Sri Lanka

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

total: 1,992,429 (2020) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 9.3 (2020 est.)

Broadcast media

government operates 5 TV channels and 19 radio channels; multi-channel satellite and cable TV subscription services available; 25 private TV stations and about 43 radio stations; 6 non-profit TV stations and 4 radio stations

Internet country code

.lk

Internet users

total: 10.9 million (2021 est.) percent of population: 35% (2020 est.)

Telecommunication systems

general assessment: telephone services have improved significantly; strong growth anticipated as Sri Lanka is lagging behind other Asian telecoms; increase in mobile broadband penetration; govt. funds telecom sector to expand fiber and LTE networks and growing investment in 5G services (2020) domestic: fixed-line 11 per 100 and mobile-cellular 139 per 100; national trunk network consists of digital microwave radio relay and fiber-optic links; fixed wireless local loops have been installed; competition is strong in mobile cellular systems and mobile cellular subscribership is increasing (2020) international: country code - 94; landing points for the SeaMeWe -3,-5, Dhiraagu-SLT Submarine Cable Network, WARF Submarine Cable, Bharat Lanka Cable System and the Bay of Bengal Gateway submarine cables providing connectivity to Asia, Africa, Southeast Asia, Australia, the Middle East, and Europe; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) (2019) note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced downturn, particularly in mobile device production; many network operators delayed upgrades to infrastructure; progress towards 5G implementation was postponed or slowed in some countries; consumer spending on telecom services and devices was affected by large-scale job losses and the consequent restriction on disposable incomes; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home became evident, and received some support from governments

Telephones - fixed lines

total subscriptions: 2,428,957 (2020) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 11.34 (2020 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

total subscriptions: 29,730,465 (2020) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 138.8 (2020 est.)

Agricultural products

rice, coconuts, sugar cane, plantains, milk, tea, cassava, maize, poultry, coir

Budget

revenues: 12.07 billion (2017 est.) expenditures: 16.88 billion (2017 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

-5.5% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Credit ratings

Fitch rating: CCC (2020) Moody's rating: Caa1 (2020) Standard & Poors rating: CCC+ (2020)

Current account balance

-$10 million (2019 est.) -$17 million (2018 est.)

Debt - external

$55.332 billion (2019 est.) $52.567 billion (2018 est.)

Economic overview

Sri Lanka is attempting to sustain economic growth while maintaining macroeconomic stability under the IMF program it began in 2016. The government's high debt payments and bloated civil service, which have contributed to historically high budget deficits, remain a concern. Government debt is about 79% of GDP and remains among the highest of the emerging markets. In the coming years, Sri Lanka will need to balance its elevated debt repayment schedule with its need to maintain adequate foreign exchange reserves. In May 2016, Sri Lanka regained its preferential trade status under the European Union’s Generalized System of Preferences Plus, enabling many of its firms to export products, including its top export garments, tax free to the EU. In 2017, Parliament passed a new Inland Revenue Act in an effort to increase tax collection and broaden the tax base in response to recommendations made under its IMF program. In November 2017, the Financial Action Task Force on money laundering and terrorist financing listed Sri Lanka as non-compliant, but reported subsequently that Sri Lanka had made good progress in implementing an action plan to address deficiencies. Tourism has experienced strong growth in the years since the resolution of the government's 26-year conflict with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. In 2017, the government promulgated plans to transform the country into a knowledge-based, export-oriented Indian Ocean hub by 2025.

Exchange rates

Sri Lankan rupees (LKR) per US dollar - 185.8 (2020 est.) 181.2 (2019 est.) 178.545 (2018 est.) 135.86 (2014 est.) 130.57 (2013 est.)

Exports

$19.41 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2019 est.) $20.26 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2018 est.) $15.166 billion (2017 est.)

Exports - commodities

clothing and apparel, tea, used tires, rubber products, precious stones, cinnamon (2019)

Exports - partners

United States 24%, India 8%, United Kingdom 7%, Germany 7% (2019)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP (official exchange rate)

$84.016 billion (2019 est.)

