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Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
 
Capital: Colombo
Area size: 64630 sq. km Slightly smaller than Ireland
Time zone: GMT +5:30
Currency: Rupee
Area code: (+) 94
Driving: Left
Climate description: Tropical, high temperatures and humidity at lower levels throughout the year and pleasant weather at higher altitudes. Heavy to moderate rains all year round.
 

People
Standard of living
Economy & aid
Health
Disasters, conflict & migration
Language
Sinhalese is the official language. Tamil and English are also spoken.
Source: New Internationalist World Guide

Population
2007 19.3 million U.N. Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) Population Division (2006)
2006 19.2 million U.N. DESA (2006)
2005 19.1 million U.N. DESA (2006)
2004 19.0 million U.N. DESA (2006)
2003 19.0 million U.N. DESA (2006)
2002 18.9 million U.N. DESA (2006)
2001 18.8 million U.N. DESA (2006)
2000 18.7 million U.N. DESA (2006)

Future population estimates
20.6 million (2050)
Source: U.N. DESA (2006)

Ethnic groups
The Sinhalese make up 74 percent of the population. Tamils form the largest minority group at 18 percent, and there are also Arab and Vedda minorities.
Source: NI World Guide

Religion
Buddhist 70 percent, Hindu 16 percent. There are smaller Muslim, Christian and other minorities.
Source: NI World Guide

Percentage urban population
2007 15.1 percent U.N. DESA - World Urbanisation Prospects 2005
2006 15.1 percent U.N. DESA (2005)
2005 15.1 percent U.N. DESA (2005)
2004 15.2 percent U.N. DESA (2005)
2003 15.3 percent U.N. DESA (2005)
2002 15.4 percent U.N. DESA (2005)
2001 15.6 percent U.N. DESA (2005)
2000 15.7 percent U.N. DESA (2005)

Year women granted right to vote
1931
Source: U.N. Development Programme (UNDP) Human Development Report
Where two figures are shown, the first refers to a partial recognition of the right to vote and the second to the year women received the right to vote on a universal and equal basis.

Net percentage of girls enrolled in primary education
No data available (2004)

Percentage of population under 15
2005 24.2 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2007/2008
2004 24.5 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2006
2003 24.8 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2005
2002 25.0 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2004
2001 25.5 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2003
2000 26.3 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2002


Average life expectancy
2005 71.6 years UNDP - Human Development Report 2007/2008
2004 74.3 years UNDP - Human Development Report 2006
2003 74.0 years UNDP - Human Development Report 2005
2002 72.5 years UNDP - Human Development Report 2004
2001 72.3 years UNDP - Human Development Report 2003
2000 72.1 years UNDP - Human Development Report 2002

Life expectancy - male
2005 67.9 years UNDP - Human Development Report 2007/2008
2004 71.7 years UNDP - Human Development Report 2006
2003 71.5 years UNDP - Human Development Report 2005
2002 69.8 years UNDP - Human Development Report 2004
2001 69.6 years UNDP - Human Development Report 2003
2000 69.5 years UNDP - Human Development Report 2002

Life expectancy - female
2005 75.6 years UNDP - Human Development Report 2007/2008
2004 77.0 years UNDP - Human Development Report 2006
2003 76.8 years UNDP - Human Development Report 2005
2002 75.8 years UNDP - Human Development Report 2004
2001 75.5 years UNDP - Human Development Report 2003
2000 75.3 years UNDP - Human Development Report 2002

Infant mortality
2006 11 per 1,000 live births UNICEF - State of the World's Children 2008
2005 12 per 1,000 live births U.N. Children's Fund (UNICEF) - State of the World's Children 2007
2004 12 per 1,000 live births UNICEF - State of the World's Children 2006
2003 13 per 1,000 live births UNDP - Human Development Report 2005
2002 17 per 1,000 live births UNDP - Human Development Report 2004
2001 17 per 1,000 live births UNDP - Human Development Report 2003
2000 17 per 1,000 live births UNDP - Human Development Report 2002

Child mortality - deaths before the age of five
2006 13 per 1,000 live births UNICEF - State of the World's Children 2008
2005 14 per 1,000 live births UNICEF - State of the World's Children 2007
2004 14 per 1,000 live births UNICEF - State of the World's Children 2006
2003 15 per 1,000 live births UNDP - Human Development Report 2005
2002 19 per 1,000 live births UNDP - Human Development Report 2004
2000 19 per 1,000 live births UNDP - Human Development Report 2002

