Demographics of Sri Lanka - Religion

Religion

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 Veddahs have Animist and Buddhist practices. The 1978 constitution, while assuring freedom of religion, grants primacy to Buddhism.

Population of Sri Lanka by religion 1881 to 2012
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 8,536,800 67.27% 2,238,600 17.64% 901,700 7.11% 1,004,300 7.91% 8,400 0.07% 12,689,800
1981 Census 10,288,300 69.30% 2,297,800 15.48% 1,121,700 7.56% 1,130,600 7.62% 8,300 0.06% 14,846,700
2001 Census
2012 Census 14,222,844 70.19% 2,554,606 12.61% 1,967,227 9.71% 1,509,606 7.45% 9,440 0.05% 20,263,723

Read more about this topic:  Demographics Of Sri Lanka

Famous quotes containing the word religion:

    India has 2,000,000 gods, and worships them all. In religion other countries are paupers; India is the only millionaire.
    Mark Twain [Samuel Langhorne Clemens] (1835–1910)

    Those to whom God has imparted religion by feeling of the heart are very fortunate and are rightly convinced. But to those who do not have it, we can give it only by reasoning, waiting for God to give it by feeling of the heart—without which faith is only human and useless for salvation.
    Blaise Pascal (1623–1662)

    The true meaning of religion is thus, not simply morality, but morality touched by emotion.
    Matthew Arnold (1822–1888)