Page last updated on February 20, 2013
Nationality:
noun: Sri Lankan(s)
adjective:
Sri Lankan
Ethnic groups:
Sinhalese 73.8%, Sri Lankan Moors 7.2%, Indian Tamil 4.6%, Sri Lankan Tamil 3.9%, other 0.5%, unspecified 10% (2001 census provisional data)
Languages:
Sinhala (official and national language) 74%, Tamil (national language) 18%, other 8%
note:
English, spoken competently by about 10% of the population, is commonly used in government and is referred to as the link language in the constitution
Religions:
Buddhist (official) 69.1%, Muslim 7.6%, Hindu 7.1%, Christian 6.2%, unspecified 10% (2001 census provisional data)
Population:
21,481,334 (July 2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 57
[see also: Population country ranks ]
Age structure:
0-14 years: 24.9% (male 2,723,657/female 2,615,425)
[see also: Age structure 0-14 years country ranks ]
15-24 years:
15.3% (male 1,665,204/female 1,623,135)
25-54 years:
42.6% (male 4,464,868/female 4,685,274)
55-64 years:
9.1% (male 911,494/female 1,050,482)
65 years and over:
8.1% (male 747,433/female 994,362) (2012 est.)
Median age:
total: 31.1 years
[see also: Median age - total country ranks ]
male:
30.1 years
female:
32.2 years (2012 est.)
Population growth rate:
0.913% (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 122
[see also: Population growth rate country ranks ]
Birth rate:
17.04 births/1,000 population (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 119
[see also: Birth rate country ranks ]
Death rate:
5.96 deaths/1,000 population (July 2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 163
[see also: Death rate country ranks ]
Net migration rate:
-1.95 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 163
[see also: Net migration rate country ranks ]
Urbanization:
urban population: 14% of total population (2010)
[see also: Urbanization - urban population country ranks ]
rate of urbanization:
1.1% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)
Major cities - population:
COLOMBO (capital) 681,000 (2009)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female
[see also: Sex ratio - at birth country ranks ]
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.)
Maternal mortality rate:
35 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)
country comparison to the world: 117
[see also: Maternal mortality rate country ranks ]
Infant mortality rate:
total: 9.47 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 147
male:
10.44 deaths/1,000 live births
female:
8.45 deaths/1,000 live births (2012 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 75.94 years
country comparison to the world: 83
male:
72.43 years
female:
79.59 years (2012 est.)
Total fertility rate:
2.17 children born/woman (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 107
[see also: Total fertility rate country ranks ]
Health expenditures:
4% of GDP (2009)
country comparison to the world: 162
[see also: Health expenditures country ranks ]
Physicians density:
0.492 physicians/1,000 population (2006)
[see also: Physicians density country ranks ]
Hospital bed density:
3.1 beds/1,000 population (2004)
[see also: Hospital bed density country ranks ]
Sanitation facility access:
improved:
urban: 88% of population
rural: 92% of population
total: 91% of population
unimproved:
