stock by source country
As of 2017, 40,018 foreign-born people lived in Sri Lanka per United Nations' population division.[40]
| Country of birth | Population (2017) |
|---|---|
| India | 10,814 |
| Italy | 5,107 |
| China | 2,482 |
| Kuwait | 1,755 |
| United Arab Emirates | 1,689 |
| Saudi Arabia | 1,417 |
| Maldives | 1,409 |
| United Kingdom | 1,193 |
| Malaysia | 925 |
| Japan | 849 |
| Pakistan | 829 |
| Lebanon | 741 |
| Bangladesh | 674 |
| United States | 613 |
| Singapore | 612 |
| South Korea | 611 |
| Germany | 561 |
CIA World Factbook demographic statistics
Ethnicity in Sri Lanka (2012)[25]
The following demographic statistics are from the CIA World Factbook, unless otherwise indicated:[41]
- Population - 21,481,334 (July 2012 est.)[i]
- Age structure - 0–14 years: 23.9% (male 2,594,815/female 2,493,002); 15–64 years: 68% (male 7,089,307/female 7,418,123); 65 years and over: 8.1% (male 803,172/female 926,372) (2010 est.)
- Median age - total: 31.1 years; male: 30.1 years; female: 32.2 years (2012 est.)
- Population growth rate - 0.913% (2012 est.)
- Birth rate - 17.04 births/1,000 population (2012 est.)
- Death rate - 5.96 deaths/1,000 population (July 2012 est.)
- Net migration rate - -1.95 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2012 est.)
- Urbanization - urban population: 14% of total population (2010); rate of urbanization: 1.1% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)
- Sex ratio - at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female; under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female; 15–64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: 0.75 male(s)/female; total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2011 est.)
- Infant mortality rate - total: 9.47 deaths/1,000 live births; male: 10.44 deaths/1,000 live births; female: 8.45 deaths/1,000 live births
- Life expectancy at birth - total population: 75.94 years; male: 72.43 years; female: 79.59 years (2012 est.)
- Total fertility rate - 2.17 children born/woman (2012 est.)
- Health expenditures - 4% of GDP (2009)
- Physicians density - 0.492 physicians/1,000 population (2006)
- Hospital bed density - 3.1 beds/1,000 population (2004)
- HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate - less than 0.1% (2009 est.)
- HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS - 2,800 (2009 est.)
- HIV/AIDS - deaths - fewer than 200 (2009 est.)
- Major infectious diseases - degree of risk: high; food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea and hepatitis A; vectorborne disease: dengue fever and chikungunya; water contact disease: leptospirosis; animal contact disease: rabies (2009)
- Nationality - noun: Sri Lankan(s);
adjective: Sri Lankan - Ethnic group - Sinhalese 73.8%; Sri Lankan Tamil 11.15%; Sri Lankan Moors 7.2%; Indian Tamil 4.6%; other 0.5%; unspecified 2.75% (2001 census provisional data)[j]
- Religion - Buddhism 70.19%; Hinduism 12.61%; Islam 9.71%; Christianity 7.45%; Other 0.05% (2012 [42] provisional data)
- Languages - Sinhala 74%; Tamil 25%; other 1%[k]
- Literacy - definition: age 15 and over can read and write; total population: 91.2%; male: 92.6%; female:90% (2010 census)
Notes
- ^ Estimate.
- ^ Non scientific census of the whole island.
- ^ a b Indian Tamils were only classified as a separate ethnic group from 1911 onwards. Prior to this they were included with Sri Lankan Tamils.
- ^ a b Indian Moors were only classified as a separate ethnic group from 1911 to 1971. Prior to 1911 they were included with Sri Lankan Moors. After 1971 they were included with Others.
- ^ The 1941 Census was postponed due to World War II.
- ^ The 1951 Census was postponed due to a shortage of paper at the time.
- ^ a b 2001 Census was only carried out in 18 of the 25 districts. Inclusion of data would be misleading.
- ^ a b The official census dates for the 2011 Census was 20 March 2012.
- ^ Since the outbreak of hostilities between the government and armed Tamil separatists in the mid-1980s, several hundred thousand Tamil civilians have fled the island and more than 200,000 Tamils have sought refuge in the West (July 2010 est.) Aside from such migrants, there is an estimated 1.7 million Sri Lankans who are employed abroad (2010 est.), through which Sri Lanka earned USD 4.1 billion in annual worker remittances in 2010. Such remittances are a key source of foreign exchange for Sri Lanka.
- ^ These figures are based on the 2001 census which was only carried out partially in the Northern and Eastern provinces, where the majority of Sri Lankan Tamils and Hindus live. Therefore the Sri Lankan Tamil and Hindu percentage is grossly understated. The Sri Lankan government estimates that the Tamils (Sri Lankan and Indian) account for 18% of the population.