GDP - composition, by end use

household consumption: 62% (2017 est.) government consumption: 8.5% (2017 est.) investment in fixed capital: 26.3% (2017 est.) investment in inventories: 10.2% (2017 est.) exports of goods and services: 21.9% (2017 est.) imports of goods and services: -29.1% (2017 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture: 7.8% (2017 est.) industry: 30.5% (2017 est.) services: 61.7% (2017 est.)

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income

39.8 (2016 est.) 46 (1995)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: 3% highest 10%: 32.2% (2012 est.)

Imports

$24.56 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2019 est.) $26.84 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2018 est.) $26.063 billion (2017 est.)

Imports - commodities

refined petroleum, textiles, gold, cars, broadcasting equipment (2019)

Imports - partners

India 24%, China 23%, Singapore 7%, United Arab Emirates 6%, Malaysia 5% (2019)

Industrial production growth rate

4.6% (2017 est.)

Industries

processing of rubber, tea, coconuts, tobacco and other agricultural commodities; telecommunications, insurance, banking; tourism, shipping; clothing, textiles; cement, petroleum refining, information technology services, construction

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

4.3% (2019 est.) 4.2% (2018 est.) 6.5% (2017 est.)

Labor force

8 million (2020 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture: 27% industry: 26% services: 47% (31 December 2016)

Population below poverty line

4.1% (2016 est.)

Public debt

79.1% of GDP (2017 est.) 79.6% of GDP (2016 est.) note: covers central government debt and excludes debt instruments directly owned by government entities other than the treasury (e.g. commercial bank borrowings of a government corporation); the data includes treasury debt held by foreign entities as well as intragovernmental debt; intragovernmental debt consists of treasury borrowings from surpluses in the social funds, such as for retirement; sub-national entities are usually not permitted to sell debt instruments

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

$274.8 billion note: data are in 2017 dollars (2020 est.) $284.97 billion note: data are in 2017 dollars (2019 est.) $278.68 billion note: data are in 2017 dollars (2018 est.) note: data are in 2010 dollars

Real GDP growth rate

2.29% (2019 est.) 3.32% (2018 est.) 3.58% (2017 est.)

Real GDP per capita

$12,500 note: data are in 2017 dollars (2020 est.) $13,100 note: data are in 2017 dollars (2019 est.) $12,900 note: data are in 2017 dollars (2018 est.) note: data are in 2010 dollars

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$7.959 billion (31 December 2017 est.) $6.019 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

13.8% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Unemployment rate

4.83% (2019 est.) 4.44% (2018 est.)

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24

total: 21.1% male: 16.6% female: 29.4% (2018 est.)

Crude oil - exports

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Crude oil - imports

33,540 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Crude oil - production

0 bbl/day (2018 est.)

Crude oil - proved reserves

0 bbl (1 January 2018 est.)

Electricity - consumption

12.67 billion kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity - from fossil fuels

52% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants

42% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity - from nuclear fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity - from other renewable sources

6% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity - installed generating capacity

3.998 million kW (2016 est.)

Electricity - production

13.66 billion kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - total population: 100% (2019)

Natural gas - consumption

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural gas - production

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)

Refined petroleum products - consumption

116,000 bbl/day (2016 est.)

Refined petroleum products - exports

3,871 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined petroleum products - imports

66,280 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined petroleum products - production

34,210 bbl/day (2017 est.)

Air pollutants

particulate matter emissions: 15.25 micrograms per cubic meter (2016 est.) carbon dioxide emissions: 23.36 megatons (2016 est.) methane emissions: 10.95 megatons (2020 est.)

