STATISTICS: SRI LANKA

Sri Lanka Official name:Sri Lanka Prajatantrika Samajavadi Janarajaya (Sinhala); Ilangai Jananayaka Socialisa Kudiarasu (Tamil) (Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka). Form of government: unitary multiparty republic with one legislative house (Parliament ). Head of state and government: President assisted by Prime Minister. Capitals: Colombo (executive); Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte (Colombo suburb; legislative and judicial). Official languages: Sinhala; Tamil. Official religion: none. Monetary unit: 1 Sri Lanka rupee (SL Rs) = 100 cents; valuation (Sept. 25, 1998) 1 U.S.$ = SL Rs 66.18; 1 = SL Rs 112.67. Demography Population (1998): 18,729,000. Density (1998): persons per sq mi 739.3, persons per sq km 285.5. Urban-rural (1997): urban 23.0%; rural 77.0%. Sex distribution (1994): male 50.98%; female 49.02%. Age breakdown (1994): under 15, 35.2%; 15-29, 29.7%; 30-44, 17.9%; 45-59, 10.6%; 60-74, 5.2%; 75 and over, 1.4%. Population projection: (2000) 19,153,000; (2010) 21,258,000. Doubling time: 58 years. Ethnic composition (1991){1}: Sinhalese 82.7%; Tamil 8.9%; Sri Lankan Moor 7.7%; other 0.7%. Religious affiliation (1981): Buddhist 69.3%; Hindu 15.5%; Muslim 7.5%; Christian 7.6%; other 0.1%. Major cities (1990): Colombo 615,000; Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia 196,000; Moratuwa 170,000; Jaffna 129,000; Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte 109,000. Vital statistics Birth rate per 1,000 population (1997): 17.9 (world avg. 25.0); (1986) legitimate 96.3%; illegitimate 3.7%. Death rate per 1,000 population (1997): 5.9 (world avg. 9.3). Natural increase rate per 1,000 population (1997): 12.0 (world avg. 15.7). Total fertility rate (avg. births per childbearing woman; 1997): 2.1. Marriage rate per 1,000 population (1992): 9.2. Life expectancy at birth (1997): male 71.0 years; female 75.0 years. Major causes of death per 100,000 population (1989): diseases of the circulatory system 47.8%; violence and poisoning 38.6%; malignant neoplasms 26.7. National economy Budget (1999). Revenue: SL Rs 148,206,000,000 (sales and turnover tax 27.5%, import duties 19.4%, excise taxes 14.8%, income taxes 11.6%, nontax revenue 10.5%). Expenditures: SL Rs 212,984,000,000 (current expenditure 79.7%, current expenditure 20.3%). Public debt (external, outstanding; 1996): U.S.$6,818,000,000. Tourism (1995): receipts U.S.$224,000,000; expenditures U.S.$186,000,000. Production (metric tons except as noted). Agriculture, forestry, fishing (1996): rice 2,241,000, coconuts 2,000,000, sugarcane 1,273,000, plantains 560,000; livestock (number of live animals) 1,701,700 cattle, 764,200 buffalo, 591,100 goats; roundwood (1995) 9,624,700 cu m; fish catch (1995) 235,829. Mining and quarrying (1995); quartz stone 1,100,000; limestone 700,000; titanium concentrate 62,400; gemstones U.S.$61,000,000. Manufacturing (value added, in SL Rs '000,000; 1993): food, beverages, and tobacco 23,832; textiles and apparel 17,350; petrochemicals 5,264. Construction (units completed; 1993): residential 1,128; nonresidential 96. Energy production (consumption): electricity (kW-hr; 1994) 4,386,000,000 (4,386,000,000); crude petroleum (barrels; 1994) none (14,601,000); petroleum products (metric tons; 1994) 1,807,000 (1,647,000). Gross national product (1996): U.S.$13,475,000,000 (U.S.$740 per capita). Population economically active: total (1995) 6,102,154; activity rate 40.5% (participation rates: ages 15 and over, 54.9%; female 32.2%; unemployed 12.5%{1}). Household income and expenditure (1992). Average household size (1994) 4.6{1}; income per household SL Rs 116,100 (U.S.$2,600); sources of income: wages 48.5%, property income and self-employment 41.8%, transfers 9.7%; expenditure: food 58.6%, transportation 16.0%, clothing 8.4%. Foreign trade Imports (1995): SL Rs 272,201,000,000 (industrial supplies 54.6%, machinery and transport equipment 19.1%, food and live animals 11.1%, mineral fuels 7.9%). Major import sources: Japan 10.5%; India 9.8%; Singapore 5.2%. Exports (1995): SL Rs 195,117,000,000 (clothing and accessories 48.6%, tea 12.6%, gems 6.3%, rubber products 4.0%, natural rubber 2.9%). Major export destinations: U.S. 35.5%; U.K. 9.1%; Germany 6.7%; Japan 5.3%. Transport Transport. Railroads (1994): route length 1,493 km; passenger-km 3,264,000,000; metric ton-km cargo 144,000,000. Roads (1995): total length 102,600 km (paved 11%). Vehicles (1995): passenger cars 220,000; trucks and buses 248,900. Air transport (1996): passenger-km 3,868,000,000; metric ton-km cargo 159,054,000; airports (1996) 1. Education and health Educational attainment (1981). Percentage of population age 25 and over having: no schooling 15.5%; less than complete primary education 12.1%; complete primary 52.3%; postprimary 14.7%; secondary 3.0%; higher 1.1%; unspecified 1.3%. Literacy (1995): percentage of population age 15 and over literate 90.2%; males literate 93.4%; females literate 87.2%. Health (1993): physicians 3,713 (1 per 4,745 persons); hospital beds 48,963 (1 per 360 persons); infant mortality rate per 1,000 live births (1997) 15. Food (1995): daily per capita caloric intake 2,334 (vegetable products 95%, animal products 5%); 102% of FAO recommended minimum. Military Total active duty personnel (1996): 112,300 (army 81.9%, navy 9.2%, air force 8.9%). Military expenditure as percentage of GNP (1994): 4.5% (world 3.0%); per capita expenditure U.S.$29. {1} Excludes the Northern and Eastern provinces where Tamils are in the majority.