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Sri Lanka
Population 1
21,982,608
(2024 est.)
Language 1
Sinhala (official)
87.0%
Tamil (official)
28.5%
English
23.8%
(2012 est.)
Note: Data represents main languages spoken by those aged 10 years and older. Respondents were able to provide more than one response. Therefore, the sum of all language responses exceeds the total number of people.
Religion 1
Buddhist (official)
70.2%
Hindu
12.6%
Muslim
9.7%
Roman Catholic
6.1%
Other Christian
1.3%
(2012 est.)
Ethnicity 1
Sinhalese
74.9%
Sri Lankan Tamil
11.2%
Sri Lankan Moors
9.2%
Indian Tamil
4.2%
Other
0.5%
(2012 est
Cultural Dimensions
80
35
10
45
45
-
Sri Lankans in Australia
These demographic statistics pertain to individuals in Australia who were born in Sri Lanka, as reported in the 2021 Australian Housing and Population Census. The data specifically represents responses from first-generation migrants and does not encompass the total number of people in Australia who may identify as Sri Lankan.
Population 2
131,904
Citizenship
Australian citizen
66.7%
Not an Australian citizen
32.8%
Median Age
42
Gender
Male
51.4%
Female
48.6%
Religion
Buddhism
45.3%
Catholic
19.4%
Hinduism
16.1%
No Religion
4.9%
Anglican
3.6%
Ancestry
Sri Lankan
40.5%
Sinhalese
32.9%
English
5.2%
Sri Lankan Tamil
3.2%
Dutch
2.5%
These are the top ancestry responses of people born in Sri Lanka. Respondents were able to provide up to two answers. Therefore, the sum of all ancestry responses exceeds the total number of people.
Language Spoken at Home
Sinhalese
53.9%
English
21.8%
Tamil
21.4%
Not stated
1.7%
Of those who speak a language other than English at home, 93.5% speak English fluently.
Diaspora
Victoria
51.6%
New South Wales
23.8%
Queensland
9.1%
Western Australia
6.9%
Other
8.5%
Arrival to Australia
Prior to 1991
21.3%
1991 - 2000
14.2%
2001 - 2010
27.4%
2011 - 2015
17.6%
2016 - 2021
19.6%
Australians with Sri Lankan Ancestry
230,752
This figure represents the total number of people in Australia who reported Sri Lankan ancestry in the 2021 Census, including individuals born in Australia, Sri Lanka, and other countries. It captures the responses of first-, second-, and third-generation migrants who may identify as Sri Lankan, regardless of their place of birth.3