Births attended by skilled personnel
1997-2005 96 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2007/2008
1996-2004 96 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2006
1995-2003 97 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2005
1995-2002 97 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2004
1995-2001 97 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2003
1995-2000 No data available percent

Maternal mortality
2005 58 per 100,000 live births UNDP - Human Development Report 2007/2008
2000 92 per 100,000 live births UNDP - Human Development Report 2006

Human development index (HDI rank)
2005 99 UNDP - Human Development Report 2007/2008
2004 93 UNDP - Human Development Report 2006
2003 93 UNDP - Human Development Report 2005
2002 96 UNDP - Human Development Report 2004
2001 99 UNDP - Human Development Report 2003
2000 89 UNDP - Human Development Report 2002

Percentage of children under weight for age (under age 5)
2000-2006 29 percent UNICEF - State of the World's Children 2008
1996-2005 29 percent UNICEF - State of the World's Children 2007
1996-2004 29 percent UNICEF - State of the World's Children 2006
1995-2003 29 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2005
1995-2002 29 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2004
1995-2001 29 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2003
1995-2000 23 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2002

Percentage of undernourished population
2002-2004 average 22 percent U.N. Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) 2006
2001-2003average 22 percent FAO 2006

Food intake falls below the minimum requirement.

Population with access to improved water
2006 82 percent UNICEF and WHO 2008
2004 79 percent UNICEF and World Health Organisation (WHO) 2006
2002 78 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2005
2000 77 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2004

Population with access to improved sanitation
2006 86 percent UNICEF and WHO 2008
2004 91 percent UNICEF and WHO 2006
2002 91 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2005
2000 94 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2004

Literacy - average
2004 90.7 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2006
2003 90.4 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2005
2002 92.1 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2004
2001 91.9 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2003
2000 91.6 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2002

Literacy - male
2004 92.3 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2006
2003 92.2 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2005
2002 94.7 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2004
2001 94.5 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2003
2000 94.4 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2002

Literacy - female
2004 89.1 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2006
2003 88.6 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2005
2002 89.6 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2004
2001 89.3 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2003
2000 89.0 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2002

Landlines telephones
2007 142 per 1,000 people International Telecommunication Union (ITU) 2008
2006 90 per 1,000 people ITU 2008
2005 60 per 1,000 people ITU 2008
2004 48 per 1,000 people ITU 2008
2003 46 per 1,000 people ITU 2008
2002 44 per 1,000 people ITU 2008
2001 41 per 1,000 people ITU 2008
2000 39 per 1,000 people ITU 2008

Cellular telephone subscribers
2007 414 per 1,000 people ITU 2008
2006 259 per 1,000 people ITU 2008
2005 162 per 1,000 people ITU 2008
2004 108 per 1,000 people ITU 2008
2003 68 per 1,000 people ITU 2008
2002 46 per 1,000 people ITU 2008
2001 33 per 1,000 people ITU 2008
2000 22 per 1,000 people ITU 2008

Internet users
2007 40 per 1,000 people ITU 2008
2006 24 per 1,000 people ITU 2008
2005 17 per 1,000 people ITU 2008
2004 14 per 1,000 people ITU 2008
2003 14 per 1,000 people ITU 2008
2002 10 per 1,000 people ITU 2008
2001 8 per 1,000 people ITU 2008
2000 6 per 1,000 people ITU 2008

Transparency International corruption ranking (1=least corrupt, 179=most corrupt)
2008 92 (joint) Transparency International 2008
2007 94 (joint) Transparency International 2007
2006 84 (joint) Transparency International
2005 78 (joint) Transparency International
2004 67 (joint) Transparency International
2003 66 (joint) Transparency International
2002 52 (joint) Transparency International
2001 Not ranked
2000 Not ranked

Signatory of International Convention on the Prevention and Punishment for the crime of Genocide
Yes (1948)
Source: UNDP - Human Development Report

Signatory of the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment
Yes (1984)
Source: UNDP - Human Development Report

Signatory of the Convention on the Rights of the Child
Yes (1989)
Source: UNDP - Human Development Report

International humanitarian aid flows
Access the Financial Tracking Service, a global real-time database which records all reported humanitarian aid - including that for NGOs, the Red Cross/Crescent Movement, bilateral aid, in-kind aid and private donations - searchable by country.
Source: Financial Tracking Service, ReliefWeb

