Sri Lanka

Map of Sri Lanka

Flag of Sri Lanka

Facts

Population: 20,926,315 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 and more than 200,000 Tamils have sought refuge in the West (July 2007 est.).

Age structure: 0-14 years: 24.3% (male 2,596,295/female 2,495,949) 15-64 years: 67.9% (male 6,947,310/female 7,259,271) 65 years and over: 7.8% (male 765,507/female 861,983) (2007 est.).

Population growth rate: 0.982% (2007 est.).

Birth rate: 17 births/1,000 population (2007 est.).

Death rate: 6.01 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.).

Net migration rate: -1.16 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.).

Sex ratio: at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.957 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.888 male(s)/female total population: 0.971 male(s)/female (2007 est.).

Infant mortality rate: total: 19.45 deaths/1,000 live births male: 21.2 deaths/1,000 live births female: 17.63 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.).

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 74.8 years male: 72.81 years female: 76.88 years (2007 est.).

Total fertility rate: 2.05 children born/woman (2007 est.).

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: less than 0.1% (2001 est.).

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 3,500 (2001 est.).

HIV/AIDS - deaths: less than 200 (2003 est.).

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).

Religions: Buddhist 69.1%, Muslim 7.6%, Hindu 7.1%, Christian 6.2%, unspecified 10% (2001 census provisional data).

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: 90.7% male: 92.3% female: 89.1% (2001 census).

GDP (purchasing power parity): $95.55 billion (2006 est.).

GDP - real growth rate: 7.5% (2006 est.).

GDP - per capita (PPP): $4,700 (2006 est.).

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 17.3% industry: 27.3% services: 55.3% (2006 est.).

Labor force: 7.5 million (2006 est.).

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 34.3% industry: 25.3% services: 40.4% (30 June 2006 est.).

Population below poverty line: 22% (2002 est.).

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 1.1% highest 10%: 39.7% (FY03/04).

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 12.1% (2006 est.).

Unemployment rate: 7.6% (2006 est.).

Budget: revenues: $5.61 billion expenditures: $8.39 billion; including capital expenditures of $2.8 billion (FY07 est.).

Agriculture - products: rice, sugarcane, grains, pulses, oilseed, spices, tea, rubber, coconuts; milk, eggs, hides, beef; fish.

Industries: processing of rubber, tea, coconuts, tobacco and other agricultural commodities; telecommunications, insurance, banking; clothing, textiles; cement, petroleum refining.

Industrial production growth rate: 6.2% (2006 est.).

Electricity - production: 8.766 billion kWh (2005).

Electricity - consumption: 8.17 billion kWh (2005).

Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2005).

Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (2005).

Exports: $7.076 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.).

Exports - commodities: textiles and apparel, tea and spices; diamonds, emeralds, rubies; coconut products, rubber manufactures, fish.

Exports - partners: US 31.1%, UK 12.2%, India 8.9%, Germany 4.3% (2005).

Imports: $9.655 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.).

Imports - commodities: textile fabrics, mineral products, petroleum, foodstuffs, machinery and transportation equipment.

Imports - partners: India 20.7%, Singapore 8.3%, Hong Kong 7.3%, China 7.1%, Iran 5.9%, Malaysia 4.4%, Japan 4.3% (2005).

Debt - external: $12.23 billion (2006 est.).

Economic aid - recipient: $808 million (2005).

Currency (code): Sri Lankan rupee (LKR).

Exchange rates: Sri Lankan rupees per US dollar - 103.99 (2006), 100.498 (2005), 101.194 (2004), 96.521 (2003), 95.662 (2002).

Fiscal year: calendar year.