Climate

tropical monsoon; northeast monsoon (December to March); southwest monsoon (June to October)

Environment - current issues

deforestation; soil erosion; wildlife populations threatened by poaching and urbanization; coastal degradation from mining activities and increased pollution; coral reef destruction; freshwater resources being polluted by industrial wastes and sewage runoff; waste disposal; air pollution in Colombo

Environment - international agreements

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Marine Life Conservation

Land use

agricultural land: 43.5% (2018 est.) arable land: 20.7% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 15.8% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 7% (2018 est.) forest: 29.4% (2018 est.) other: 27.1% (2018 est.)

Major infectious diseases

degree of risk: intermediate (2020) vectorborne diseases: dengue fever water contact diseases: leptospirosis animal contact diseases: rabies

Revenue from coal

coal revenues: 0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Revenue from forest resources

forest revenues: 0.06% of GDP (2018 est.)

Total renewable water resources

52.8 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Total water withdrawal

municipal: 805 million cubic meters (2017 est.) industrial: 831 million cubic meters (2017 est.) agricultural: 11.31 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Urbanization

urban population: 18.9% of total population (2021) rate of urbanization: 1.22% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually: 2,631,650 tons (2016 est.) municipal solid waste recycled annually: 336,588 tons (2016 est.) percent of municipal solid waste recycled: 12.8% (2016 est.)

Area

total: 65,610 sq km land: 64,630 sq km water: 980 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly larger than West Virginia

Climate

tropical monsoon; northeast monsoon (December to March); southwest monsoon (June to October)

Coastline

1,340 km

Elevation

highest point: Pidurutalagala 2,524 m lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m mean elevation: 228 m

Geographic coordinates

7 00 N, 81 00 E

Geography - note

strategic location near major Indian Ocean sea lanes; Adam's Bridge is a chain of limestone shoals between the southeastern coast of India and the northwestern coast of Sri Lanka; geological evidence suggests that this 50-km long Bridge once connected India and Sri Lanka; ancient records seem to indicate that a foot passage was possible between the two land masses until the 15th century when the land bridge broke up in a cyclone

Irrigated land

5,700 sq km (2012)

Land boundaries

total: 0 km

Land use

agricultural land: 43.5% (2018 est.) arable land: 20.7% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 15.8% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 7% (2018 est.) forest: 29.4% (2018 est.) other: 27.1% (2018 est.)

Location

Southern Asia, island in the Indian Ocean, south of India

Map references

Asia

Maritime claims

territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

Natural hazards

occasional cyclones and tornadoes

Natural resources

limestone, graphite, mineral sands, gems, phosphates, clay, hydropower, arable land

Population distribution

the population is primarily concentrated within a broad wet zone in the southwest, urban centers along the eastern coast, and on the Jaffna Peninsula in the north

Terrain

mostly low, flat to rolling plain; mountains in south-central interior

Administrative divisions

9 provinces; Central, Eastern, North Central, Northern, North Western, Sabaragamuwa, Southern, Uva, Western

Capital

name: Colombo (commercial capital); Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte (legislative capital) geographic coordinates: 6 55 N, 79 50 E time difference: UTC+5.5 (10.5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) etymology: Colombo may derive from the Sinhala "kolon thota," meaning "port on the river" (referring to the Kelani River that empties into the Indian Ocean at Colombo); alternatively, the name may derive from the Sinhala "kola amba thota" meaning "harbor with mango trees"; it is also possible that the Portuguese named the city after Christopher COLUMBUS, who lived in Portugal for many years (as Cristovao COLOMBO) before discovering the Americas for the Spanish crown in 1492 - not long before the Portuguese made their way to Sri Lanka in 1505; Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte translates as "Resplendent City of Growing Victory" in Sinhala

Citizenship

citizenship by birth: no citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Sri Lanka dual citizenship recognized: no, except in cases where the government rules it is to the benefit of Sri Lanka residency requirement for naturalization: 7 years

Constitution

history: several previous; latest adopted 16 August 1978, certified 31 August 1978 amendments: proposed by Parliament; passage requires at least two-thirds majority vote of its total membership, certification by the president of the republic or the Parliament speaker, and in some cases approval in a referendum by absolute majority of valid votes; amended many times, last in 2020

