Demographics of Sri Lanka


This is a demography of the population of Sri Lanka including population density, ethnicity, education level, health of the population, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects of the population.
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 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

According to the 2012 census the population of Sri Lanka was 20,359,439, giving a population density of 325/km2. The population had grown by 5,512,689 since the 1981 census, equivalent to an annual growth rate of 1.1%. 3,704,470 lived in urban sectors - areas governed by municipal and urban councils.
5,131,666 of the population were aged 14 or under whilst 2,525,573 were aged 60 or over, leaving a working age population of 12,702,700. The dependency ratio was 60.2%. The mean age was 32 years and the median age was 31 years. The sex ratio was 94 males per 100 females. The fertility rate for married females aged 15 or over was 2.65 live births. There were 5,264,282 households, of which 3,986,236 were headed by males and 1,278,046 were headed by females.
Of the 15,227,773 aged 15 or over, 10,322,105 were married, 3,927,602 were never married, 792,947 were widowed and 185,119 were divorced or separated.
Of those aged 15 or over, 7,857,370 were economically active, 4,199,558 did housework, 1,431,105 were students, 914,934 were unable to work and 346,084 were pensioners. 521,938 of the economically active were unemployed. 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.
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%. Of the 18,615,577 aged 5 or over, 499,563 had received a higher education qualification, 2,293,841 had passed GCE [Advanced Level in Sri Lanka|G.C.E. A/L], 3,159,402 had passed G.C.E. O/L and 700,419 had no formal schooling. The remaining 11,962,352 had left school with no qualifications or were currently at school.
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. 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%. Sri Lanka's rapidly growing older population has ignited concerns of the socio-economic challenges that the country will face because of this.

Age groups

Age groupMaleFemaleTotal%
Total9 856 63410 502 80520 359 439100
0–4879 223864 6391 743 8628.57
5–9882 108865 6441 747 7528.58
10–14829 069810 9831 640 0528.06
15–19819 927824 3221 644 2498.08
20–24742 316790 5671 532 8837.53
25–29743 510809 3381 552 8487.63
30–34796 866842 5491 639 4158.05
35–39686 037723 0401 409 0776.92
40–44661 623697 5861 359 2096.68
45–49618 140667 6901 285 8306.32
50–54581 293638 1671 219 4605.99
55–59500 871563 3581 064 2295.23
60–64425 428492 482917 9104.51
65-69283 764349 525633 2893.11
70-74181 846230 568412 4142.03
75-79116 389166 797283 1861.39
80-8464 25095 129159 3790.78
85-8928 29345 14873 4410.36
90-949 29314 96524 2580.12
95+6 38810 30816 6960.08
Age groupMaleFemaleTotalPercent
0–142 590 4002 541 2665 131 66625.21
15–646 576 0117 049 09913 625 11066.92
65+690 223912 4401 602 6637.87

