Editing Demographics of Sri Lanka (section)

==Overview==
{{Historical populations
|title       = Population of Sri Lanka
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|percentages = pagr
|footnote    = 
|source      = <ref name=cicred>{{cite book|title=The Population of Sri Lanka|date=1974|publisher=C.I.C.R.E.D. Series|location=Population Growth|pages=3–4|url=http://www.cicred.org/Eng/Publications/pdf/c-c46.pdf|access-date=2 August 2014|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140701070027/http://www.cicred.org/Eng/Publications/pdf/c-c46.pdf|archive-date=1 July 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=Census of Population Sri Lanka 1971 - General Report|date=1977|publisher=Department of Census & Statistics, Lanka|page=18|url=http://nada.statistics.gov.lk/index.php/catalog/1246/download/5841|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131224102856/http://nada.statistics.gov.lk/index.php/catalog/1246/download/5841|archive-date=2013-12-24}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Table 2.1: Population by sex and district, census years |url=http://www.statistics.gov.lk/Abstract%202013/CHAP2/2.1.pdf |work=Statistical Abstract 2013 |publisher=Department of Census & Statistics, Sri Lanka |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402122634/http://www.statistics.gov.lk/Abstract%202013/CHAP2/2.1.pdf |archive-date=2015-04-02 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Population by age group and sex|url=http://sis.statistics.gov.lk/statHtml/statHtml.do?orgId=144&tblId=DT_POP_SER_266&conn_path=I2|work=LankaSIS Sri Lanka Statistical Information Service|publisher=Department of Census & Statistics, Sri Lanka|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402145703/http://sis.statistics.gov.lk/statHtml/statHtml.do?orgId=144&tblId=DT_POP_SER_266&conn_path=I2|archive-date=2015-04-02}}</ref><ref name=final2012/>
| 1827{{Efn| Non-scientific census of the whole island.}} | 889,584
| 1871 | 2,400,380
| 1881 | 2,759,738
| 1891 | 3,007,789
| 1901 | 3,565,954
| 1911 | 4,106,350
| 1921 | 4,498,605
| 1931 | 5,306,871
| 1946 | 6,657,339
| 1953 | 8,097,895
| 1963 | 10,582,064
| 1971 | 12,689,897
| 1981 | 14,846,750
| 1990 | 17,325,773
| 2000 | 18,777,601
| 2012 | 20,359,439
| 2024 | 21,763,170
}}
According to the 2012 census the population of Sri Lanka was 20,359,439, giving a population density of 325/km2.<ref name=final2012>{{cite web|title=Census of Population and Housing of Sri Lanka, 2012|url=http://www.statistics.gov.lk/PopHouSat/CPH2011/Pages/Activities/Reports/FinalReport/Population/FinalPopulation.pdf|publisher=Department of Census & Statistics, Sri Lanka|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402110406/http://www.statistics.gov.lk/PopHouSat/CPH2011/Pages/Activities/Reports/FinalReport/Population/FinalPopulation.pdf|archive-date=2015-04-02}}</ref> The population had grown by 5,512,689 (37.1%) since the 1981 census (the last full census), equivalent to an annual growth rate of 1.1%.<ref name=final2012/> 3,704,470 (18.2%) lived in urban sectors - areas governed by municipal and urban councils.<ref>{{cite web|title=Census of Population and Housing of Sri Lanka, 2012 - Table A1: Population by district, sex and sector|url=http://www.statistics.gov.lk/PopHouSat/CPH2011/Pages/Activities/Reports/FinalReport/Population/Table%20A1.pdf|publisher=Department of Census & Statistics, Sri Lanka|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141228235912/http://www.statistics.gov.lk/PopHouSat/CPH2011/Pages/Activities/Reports/FinalReport/Population/Table%20A1.pdf|archive-date=2014-12-28}}</ref>