Country name

conventional long form: Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka conventional short form: Sri Lanka local long form: Shri Lanka Prajatantrika Samajavadi Janarajaya/Ilankai Jananayaka Choshalichak Kutiyarachu local short form: Shri Lanka/Ilankai former: Serendib, Ceylon etymology: the name means "resplendent island" in Sanskrit

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Alaina B. TEPLITZ (since 1 November 2018); note - also accredited to Maldives embassy: 210 Galle Road, Colombo 03 mailing address: 6100 Colombo Place, Washington DC 20521-6100 telephone: [94] (11) 249-8500 FAX: [94] (11) 243-7345 email address and website: colomboacs@state.gov https://lk.usembassy.gov/

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Ravinatha ARYASINHA (since 23 December 2020) chancery: 3025 Whitehaven Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 483-4025 through 4028 FAX: [1] (202) 232-7181 email address and website: slembassy@slembassyusa.org https://slembassyusa.org/new/ consulate(s) general: Los Angeles, New York

Executive branch

chief of state: President Gotabaya RAJAPAKSA (since 18 November 2019); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government; Prime Minister Mahinda RAJAPAKSA (since 21 November 2019) head of government: President Gotabaya RAJAPAKSA (since 18 November 2019) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president in consultation with the prime minister elections/appointments: president directly elected by preferential majority popular vote for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 16 November 2019 (next to be held in 2024); prime minister appointed by the president from among members of Parliament for a 5-year term) election results: Gotabaya RAJAPAKSA elected president; percent of vote - Gotabaya RAJAPAKSA (SLPP) 52.2%, Sajith PREMADASA (UNP) 42%, other 5.8%

Flag description

yellow with two panels; the smaller hoist-side panel has two equal vertical bands of green (hoist side) and orange; the other larger panel depicts a yellow lion holding a sword on a maroon rectangular field that also displays a yellow bo leaf in each corner; the yellow field appears as a border around the entire flag and extends between the two panels; the lion represents Sinhalese ethnicity, the strength of the nation, and bravery; the sword demonstrates the sovereignty of the nation; the four bo leaves - symbolizing Buddhism and its influence on the country - stand for the four virtues of kindness, friendliness, happiness, and equanimity; orange signifies Sri Lankan Tamils, green Sri Lankan Moors, and maroon the Sinhalese majority; yellow denotes other ethnic groups; also referred to as the Lion Flag

Government type

presidential republic

Independence

4 February 1948 (from the UK)

International law organization participation

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

International organization participation

ABEDA, ADB, ARF, BIMSTEC, C, CD, CICA (observer), CP, FAO, G-11, G-15, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINURSO, MINUSTAH, MONUSCO, NAM, OAS (observer), OPCW, PCA, SAARC, SACEP, SCO (dialogue member), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNISFA, UNMISS, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Judicial branch

highest courts: Supreme Court of the Republic (consists of the chief justice and 9 justices); note - the court has exclusive jurisdiction to review legislation judge selection and term of office: chief justice nominated by the Constitutional Council (CC), a 9-member high-level advisory body, and appointed by the president; other justices nominated by the CC and appointed by the president on the advice of the chief justice; all justices can serve until age 65 subordinate courts: Court of Appeals; High Courts; Magistrates' Courts; municipal and primary courts

Legal system

mixed legal system of Roman-Dutch civil law, English common law, Jaffna Tamil customary law, and Muslim personal law

Legislative branch

description: unicameral Parliament (225 seats; 196 members directly elected in multi-seat district constituencies by proportional representation vote using a preferential method in which voters select 3 candidates in order of preference; remaining 29 seats, referred to as the "national list" are allocated by each party secretary according the the island wide proportional vote the party obtains; members serve 5-year terms) elections: last held on 17 August 2015 (next originally scheduled for 25 April 2020 but postponed to due to the COVID-19 pandemic) election results: percent of vote by coalition/party - SLFPA 59.1%, SJB 23.9%, JVP 3.8%, TNA 2.8%, UNP 2.2%, TNPF 0.6%, EPDP 0.5%, other 7.1%; seats by coalition/party - SLFPA 145, SJB 54, TNA 10, JVP 3, other 13; composition - NA