Vital statistics

UN estimates

Registered births and deaths

YearPopulationLive birthsDeathsNatural increaseCrude birth rateCrude death rateRate of natural increaseCrude migration rateTFR
1948287,69593,711193,98439.713.026.7-
1949291,19191,889199,30239.112.426.7-
1950304,63595,142209,49339.712.627.1-
1951313,662100,072213,59039.812.926.9-
1952313,53295,298218,23438.812.026.8-
1953321,21789,003232,21438.710.927.8-
1954303,89486,794217,10035.710.425.3-
1955325,53894,368231,17037.311.026.3-
1956325,06787,561237,50636.49.826.6-
1957334,13592,759241,37636.510.126.4-
1958335,69090,815244,87535.89.726.1-
1959356,33687,971268,36537.09.127.9-
1960361,70284,918276,78436.68.628.0-
1961363,67781,653282,02435.88.027.8-
1962370,76288,928281,83435.58.527.0-
1963365,84291,673274,16934.18.525.6-
1964361,57795,618265,95933.28.824.4-
1965369,43791,728277,70933.18.824.3-
1966369,15394,419274,73432.38.324.0-
1967369,53187,877281,65431.97.524.4-
1968384,17894,903289,27532.07.924.1-
1969372,774102,356270,41830.48.122.3-
1970367,90194,129273,77229.47.521.9-
1971382,66896,328286,34030.47.722.7-
1972385,462100,080285,38230.08.121.9-
1973367,158100,678266,48028.07.720.3-
1974365,902119,518246,38427.59.018.5-
1975374,689115,108259,58127.88.519.3-
1976380,702106,506274,19627.87.820.0-
1977389,522103,284286,23827.97.420.5-
1978404,83193,971310,86028.56.621.9-
1979417,98694,244323,74228.96.522.4-
1980418,37391,020327,35328.46.222.2-
1981423,97388,481335,49228.25.922.3-
1982408,89592,244316,65126.96.120.8-
1983405,12295,174309,94826.36.220.1-
1984391,064100,725290,33925.16.518.6-
1985389,59998,089291,51024.66.218.4-
1986361,73596,145265,59022.46.016.4-
1987357,72397,756259,96721.86.015.8-
1988344,17995,934248,24520.75.814.9-
1989363,343105,239258,10421.66.315.3-
1990341,22397,713243,51020.86.014.8-
1991356,59395,574261,01921.75.815.9-
1992356,84298,380258,46221.55.915.6-
1993350,70796,179254,52820.85.715.1-
1994356,071100,394255,67720.85.914.9-
1995343,224104,707238,51719.96.013.9-
1996340,649122,161218,48819.57.012.5-
1997333,219114,591218,62818.86.412.4-
1998322,672112,653210,01918.26.212.0-
1999328,725115,330213,39518.16.311.8-
2000347,749116,200231,54918.46.112.3-
2001358,583112,858245,72518.95.913.0-
2002367,709111,863255,84619.15.813.3-
2003370,643115,495255,14818.95.913.0-
2004364,711114,915249,79618.55.812.7-
2005370,731132,097238,63418.16.511.6-
2006373,538117,467256,07118.85.912.9-
2007386,573118,992267,58119.25.913.3-
2008373,575123,814249,76118.46.112.3-
2009368,304127,776240,52818.06.211.8-
2010364,565128,603235,96217.76.211.4-
2011363,415123,261240,15417.45.911.5-
201220,425,000355,900122,063233,83717.56.011.52.252
201320,585,000365,792127,124238,66817.96.211.7-3.92.264
201420,771,000349,715127,758221,95716.86.210.6-1.62.148
201520,970,000334,821131,634203,18716.06.39.7-0.12.046
201621,203,000331,073130,765200,30815.66.29.41.71.985
201721,444,000326,052139,822186,23015.26.58.72.71.944
201821,670,000328,112139,498188,61415.16.48.71.81.937
201921,803,000319,010146,053172,95714.66.77.9-1.81.871
202021,919,000301,706132,431169,27513.86.07.8-2.51.756
202122,156,000284,848163,936120,91212.97.45.55.31.7
202222,181,000275,321179,79295,52912.48.14.3-3.21.65
202322,037,000247,900181,23966,66111.28.23.0-9.51.49
202421,763,170220,761171,19449,56710.17.82.3-14.91.37

Current vital statistics

Demographic and Health Surveys

Total Fertility Rate and Crude Birth Rate :

Life expectancy

PeriodLife expectancy in
Years		PeriodLife expectancy in
Years
1950–195554.51985–199068.9
1955–196058.31990–199570.0
1960–196560.31995–200069.1
1965–197062.92000–200573.2
1970–197565.22005–201074.1
1975–198067.02010–201574.6
1980–198569.1

Ethnicity

The Sinhalese make up 74.9% of the population and are concentrated in the densely populated south-west and central parts of the island.
The Tamil people|Sri Lanka Tamils], who live predominantly in the north and east of the island, form the largest minority group at 11.1% of the population.
The Moors, descendants of Arab + Indian traders and native Sri Lankan Tamils, form the third largest ethnic group at 9.3% of the population. These Tamil-speaking Muslims 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.
There are also Indian Tamils who form a distinct ethnic group comprising 4.1% of the population. 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" as they were denied Ceylonese citizenship and simultaneously stripped of Indian citizenship, with over 300,000 Indian Tamils were deported back to India, due to the agreement between Sri Lanka and India in 1964. 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.
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.

Languages

, an Indo-Aryan language, is the first language of Sinhalese people. Unlike Tamil Sinhala language is not found in India and is unique to Sri Lanka.
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.
English is fluently spoken by approximately 23.8% of the Sri Lanka's population, and widely used for official and commercial purposes.
Malays speak Malay language|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. 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. 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.

Religion

According to the 2012 census Buddhists make up 70.2% of the population, Hindus 12.6%, Muslims 9.7% and Christians 7.6%. The Sinhalese are predominantly Buddhist, the majority of Tamils practice Hinduism, and 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.

Migration

Immigration

As of 2017, 40,018 foreign-born people lived in Sri Lanka per United Nations' population division.
Country of birthPopulation
India

Net Migration

Time PeriodYearNet MigrationMid-Year Population
July 2012 – June 20132013-71,73020,483
July 2013 – June 20142014-44,71420,675
July 2014 – June 20152015-17,05520,870
July 2015 – June 2016201634,99521,107
July 2016 – June 2017201757,02821,351
July 2017 – June 20182018*32,82621,574
July 2018 – June 20192019*-54,68121,707
July 2019 – June 20202020*-44,16021,919
July 2020 – June 20212021*77,60022,152
July 2021 – June 20222022*-85,57222,177
July 2022 – June 20232023*-222,71522,033
July 2023 – June 20242024*-176,93221,889

Note: * Provisional data.