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Thursday, August 20, 2009 - 4.35 GMT |
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Island-wide
census after 30 years |
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The
Department
of
Census
and
Statistics
is to
conduct
the
first
island-wide
population
and
housing
census
after
thirty
years:
the last
survey
done 10
years
ago did
not
include
the then
LTTE
dominated
areas.
“The
initial
work
pertaining
to the
mapping
of
housing
units
and
collecting
data of
persons
living
within a
domestic
unit has
been
commenced
at the
Grama
Niladhari
Divisional
level,”
said
Director
General
of the
Department
of
Census
and
Statistics,
D.B.P.S.
Vidyaratne.
The
survey
is
scheduled
to be
completed
by 2011,
he said.
The
Department
seeks
public
assistance
and
cooperation
to make
the
census
accurate.
A census
of
Population
and
Housing
is an
official
count of
the
population
in Sri
Lanka
and the
number
of
dwellings.
It is
the only
such
data
source
in the
country.
Sri
Lanka
has a
long
history
of
census
taking.
The
first
scientific
census
was
conducted
in 1871.
Since
then
censuses
have
been
conducted,
once in
ten
years
with
certain
exceptions.
The last
census
was
conducted
in 1981.
The
census,
which
was
scheduled
for
1991,
could
not be
conducted
island-wide
due to
unsettled
conditions
in the
Northern
and
Eastern
Provinces.
Census
of
Population
and
Housing,
2001 was
carried
out
completely,
in 18
districts.
These
include
all 17
districts
in
Western,
Central,
Southern,
North
Western,
North
Central,
Uva and
Sabaragamuwa
Provinces
and
Ampara
district
in
Eastern
Province.
Vavuniya
(96.1%),
Mannar
(27.5%),
Batticaloa
(64.6%)
and
Trincomalee
(56.7%)
were
covered
partially.
Jaffna,
Kilinochchi
and
Mulativu
districts
were not
covered
in the
preliminary
and the
final
censuses
due to
the LTTE
terrorism.
However
94% of
population
in Sri
Lanka
was
covered.
In the
2001
census,
the
total
population
enumerated
in the
18
districts
on the
final
census
night
was 16,
864,
687.
This
represents
a 28
percent
increase
since
the last
census
in 1981.
The
average
annual
growth
rate for
the 18
districts
during
1981-2001
was 1.2
percent.
For the
18
districts
population
density
was 342
Person
per
Sq.Km .
It
should
be noted
that if
all 25
districts
are
taken
into
account
the
density
would
have
been
significantly
lower
than the
above
figure.
Ethnic
composition
in the
18
districts
were
Sinhalese
81.9%,
Indian
Tamil
5.1%,
Sri
Lanka
Tamil
4.4%,
Sri
Lanka
Moor
8.0%,
Burgher
0.2%,
Malay
0.3% and
others
0.2%.
Highest
Percentage
of
Sinhalese
in
Hambantota
(97.1%)
and
lowest
in
Ampara
(39.3%).
Out of
18
districts
Sri
Lanka
Tamil
percentage
was
highest
for
Ampara
(18.7%)
and next
was
Colombo
(11.2%).
Indian
Tamils
were
highest
in
Nuwara-Eliya
(51.3%),
next was
Badulla.
Compared
with the
corresponding
1981
census,
figures
reveal
that the
overall
percentages
for 18
districts
fully
covered
have
declined
slightly
for all
the
ethnic
groups
except
for Sri
Lanka
Moors.
They
show an
increase
of 1.6
percentage
points
from
1851 to
2001.
The
percentage
of
Sinhalese
population
has
increased
for Badulla
(3.0 %
),
Monaragala
(1.8 %),
Rathnapura
(1.6 %),
Ampara
(1.5 %),
and
Matale
(0.2 %)
districts
and all
other
districts
showed
some
decrease.
The
percentage
of
Sinhalese
population
in
Puttalam
district
has
dropped
by 8.5 %
while an
increase
of
similar
magnitude
was
recorded
for
the Sri
Lanka
Moor
population.
In the
2001
census,
the
share of
Sri
Lanka
Tamil
population
has
increased
in
Colombo
(1.0 %),
Ratnapura
(1.0 %),
Puttalam
(0.3 %),
Galle
(0.3 %)
and
Kalutara
(0.1 %)
districts
and all
other
districts
showed
some
decrease.
This
decrease
was
highest
for
Nuwara
Eliya
(6.8 %)
but the
Indian
Tamil
population
there
had
increased
by 8.6
%.
Urban
Population
was
concentrated
in
Colombo
district
(54.7 %)
followed
by
Ampara
(19.1 %)
and
Gampaha
(14.6
%).As
expected
the
percentage
of
estate
population
was
highest
in
Nuwara_Eliya
district
(53 .3
%).
Estate
population
was
comparatively
high in
Badulla
and
Ratnapura
districts
(20.4
and 10.1
%)
respectively.
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