Percentage of population living on less than US$1 a day
1990-2005 5.6 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2007/2008
1990-2004 5.6 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2006
1990-2003 7.6 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2005
1990-2002 6.6 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2004
1990-2001 6.6 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2003

GNI per capita, Atlas method
2006 1310 current US$ World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008
2005 1170 current US$ World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008
2004 1040 current US$ World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008
2003 930 current US$ World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008
2002 850 current US$ World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008
2001 840 current US$ WorldBankDataProfileTables2008
2000 850 current US$ World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008

The purpose of the Atlas conversion factor is to reduce the impact of exchange rate fluctuations in a cross-country comparison of national incomes. The Atlas conversion factor for any year is the average of a country’s exchange rate (or alternative conversion factor) for that year and its exchange rates for the two preceding years.

GDP
2006 27.0 current US$ billions World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008
2005 23.5 current US$ billions World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008
2004 20.1 current US$ billions World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008
2003 18.2 current US$ billions World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008
2002 16.5 current US$ billions World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008
2001 15.7 current US$ billions World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008
2000 16.3 current US$ billions World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008

Annual GDP growth
2006 7.4  percent World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008
2005 6.0  percent World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008
2004 5.4  percent World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008
2003 6.0  percent World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008
2002 4.0  percent World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008
2001 -1.5  percent World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008
2000 6.0  percent World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008

Annual inflation
2006 10.3  percent World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008
2005 9.9  percent World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008
2004 9.3  percent World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008
2003 5.0  percent World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008
2002 8.1  percent World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008
2001 13.7  percent World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008
2000 7.3  percent World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008

Share of income or consumption (poorest 10 percent)
3.0 (latest available year)
Source: UNDP - Human Development Report 2007/2008

Share of income or consumption (richest 10 percent)
32.7 (latest available year)
Source: UNDP - Human Development Report 2007/2008

Physicians
2000-2004 55 per 100,000 people UNDP - Human Development Report 2007/2008
1990-2004 55 per 100,000 people UNDP - Human Development Report 2006
1990-2003 43 per 100,000 people UNDP - Human Development Report 2004
1990-2002 41 per 100,000 people UNDP - Human Development Report 2003

Percentage HIV+ (adults aged 15-49)
2007 No data available percent
2006 No data available percent
2005 No data available percent
2004 No data available percent
2003 No data available percent

Malaria
Risk from P.falciparum throughout the year, except in the districts of Colombo, Galle, Gampaha, Kalutara, Matara and Nuwara Eliya. Resistance to chloroquine and sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine reported.
Source: WHO

TB cases
2006 60 per 100,000 people WHO 2008
2005 60 per 100,000 people WHO 2008
2004 60 per 100,000 people WHO 2008
2003 60 per 100,000 people WHO 2008
2002 60 per 100,000 people WHO 2008
2001 60 per 100,000 people WHO 2008
2000 60 per 100,000 people WHO 2008

Chronology of natural disasters
Access EM-DAT, a database of natural disasters from 1900 to the present - death tolls and numbers of affected people - searchable by country.
Source: Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters, Catholic University of Louvain, Belgium

Number of refugees originating here
2007 134948 UNHCR
2006 116966 Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
2005 108059 UNHCR
2004 114055 UNHCR
2003 122010 UNHCR
2002 133239 UNHCR
2001 122420 UNHCR
2000 124160 UNHCR

Number of refugees residing here
2007 182 UNHCR
2006 162 UNHCR
2005 106 UNHCR
2004 63 UNHCR
2003 30 UNHCR
2002 28 UNHCR
2001 17 UNHCR
2000 16 UNHCR

Number of internally displaced people\Estimate
2008 Over 500000 Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC) 2008
2007 460000 IDMC 2008
2006 500000 IDMC 2006
2005 341175 IDMC 2006

Landmine casualties per year
2004 56 Landmine Monitor Report 2005
2003 99 Landmine Monitor Report 2004

Casualty figures may include both civilians and military personnel injured or killed by landmines and unexploded ordnance.
Signatory to landmine convention?
No
Source: Landmine Monitor Report

Percentage of GDP spent on military
2005 2.6 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2007/2008
2004 2.8 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2006
2003 2.7 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2005

Percentage of GDP spent on education
2002-2005 No data available percent
2002-2004 No data available percent
1999-2001 1.3 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2004
1998-2000 3.1 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2003

Percentage of GDP spent on health
2004 2.0 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2007/2008
2003-2004 1.6 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2006
2002 1.8 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2005
2001 1.8 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2004
2000 1.8 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2003


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