Short facts about people of Sri Lanka

Population:

19,408,635 (July 2001 est.) note:  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; as of mid-1999, approximately 66,000 were housed in 133 refugee camps in south India, another 40,000 lived outside the Indian camps, and more than 200,000 Tamils have sought refuge in the West

Age structure:

0-14 years:  25.99% (male 2,578,618; female 2,464,928) 15-64 years:  67.39% (male 6,369,881; female 6,708,852) 65 years and over:  6.62% (male 615,253; female 671,103) (2001 est.)

Population growth rate:

0.87% (2001 est.)

Birth rate:

16.58 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Death rate:

6.43 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Net migration rate:

-1.43 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Sex ratio:

at birth:  1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years:  1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years:  0.95 male(s)/female 65 years and over:  0.92 male(s)/female total population:  0.97 male(s)/female (2001 est.)

Infant mortality rate:

16.08 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:

total population:  72.09 years male:  69.58 years female:  74.73 years (2001 est.)

Total fertility rate:

1.95 children born/woman (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

0.07% (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:

7,500 (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:

490 (1999 est.)

Nationality:

noun:  Sri Lankan(s) adjective:  Sri Lankan

Ethnic groups:

Sinhalese 74%, Tamil 18%, Moor 7%, Burgher, Malay, and Vedda 1%

Religions:

Buddhist 70%, Hindu 15%, Christian 8%, Muslim 7% (1999)

Languages:

Sinhala (official and national language) 74%, Tamil (national language) 18%, other 8% note:  English is commonly used in government and is spoken competently by about 10% of the population

Literacy:

definition:  age 15 and over can read and write total population:  90.2% male:  93.4% female:  87.2% (1995 est.)

Source: World Factbook