National anthem

name: "Sri Lanka Matha" (Mother Sri Lanka) lyrics/music: Ananda SAMARKONE note: adopted 1951

National holiday

Independence Day (National Day), 4 February (1948)

National symbol(s)

lion, water lily; national colors: maroon, yellow

Political parties and leaders

Crusaders for Democracy [Ganeshalingam CHANDRALINGAM] Eelam People's Democratic Party or EPDP [Douglas DEVANANDA] Eelam People's Revolutionary Liberation Front [Suresh PREMACHANDRAN] Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna or JVP [Anura Kumara DISSANAYAKE] Jathika Hela Urumaya or JHU [Karunarathna PARANAWITHANA, Ven. Hadigalle Wimalasara THERO] National Peoples Power or JVP [Anura Kumara DISSANAYAKE] Samagi Jana Balawegaya or SJB [Sajith PREMADASA] Sri Lanka Freedom Party or SLFP [Maithripala SIRISENA] Sri Lanka Muslim Congress or SLMC [Rauff HAKEEM] Sri Lanka People's Freedom Alliance [Mahinda RAJAPAKSA] Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna or SLPP [G. L. PEIRIS] Tamil National Alliance or TNA [Rajavarothiam SAMPANTHAN] (alliance includes Illankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi [Mavai SENATHIRAJAH], People's Liberation Organisation of Tamil Eelam [D. SIDDARTHAN], Tamil Eelam Liberation Organization [Selvam ADAIKALANATHAN]) Tamil National People's Front [Gajendrakumar PONNAMBALAM] United National Front for Good Governance or UNFGG [Ranil WICKREMESINGHE] (coalition includes JHU, UNP) United National Party or UNP [Ranil WICKREMESINGHE] United People's Freedom Alliance or UPFA [Maithripala SIRISENA] (coalition includes SLFP)

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Background

The first Sinhalese arrived in Sri Lanka late in the 6th century B.C., probably from northern India. Buddhism was introduced circa 250 B.C., and the first kingdoms developed at the cities of Anuradhapura (from circa 200 B.C. to circa A.D. 1000) and Polonnaruwa (from about 1070 to 1200). In the 14th century, a south Indian dynasty established a Tamil kingdom in northern Sri Lanka. The Portuguese controlled the coastal areas of the island in the 16th century followed by the Dutch in the 17th century. The island was ceded to the British in 1796, became a crown colony in 1802, and was formally united under British rule by 1815. As Ceylon, it became independent in 1948; its name was changed to Sri Lanka in 1972. Prevailing tensions between the Sinhalese majority and Tamil separatists erupted into war in July 1983. Fighting between the government and Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) continued for over a quarter century. Although Norway brokered peace negotiations that led to a ceasefire in 2002, the fighting slowly resumed and was again in full force by 2006. The government defeated the LTTE in May 2009. During the post-conflict years under President Mahinda RAJAPAKSA, the government initiated infrastructure development projects, many of which were financed by loans from China. His regime faced significant allegations of human rights violations and a shrinking democratic space for civil society. In 2015, a new coalition government headed by President Maithripala SIRISENA of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party and Prime Minister Ranil WICKREMESINGHE of the United National Party came to power with pledges to advance economic, governance, anti-corruption, reconciliation, justice, and accountability reforms. However, implementation of these reforms has been uneven. In October 2018, President SIRISENA attempted to oust Prime Minister WICKREMESINGHE, swearing in former President RAJAPAKSA as the new prime minister and issuing an order to dissolve the parliament and hold elections. This sparked a seven-week constitutional crisis that ended when the Supreme Court ruled SIRISENA s actions unconstitutional, RAJAPAKSA resigned, and WICKREMESINGHE was reinstated. In November 2019, Gotabaya RAJAPAKSA won the presidential election and appointed his brother, Mahinda, prime minister.

