_*People #_Population: 17,423,736 (July 1991), growth rate 1.2% (1991)

_#_Birth rate: 20 births/1,000 population (1991)

_#_Death rate: 6 deaths/1,000 population (1991)

_#_Net migration rate: - 2 migrants/1,000 population (1991)

_#_Infant mortality rate: 21 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)

_#_Life expectancy at birth: 69 years male, 74 years female (1991)

_#_Total fertility rate: 2.3 children born/woman (1991)

_#_Nationality: noun—Sri Lankan(s); adjective—Sri Lankan

_#_Ethnic divisions: Sinhalese 74%; Tamil 18%; Moor 7%; Burgher, Malay, and Veddha 1%

_#_Religion: Buddhist 69%, Hindu 15%, Christian 8%, Muslim 8%