- ^ English is commonly used in government and is spoken competently by about 10% of the population as second language.
References
- ^ "World Population Dashboard -Sri Lanka".
- ^ a b c d e f g h Registrar General's Department. "Mid-year Population Estimates by Age Group and Sex, 2014 - 2019" (PDF).
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- ^ Census of Population Sri Lanka 1971 - General Report. Department of Census & Statistics, Lanka. 1977. p. 18. from the original on 24 December 2013.
- ^ (PDF). Statistical Abstract 2013. Department of Census & Statistics, Sri Lanka. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 April 2015.
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- ^ "Census of Population and Housing of Sri Lanka, 2012 - Table A1: Population by district, sex and sector" (PDF). Department of Census & Statistics, Sri Lanka. (PDF) from the original on 28 December 2014.
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- ^ "Census of Population and Housing of Sri Lanka, 2012 - Table A10: Population by marital status, age, sex and sector" (PDF). Department of Census & Statistics, Sri Lanka. (PDF) from the original on 2 April 2015.
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- ^ "The Future of Population in Asia: Asia's Aging Population" (PDF). Asia Society. (PDF) from the original on 8 March 2014. Retrieved 7 April 2018.
- ^ a b "Ageing population and elderly care in Sri Lanka". Australian National University. from the original on 7 April 2018. Retrieved 7 April 2018.
- ^ a b "How Asia's population is aging, 2015-2030 scenario". The Jakarta Post. 14 February 2018. from the original on 7 April 2018. Retrieved 7 April 2018.
- ^ "Sri Lanka's ageing population poses socio-economic challenges". Lanka Business Online. 20 April 2016. from the original on 7 April 2018. Retrieved 7 April 2018.
- ^ a b c d e "Census of Population and Housing of Sri Lanka, 2012 - Table A3: Population by district, ethnic group and sex" (PDF). Department of Census & Statistics, Sri Lanka. (PDF) from the original on 4 March 2016.
- ^ a b Kingsbury, Damien; Kingsbury, Senior Lecturer in International Development Damien (12 March 2012). Sri Lanka and the Responsibility to Protect: Politics, Ethnicity and Genocide. Routledge. ISBN 9781136639975.
- ^ De Silva, C.R. A History. p. 262.
- ^ (PDF). Statistical Abstract 2013. Department of Census & Statistics, Sri Lanka. Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 August 2014.
- ^ "Population by ethnic group". LankaSIS Sri Lanka Statistical Information Service. Department of Census & Statistics, Sri Lanka. from the original on 2 April 2015.
- ^ a b "South Asia ::SRI LANKA". CIA The World Factbook. 24 May 2022.
- ^ a b "Census of Population and Housing of Sri Lanka, 2012 - Table A4: Population by district, religion and sex" (PDF). Department of Census & Statistics, Sri Lanka. (PDF) from the original on 29 December 2014.
- ^ . Constitution of Sri Lanka. Policy Research & Information Unit, Presidential Secretariat, Sri Lanka. Archived from the original on 13 November 2015.
- ^ . Constitution of Sri Lanka. Policy Research & Information Unit, Presidential Secretariat, Sri Lanka. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016.
- ^ (PDF). Statistical Abstract 2013. Department of Census & Statistics, Sri Lanka. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 April 2015.
- ^ "Population by religion". LankaSIS Sri Lanka Statistical Information Service. Department of Census & Statistics, Sri Lanka. from the original on 2 April 2015.
- ^ a b c "Census of Population and Housing of Sri Lanka, 2012 - Table A32 :Population aged 10 years and over, by ability to speak, ability to read and write main languages, ethnic group, sex and sector" (PDF). Department of Census & Statistics, Sri Lanka. (PDF) from the original on 24 September 2015.
- ^ "Sri Lanka – language". Retrieved 20 June 2014.
- ^ . Constitution of Sri Lanka. Policy Research & Information Unit, Presidential Secretariat, Sri Lanka. Archived from the original on 3 February 2003.
- ^ . esa.un.org. Archived from the original on 6 May 2011.
- ^ "MEASURE DHS: Demographic and Health Surveys". microdata.worldbank.org. from the original on 4 September 2016.
- ^ "Demographic and Social Statistics". UN Statistics Division. Retrieved 29 July 2020.
- ^ "Department of Census and Statistics". www.statistics.gov.lk. Retrieved 30 November 2022.
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- ^ "UNSD — Demographic and Social Statistics".
- ^ United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs. Population Division (2017). "Trends in International Migrant Stock: The 2017 revision" (Exel). United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs. Population Division. Retrieved 18 September 2020.
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- ^ "Population by religion according to districts" (PDF). Department of Census and Statistics, Sri Lanka. (PDF) from the original on 10 May 2013. Retrieved 22 June 2014.
External links
- Department of Census and Statistics – Sri Lanka