5,131,666 (25.2%) of the population were aged 14 or under whilst 2,525,573 (12.4%) were aged 60 or over, leaving a working age (15-59) population of 12,702,700.<ref>{{cite web|title=Census of Population and Housing of Sri Lanka, 2012 - Table A2: Population by district, age and sex|url=http://www.statistics.gov.lk/PopHouSat/CPH2011/Pages/Activities/Reports/FinalReport/Population/Table%20A2.pdf|publisher=Department of Census & Statistics, Sri Lanka|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402145747/http://www.statistics.gov.lk/PopHouSat/CPH2011/Pages/Activities/Reports/FinalReport/Population/Table%20A2.pdf|archive-date=2015-04-02}}</ref> The [[dependency ratio]] was 60.2%.<ref name=final2012/> The [[mean]] age was 32 years and the [[median]] age was 31 years.<ref name=final2012/> The [[human sex ratio|sex ratio]] was 94 males per 100 females.<ref name=final2012/> The [[fertility rate]] for married females aged 15 or over was 2.65 live births.<ref>{{cite web|title=Census of Population and Housing of Sri Lanka, 2012 - Table A44: Ever married female population aged 15 years and over by number of children born alive, average children per woman, age and sector|url=http://www.statistics.gov.lk/PopHouSat/CPH2011/Pages/Activities/Reports/FinalReport/Population/Table%20A44.pdf|publisher=Department of Census & Statistics, Sri Lanka|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924110505/http://www.statistics.gov.lk/PopHouSat/CPH2011/Pages/Activities/Reports/FinalReport/Population/Table%20A44.pdf|archive-date=2015-09-24}}</ref> There were 5,264,282 households, of which 3,986,236 (75.7%) were headed by males and 1,278,046 (24.3%) were headed by females.<ref name=final2012/>

Of the 15,227,773 aged 15 or over, 10,322,105 (67.8%) were married, 3,927,602 (25.8%) were never married, 792,947 (5.2%) were widowed and 185,119 (1.2%) were divorced or separated.<ref>{{cite web|title=Census of Population and Housing of Sri Lanka, 2012 - Table A10: Population by marital status, age, sex and sector|url=http://www.statistics.gov.lk/PopHouSat/CPH2011/Pages/Activities/Reports/FinalReport/Population/Table%20A10.pdf|publisher=Department of Census & Statistics, Sri Lanka|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402105322/http://www.statistics.gov.lk/PopHouSat/CPH2011/Pages/Activities/Reports/FinalReport/Population/Table%20A10.pdf|archive-date=2015-04-02}}</ref>

Of those aged 15 or over, 7,857,370 (51.6%) were economically active, 4,199,558 (27.6%) did [[Homemaking|housework]], 1,431,105 (9.4%) were students, 914,934 (6.0%) were unable to work and 346,084 (2.3%) were pensioners.<ref>{{cite web|title=Census of Population and Housing of Sri Lanka, 2012 - Table A37 Population aged 15 years and over by economic activity status, age, sex and sector|url=http://www.statistics.gov.lk/PopHouSat/CPH2011/Pages/Activities/Reports/FinalReport/Population/Table%20A37.pdf|publisher=Department of Census & Statistics, Sri Lanka|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924110458/http://www.statistics.gov.lk/PopHouSat/CPH2011/Pages/Activities/Reports/FinalReport/Population/Table%20A37.pdf|archive-date=2015-09-24}}</ref> 521,938 (6.6%) of the economically active were [[unemployed]].<ref name=final2012/> 604,540 Sri Lankans were living aboard for more than six months but were intending to return to Sri Lanka, mostly in the [[Arab states of the Persian Gulf|Gulf states]] (373,050 61.7%).<ref>{{cite web|title=Census of Population and Housing of Sri Lanka, 2012 - Table A47: Population living abroad temporary by country of usual residence, age and sex|url=http://www.statistics.gov.lk/PopHouSat/CPH2011/Pages/Activities/Reports/FinalReport/Population/Table%20A47.pdf|publisher=Department of Census & Statistics, Sri Lanka|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402114108/http://www.statistics.gov.lk/PopHouSat/CPH2011/Pages/Activities/Reports/FinalReport/Population/Table%20A47.pdf|archive-date=2015-04-02}}</ref>

