Table 6 (Pop., Population)

Population (Religion, District) 1981, 2001

Pop06e

Year

1981

2001

Religion

Total

Budddism

Hindus

Muslims

Roman　Catholics

Other　Christians

Others

Total

Budddism

Hindus

Muslims

Roman　Catholics

Other　Christians

Others

Number District

Number

％

Number

％

Number

％

Number

％

Number

％

Number

％

Number

％

Number

％

Number

％

Number

％

Number

％

Number

％

Number

％

Number

％

Sri Lanka

14,846,750

100.1

10,288,328

69.3

2,297,806

15.5

1,121,715

7.6

1,023,713

6.9

106,854

0.7

8,334

0.1

16,833,944

100.0

12,906,704

76.7

1,328,420

7.9

1,431,044

8.5

1,021,971

6.1

136,712

0.8

9,093

0.1

Colombo

1,699,241

100.0

1,196,964

70.4

130,215

7.7

168,863

9.9

159,947

9.4

40,598

2.4

2,654

0.2

2,234,146

100.1

1,573,329

70.4

196,238

8.9

243,278

10.7

173,555

7.8

43,986

2.1

3,760

0.2

Gampaha

1,390,862

100.0

989,212

71.1

26,750

1.9

48,117

3.5

313,352

22.5

12,563

0.9

868

0.1

2,066,096

100.1

1,479,246

71.5

42,575

2.1

94,325

4.6

420,791

20.4

27,913

1.4

1,246

0.1

Kalutara

829,704

100.0

699,613

84.3

37,035

4.5

62,659

7.6

27,697

3.3

2,424

0.3

276

1,060,800

99.9

890,453

83.9

35,966

3.4

94,865

8.9

34,827

3.3

4,298

0.4

391

0.0

Kandy

1,048,317

100.0

771,435

73.6

132,943

12.7

115,941

11.1

20,067

1.9

7,498

0.7

433

1,272,463

100.1

930,644

73.1

135,708

10.7

173,837

13.7

22,345

1.8

9,336

0.7

593

0.1

Matale

357,354

99.9

281,004

78.6

41,352

11.6

26,265

7.3

7,443

2.1

1,202

0.3

442,427

100.0

349,889

79.1

42,893

9.7

39,993

9.1

8,102

1.8

1,466

0.3

0.0

Nuwara-Eliya

603,577

100.0

251,247

41.6

303,571

50.3

14,902

2.5

28,382

4.7

5,312

0.9

163

700,083

100.0

276,427

39.5

359,336

51.3

20,000

2.9

32,919

4.7

10,649

1.5

752

0.1

Galle

814,531

99.9

767,661

94.2

15,086

1.9

26,301

3.2

3,586

0.4

1,452

0.2

445

0.1

990,539

100.0

931,656

94.1

15,356

1.6

35,870

3.6

4,304

0.4

3,050

0.3

303

0.0

Matara

643,786

100.0

608,714

94.6

15,356

2.4

16,670

2.6

2,026

0.3

818

0.1

202

761,236

100.1

715,883

94.0

17,902

2.4

22,730

3.0

2,747

0.4

1,870

0.3

104

0.0

Hambantota

424,344

99.9

411,919

97.1

2,174

0.5

9,408

2.2

542

0.1

174

127

525,370

100.1

508,922

96.9

1,427

0.3

13,100

2.5

882

0.2

955

0.2

0.0

Jaffna

830,552

100.0

5,104

0.6

705,705

85.0

14,844

1.8

95,613

11.5

9,153

1.1

133

Mannar

106,235

100.0

3,363

3.2

28,885

27.2

29,161

27.4

43,633

41.1

1,056

1.0

137

0.1

Vavuniya

95,428

100.0

15,754

16.5

65,574

68.7

6,740

7.1

6,493

6.8

845

0.9

Mullaittivu

77,189

100.0

1,060

1.4

60,117

77.9

3,789

4.9

11,735

15.2

476

0.6

Kilinochchi

Batticaloa

330,333

100.1

9,127

2.8

218,812

66.3

78,810

23.9

19,704

6.0

3,795

1.1

Ampara

388,970

100.0

145,687

37.5

72,809

18.7

162,140

41.7

5,643

1.5

2,387

0.6

304

0.1

589,344

99.9

231,101

39.2

101,609

17.2

245,285

41.6

7,968

1.4

3,156

0.5

225

0.0

Trincomalee

255,948

100.1

82,602

32.3

80,843

31.6

76,404

29.9

14,303

5.6

1,280

0.5

516

0.2

Kurunegala

1,211,801

99.9

1,092,128

90.1

15,133

1.2

64,112

5.3

36,340

3.0

3,641

0.3

447

1,452,369

100.1

1,291,654

88.9

14,022

1.0

99,677

6.9

39,973

2.8

6,719

0.5

324

0.0

Puttalam

492,533

100.0

236,241

48.0

18,997

3.9

50,351

10.2

184,555

37.5

2,082

0.4

307

705,342

100.1

304,009

43.1

30,395

4.3

133,697

19.0

230,336

32.7

6,677

1.0

228

0.0

Anuradhapura

587,929

100.0

530,008

90.1

6,843

1.2

42,999

7.3

6,949

1.2

939

0.2

191

716,466

100.1

642,223

90.1

4,363

0.6

61,552

8.3

6,255

0.8

1,943

0.3

130

0.0

Polonnaruwa

261,563

99.8

235,758

90.1

4,781

1.8

17,090

6.5

3,471

1.3

351

0.1

112

359,197

100.0

320,675

89.2

6,697

1.8

27,501

7.7

3,600

1.0

561

0.2

163

0.1

Badulla

640,952

99.2

440,755

68.8

156,037

24.3

29,317

4.6

11,529

1.0

3,081

0.5

233

774,555

100.0

554,810

71.6

160,147

20.7

42,499

5.5

12,353

1.6

4,530

0.6

216

0.0

Moneragala

273,570

99.9

253,576

92.7

12,778

4.7

5,584

2.0

1,224

0.4

314

0.1

396,173

100.1

373,989

94.4

11,916

3.0

8,145

2.1

1,482

0.4

609

0.2

0.0

Ratnapura

797,087

100.1

675,785

84.8

92,156

11.6

15,576

2.0

11,107

1.4

2,188

0.3

275

1,008,164

100.1

871,300

86.4

99,587

9.9

21,818

2.2

10,643

1.1

4,507

0.5

309

0.0

Kegalle

684,944

100.0

583,611

85.2

53,854

7.9

35,672

5.2

8,372

1.2

3,225

0.5

210

779,174

100.0

660,494

84.7

52,283

6.8

52,872

6.8

8,889

1.1

4,487

0.6

149

0.0

Source:

Compiled from Statistical Abstract (various volumes), and Statistical Abstract 2004,

Department of Census and Statistics, Sri Lanka.

Revised: 2008(y)/07(m)/31(d)

Chief Editor:

　　 Dr. Milton Rajaratne (B.Com., M.Sc., Ph.D.)

The Head, Department of Management Studies

University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka