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. The Sri Lanka Tamils, live predominantly in the north-east of the island forming the largest minority group at 11.2% (according to the 2012 census) of the population.
The Moors, who descend from Arab traders that settled in Sri Lanka, form the third largest ethnic group at 9.2% of the population. 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.
There are also Indian Tamils who form distinct ethnic group which comprises 4.2% 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. In accordance with a 1964 agreement with India, Sri Lanka granted citizenship to 230,000 "stateless" Indian Tamils in 1988. 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.
Smaller minorities include the Malays who descent from South East Asian settlers, and the Burghers, who are descendants of European colonists, principally from Portugal, the Netherlands and the UK.
| Year | Sinhalese | Sri Lankan Tamils | Sri Lankan Moors | Indian Tamils | Sri Lankan Malays | Burghers/Eurasian | Indian Moors | Others | Total No. |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | ||
| 1871 Census | 2,400,380 | ||||||||||||||||
| 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 | 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 | 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 | 9,131,300 | 71.96% | 1,424,000 | 11.22% | 828,300 | 6.53% | 1,174,900 | 9.26% | 43,500 | 0.34% | 45,400 | 0.36% | 27,400 | 0.22% | 15,500 | 0.12% | 12,689,900 |
| 1981 Census | 10,979,400 | 73.95% | 1,886,900 | 12.71% | 1,046,900 | 7.05% | 818,700 | 5.51% | 47,000 | 0.32% | 39,400 | 0.27% | 28,400 | 0.19% | 14,846,800 | ||
| 1989 Estimate | 12,437,000 | 73.92% | 2,124,000 | 12.62% | 1,249,000 | 7.42% | 873,000 | 5.19% | 48,000 | 0.29% | 42,000 | 0.25% | 52,000 | 0.34% | 16,825,000 | ||
| 2001 Census | |||||||||||||||||
| 2011 Census | 15,173,820 | 74.88% | 2,270,924 | 11.21% | 1,869,820 | 9.23% | 842,323 | 4.16% | 40,189 | 0.20% | 37,061 | 0.18% | 29,586 | 0.14% | 20,263,723 | ||
Read more about this topic: Demographics Of Sri Lanka