The overall [[literacy]] rate for those aged 10 and over was 95.7% but amongst those living in the estate sector it was only 86.1%.<ref>{{cite web|title=Census of Population and Housing of Sri Lanka, 2012 - Table A31: Population aged 10 years and over by literacy rate, age, sex and sector|url=http://www.statistics.gov.lk/PopHouSat/CPH2011/Pages/Activities/Reports/FinalReport/Population/Table%20A31.pdf|publisher=Department of Census & Statistics, Sri Lanka|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402124349/http://www.statistics.gov.lk/PopHouSat/CPH2011/Pages/Activities/Reports/FinalReport/Population/Table%20A31.pdf|archive-date=2015-04-02}}</ref> Of the 18,615,577 aged 5 or over, 499,563 (2.7%) had received a higher education qualification, 2,293,841 (12.3%) had passed [[GCE Advanced Level in Sri Lanka|G.C.E. A/L]], 3,159,402 (17.0%) had passed [[GCE Ordinary Level in Sri Lanka|G.C.E. O/L]] and 700,419 (3.8%) had no formal schooling.<ref name=tableA30>{{cite web|title=Census of Population and Housing of Sri Lanka, 2012 - Table A30: Population aged 5 years and over, by educational attainment, age, sex and sector|url=http://www.statistics.gov.lk/PopHouSat/CPH2011/Pages/Activities/Reports/FinalReport/Population/Table%20A30.pdf|publisher=Department of Census & Statistics, Sri Lanka|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402134744/http://www.statistics.gov.lk/PopHouSat/CPH2011/Pages/Activities/Reports/FinalReport/Population/Table%20A30.pdf|archive-date=2015-04-02}}</ref> The remaining 11,962,352 (64.3%) had left school with no qualifications or were currently at school.<ref name=tableA30/>
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Sri Lanka's population is [[Ageing population|aging]] faster than any other nation in [[South Asia]] and has the fifth highest rapidly growing population of older people in Asia after China, Thailand, South Korea and Japan.<ref>{{cite news|title=The Future of Population in Asia: Asia's Aging Population|url=http://sites.asiasociety.org/asia21summit/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/Asias-Aging-Population-East-West-Center1.pdf|access-date=7 April 2018|work=[[Asia Society]]|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140308210342/http://sites.asiasociety.org/asia21summit/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/Asias-Aging-Population-East-West-Center1.pdf|archive-date=8 March 2014}}</ref><ref name="ANU">{{cite news|title=Ageing population and elderly care in Sri Lanka|url=http://demography.cass.anu.edu.au/events/ageing-population-and-elderly-care-sri-lanka|access-date=7 April 2018|work=[[Australian National University]]|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180407183738/http://demography.cass.anu.edu.au/events/ageing-population-and-elderly-care-sri-lanka|archive-date=7 April 2018}}</ref><ref name="Asiaagingpopulation">{{cite news|title=How Asia's population is aging, 2015-2030 scenario|url=http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2018/02/14/how-asias-population-is-aging-2015-2030-scenario.html|access-date=7 April 2018|work=[[The Jakarta Post]]|date=14 February 2018|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180407184005/http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2018/02/14/how-asias-population-is-aging-2015-2030-scenario.html|archive-date=7 April 2018}}</ref> In 2015, Sri Lanka's population aged over 60 was 13.9%, by 2030 this will increase to 21% and by 2050 this number will reach 27.4%.<ref name="ANU"/><ref name="Asiaagingpopulation"/> Sri Lanka's rapidly growing older population has ignited concerns of the socio-economic challenges that the country will face because of this.<ref>{{cite news|title=Sri Lanka's ageing population poses socio-economic challenges|url=http://www.lankabusinessonline.com/sri-lankas-ageing-population-poses-socio-economic-challenges/|access-date=7 April 2018|work=Lanka Business Online|date=20 April 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180407183458/http://www.lankabusinessonline.com/sri-lankas-ageing-population-poses-socio-economic-challenges/|archive-date=7 April 2018}}</ref>