Military - note

Sri Lanka traditionally has had close security ties to India; India participated in the counter-insurgency war against the LTTE from 1987-1991, losing over 1,000 soldiers in the conflict; as of 2021, the Sri Lankan and Indian militaries continued to conduct exercises together, and India trains over 1,000 Sri Lankan soldiers per year; however, since the end of the war with LTTE, Sri Lanka has also increased military ties with China, including acquiring military equipment, hosting naval port calls, and sending personnel to China for training

Military and security forces

Sri Lanka Army (includes National Guard and the Volunteer Force), Sri Lanka Navy (includes Marine Corps), Sri Lanka Air Force, Sri Lanka Coast Guard; Civil Security Department (Home Guard); Sri Lanka National Police: Special Task Force (counter-terrorism and counter-insurgency) (2021)

Military and security service personnel strengths

the Sri Lankan military has approximately 250,000 total personnel (180,000 Army; 40,000 Navy; 30,000 Air Force); approximately 11,000 Special Task Force (2021)

Military deployments

110 Central African Republic (MINUSCA); 125 Lebanon (UNIFIL); 240 Mali (MINUSMA) (Sep 2021)

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

the Sri Lankan military inventory consists mostly of Chinese and Russian-origin equipment; since 2010, China, India, and the US have been the leading suppliers of arms to Sri Lanka (2021)

Military expenditures

2% of GDP (2020 est.) 1.9% of GDP (2019) 1.9% of GDP (2018) 2.1% of GDP (2017) 2.2% of GDP (2016)

Military service age and obligation

18-22 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2021)

Age structure

0-14 years: 23.11% (male 2,696,379/female 2,592,450) 15-24 years: 14.58% (male 1,700,442/female 1,636,401) 25-54 years: 41.2% (male 4,641,842/female 4,789,101) 55-64 years: 10.48% (male 1,110,481/female 1,288,056) 65 years and over: 10.63% (male 1,023,315/female 1,410,734) (2020 est.)

Birth rate

14.01 births/1,000 population (2021 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

20.5% (2016)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

64.6% (2016)

Current Health Expenditure

3.8% (2018)

Death rate

6.45 deaths/1,000 population (2021 est.)

Dependency ratios

total dependency ratio: 53.7 youth dependency ratio: 36.4 elderly dependency ratio: 17.3 potential support ratio: 5.8 (2020 est.)

Drinking water source

improved: urban: 98.1% of population rural: 91.4% of population total: 92.6% of population unimproved: urban: 1.9% of population rural: 8.6% of population total: 7.4% of population (2017 est.)

Education expenditures

2.1% of GDP (2018)

Ethnic groups

Sinhalese 74.9%, Sri Lankan Tamil 11.2%, Sri Lankan Moors 9.2%, Indian Tamil 4.2%, other 0.5% (2012 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

<.1% (2020 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

<200 (2020 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

3,700 (2020 est.)

Hospital bed density

4.2 beds/1,000 population (2017)

Infant mortality rate

total: 8.36 deaths/1,000 live births male: 9.35 deaths/1,000 live births female: 7.34 deaths/1,000 live births (2021 est.)

Languages

Sinhala (official and national language) 87%, Tamil (official and national language) 28.5%, English 23.8% (2012 est.) note: data represent main languages spoken by the population aged 10 years and older; shares sum to more than 100% because some respondents gave more than one answer on the census; English is commonly used in government and is referred to as the "link language" in the constitution

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 77.75 years male: 74.31 years female: 81.33 years (2021 est.)

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 92.3% male: 93% female: 91.6% (2019)

Major infectious diseases

degree of risk: intermediate (2020) vectorborne diseases: dengue fever water contact diseases: leptospirosis animal contact diseases: rabies

Major urban areas - population

103,000 Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte (legislative capital) (2018), 619,000 COLOMBO (capital) (2021)

Maternal mortality ratio

36 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)

Median age

total: 33.7 years male: 32.3 years female: 35.1 years (2020 est.)

