Ethnic composition of Sri Lanka 1981

	Total	Sinhala	Sri Lanka Tamil	Indian Tamil	Sri Lanka Moor	Burgher	Malay	Others
Sri Lanka	14846750	10979561	1886872	818656	1046926	39374	46963	28398
urban	3192489	2012621	620255	50697	427107	30880	36789	14140
rural	11654261	8966940	1266617	767959	619819	8494	10174	14258
Ampara	388970	146943	77826	1411	161568	697	168	357
urban	53276	15025	9143	577	27938	335	144	114
rural	335694	131918	68683	834	133630	362	24	243
Anuradhapura	587929	535834	8026	719	41777	228	338	1007
urban	41392	34395	2664	260	3418	114	234	307
rural	546537	501439	5362	459	38359	114	104	700
Badulla	640952	443024	37520	129498	26600	613	1419	2278
urban	51591	34148	6473	2686	7134	145	764	241
rural	589361	408876	31047	126812	19466	468	655	2037
Batticaloa	330333	11255	233713	4074	78829	2292	46	124
urban	79415	2730	39274	762	34503	2066	36	44
rural	250918	8525	194439	3312	44326	226	10	80
Colombo	1699241	1318835	170590	19824	139743	19688	22233	8328
urban	1264284	899585	164829	14248	138158	17819	21509	8136
rural	434957	419250	5761	5576	1585	1869	724	192
Galle	814531	769343	7271	11056	25678	288	186	709
urban	166371	145603	1446	258	18406	199	112	347
rural	648160	623740	5825	10798	7272	89	74	362
Gampaha	1390862	1279512	48182	5919	37826	8423	8675	2325
urban	388342	321518	32897	3779	15402	6935	6498	1313
rural	1002520	957994	15285	2140	22424	1488	2177	1012
Hambantota	424344	412055	2500	284	4899	82	4445	79
urban	41430	34856	954	101	2740	37	2718	24
rural	382914	377199	1546	183	2159	45	1727	55
Jaffna	830552	6659	790385	19980	12958	383	72	115
urban	270573	2972	250587	5140	11449	298	48	79
rural	559979	3687	539798	14840	1509	85	24	36
Kalutara	829704	723483	9744	33659	61159	431	762	466
urban	178071	129205	3268	1080	43656	196	454	212
rural	651633	594278	6476	32579	17503	235	308	254
Kandy	1048317	778801	52791	98436	109779	2122	2755	3633
urban	145109	93283	17739	6046	23822	1144	1675	1400
rural	903208	685518	35052	92390	85957	978	1080	2233
Kegalle	684944	588581	15074	45752	34389	156	229	763
urban	52761	36591	2246	571	12987	59	146	161
rural	632183	551990	12828	45181	21402	97	83	602
Kurunegala	1211801	1125912	14920	6616	60791	562	1259	1741
urban	43497	33644	2950	529	5203	161	597	413
rural	1168304	1092268	11970	6087	55588	401	662	1328
Mannar	106235	8683	54474	13850	27717	36	35	1440
urban	13931	557	9920	389	2925	9	17	114
rural	92304	8126	44554	13461	24792	27	18	1326
Matale	357354	285354	20579	24912	24995	272	574	668
urban	38108	21661	6299	1433	8074	115	212	314
rural	319246	263693	14280	23479	16921	157	362	354
Matara	643786	608516	4683	13875	16122	205	79	306
urban	71151	62619	584	154	7522	80	20	172
rural	572635	545897	4099	13721	8600	125	59	134
Moneragala	273570	253572	5346	8859	5312	70	193	218
urban	6020	5065	553	223	126	10	25	18
rural	267550	248507	4793	8636	5186	60	168	200
Mullaitivu	77189	3992	58209	11215	3651	95	19	8
urban	7192	215	6065	123	685	93	10	1
rural	69997	3777	52144	11092	2966	2	9	7
Nuwara Eliya	603577	254375	76449	257478	12163	696	1136	1280
urban	37288	18535	9375	5021	3443	220	526	168
rural	566289	235840	67074	252457	8720	476	610	1112
Polonnaruwa	261563	238965	5267	124	16636	59	109	403
urban	20495	19498	385	8	493	17	42	52
rural	241068	219467	4882	116	16143	42	67	351
Puttalam	492533	407067	32282	2289	49000	440	954	501
urban	61728	34859	6117	427	19446	170	615	94
rural	430805	372201	26173	1862	29553	270	339	407
Ratnapura	797087	677510	19094	84740	13791	342	412	1198
urban	59213	47554	4135	1244	5842	63	121	254
rural	737874	629956	14959	83496	7949	279	291	944
Trincomalee	255948	85503	87760	5372	75039	1169	831	274
urban	82739	16992	30322	2155	32282	581	257	150
rural	173209	68511	57438	3217	42757	588	574	124
Vavuniya	95428	15794	54179	18714	6505	25	34	177
urban	18512	1511	12030	3483	1453	14	9	12
rural	76916	14283	42149	15231	5052	11	25	165

Source: Sri Lanka Census of Population and Housing 1981. All island tables & District reports [by each district]. Department of Census and Statistics, Colombo, 1985