===Age groups===
{{Hidden begin 
|title= Population by Sex and Age Group (Census 20.III.2012): <ref>{{cite web | url=https://unstats.un.org/unsd/demographic-social/products/dyb/dyb_2020/ | title=UNSD — Demographic and Social Statistics }}</ref>
|titlestyle = background:#EEBC35;
}}
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! width="80pt"|Age Group
! width="80pt"|Male
! width="80pt"|Female
! width="80pt"|Total
! width="80pt"|%
|-
| align="right" | Total
| align="right" | 9 856 634
| align="right" | 10 502 805 
| align="right" | 20 359 439
| align="right" | 100
|-
| align="right" | 0–4
| align="right" | 879 223
| align="right" | 864 639
| align="right" | 1 743 862
| align="right" | 8.57
|-
| align="right" | 5–9
| align="right" | 882 108 
| align="right" | 865 644
| align="right" | 1 747 752
| align="right" | 8.58
|-
| align="right" | 10–14
| align="right" | 829 069
| align="right" | 810 983
| align="right" | 1 640 052
| align="right" | 8.06
|-
| align="right" | 15–19
| align="right" | 819 927
| align="right" | 824 322 
| align="right" | 1 644 249
| align="right" | 8.08
|-
| align="right" | 20–24
| align="right" | 742 316
| align="right" | 790 567
| align="right" | 1 532 883
| align="right" | 7.53
|-
| align="right" | 25–29
| align="right" | 743 510
| align="right" | 809 338
| align="right" | 1 552 848
| align="right" | 7.63
|-
| align="right" | 30–34
| align="right" | 796 866
| align="right" | 842 549
| align="right" | 1 639 415
| align="right" | 8.05
|-
| align="right" | 35–39
| align="right" | 686 037
| align="right" | 723 040
| align="right" | 1 409 077
| align="right" | 6.92
|-
| align="right" | 40–44
| align="right" | 661 623
| align="right" | 697 586
| align="right" | 1 359 209
| align="right" | 6.68
|-
| align="right" | 45–49
| align="right" | 618 140
| align="right" | 667 690
| align="right" | 1 285 830
| align="right" | 6.32
|-
| align="right" | 50–54
| align="right" | 581 293
| align="right" | 638 167
| align="right" | 1 219 460 
| align="right" | 5.99
|-
| align="right" | 55–59
| align="right" | 500 871
| align="right" | 563 358
| align="right" | 1 064 229
| align="right" | 5.23
|-
| align="right" | 60–64
| align="right" | 425 428
| align="right" | 492 482
| align="right" | 917 910
| align="right" | 4.51
|-
| align="right" | 65-69
| align="right" | 283 764
| align="right" | 349 525
| align="right" | 633 289
| align="right" | 3.11
|-
| align="right" | 70-74
| align="right" | 181 846
| align="right" | 230 568
| align="right" | 412 414
| align="right" | 2.03
|-
| align="right" | 75-79
| align="right" | 116 389
| align="right" | 166 797
| align="right" | 283 186
| align="right" | 1.39
|-
| align="right" | 80-84
| align="right" | 64 250
| align="right" | 95 129
| align="right" | 159 379
| align="right" | 0.78
|-
| align="right" | 85-89
| align="right" | 28 293
| align="right" | 45 148
| align="right" | 73 441
| align="right" | 0.36
|-
| align="right" | 90-94
| align="right" | 9 293 
| align="right" | 14 965
| align="right" | 24 258
| align="right" | 0.12
|-
| align="right" | 95+
| align="right" | 6 388 
| align="right" | 10 308
| align="right" | 16 696
| align="right" | 0.08
|-
! width="50"|Age group 
! width="80pt"|Male
! width="80"|Female
! width="80"|Total
! width="50"|Percent
|-
| align="right" | 0–14
| align="right" | 2 590 400
| align="right" | 2 541 266
| align="right" | 5 131 666
| align="right" | 25.21
|-
| align="right" | 15–64
| align="right" | 6 576 011
| align="right" | 7 049 099
| align="right" | 13 625 110
| align="right" | 66.92
|-
| align="right" | 65+
| align="right" | 690 223
| align="right" | 912 440
| align="right" | 1 602 663
| align="right" | 7.87
|-
|}
{{Hidden end}}