Mother's mean age at first birth

25.6 years (2016 est.) note: median age at first birth among women 30-34

Nationality

noun: Sri Lankan(s) adjective: Sri Lankan

Net migration rate

-1.24 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2021 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

5.2% (2016)

Physicians density

1 physicians/1,000 population (2018)

Population

23,044,123 (July 2021 est.)

Population distribution

the population is primarily concentrated within a broad wet zone in the southwest, urban centers along the eastern coast, and on the Jaffna Peninsula in the north

Population growth rate

0.63% (2021 est.)

Religions

Buddhist (official) 70.2%, Hindu 12.6%, Muslim 9.7%, Roman Catholic 6.1%, other Christian 1.3%, other 0.05% (2012 est.)

Sanitation facility access

improved: urban: 97.1% of population rural: 99.3% of population total: 98.9% of population unimproved: urban: 2.9% of population rural: 0.7% of population total: 1.1% of population (2017 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

total: 14 years male: 14 years female: 14 years (2018)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female 0-14 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-24 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 25-54 years: 0.97 male(s)/female 55-64 years: 0.86 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.73 male(s)/female total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2020 est.)

Total fertility rate

2 children born/woman (2021 est.)

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24

total: 21.1% male: 16.6% female: 29.4% (2018 est.)

Urbanization

urban population: 18.9% of total population (2021) rate of urbanization: 1.22% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Terrorist group(s)

Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS); Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) note: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in Appendix-T

Disputes - international

none

Refugees and internally displaced persons

IDPs: 27,000 (civil war; more than half displaced prior to 2008; many of the more than 480,000 IDPs registered as returnees have not reached durable solutions) (2020)

Trafficking in persons

current situation: Sri Lanka is primarily a source and, to a much lesser extent, a destination country for men, women, and children subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking; the majority of trafficking cases involve traffickers forcing Sri Lankan workers into labor overseas; men, women, and children are subjected to forced labor in the Middle East, Asia, Europe, and the United States in construction, garment manufacturing, and domestic service; authorities have identified labor trafficking victims among Sri Lankan female migrant workers who seek employment in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Japan, and South Korea; traffickers force children, individuals with physical deformities, and those from socially vulnerable groups to beg or engage in criminal activity in Sri Lanka s largest cities tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List Sri Lanka does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking but is making significant efforts to do so; efforts include convicting traffickers under its trafficking statute, identifying victims, and working on anti-trafficking training and raising awareness; however, some officials reportedly complicit in trafficking are inadequately investigated; fewer victims were identified in country and abroad; social and legal assistance for victims remained inadequate and inconsistent; the Sri Lankan Bureau of Foreign Employment did not refer potential trafficking cases to police for criminal investigation; police continued to arrest trafficking victims for prostitution, vagrancy, and immigration offenses; child sex trafficking victims remained in government detention centers (2020)

Airports

total: 18 (2020)

Airports - with paved runways

total: 11 over 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 5 914 to 1,523 m: 4 (2020)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 7 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 2 (2020)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

4R

Heliports

1 (2020)

Merchant marine

total: 90 by type: bulk carrier 6, general cargo 13, oil tanker 11, other 60 (2021)

National air transport system

number of registered air carriers: 3 (2020) inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 34 annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 5,882,376 (2018) annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 436.2 million mt-km (2018)

Pipelines

7 km refined products

Ports and terminals

major seaport(s): Colombo container port(s) (TEUs): Colombo (7,228,337) (2019)

Railways

total: 1,562 km (2016) broad gauge: 1,562 km 1.676-m gauge (2016)

Roadways

total: 114,093 km (2010) paved: 16,977 km (2010) unpaved: 97,116 km (2010)

Waterways

160 km (primarily on rivers in southwest) (2012)