Demographics
According to the 1981 census, there were 2,297,800 Hindus in Sri Lanka. The 2001 census reported 1,312,900 Hindus in all of Sri Lanka except for the Northeastern Province. According to the 2001 estimates there were a total of 2,233,624 Ceylonese Tamils and 859,052 Estate Tamils in all of Sri Lanka. It is widely believed that the estimates for Northeastern province were inflated. The Govt. gives total Tamil population in Sri Lanka as 3,092,676 constistuting 16.45% of the total population. (In 1981 18.5% of the total population). Outside the Govt. Census, 1,505,502 Tamils were estimated to be living in Northeastern Province (Excl.Amparai). Out of these Tamils it can be estimated that 1,285,000 are Hindus. Thus the total Hindu population in Sri Lanka stands at 2,597,000 as of 2001, making 13.81% of the total population (Down from 15.48% in 1981). It should be noted that 20,000 people died during the 2004 Tsunami in LTTE held areas alone. In 1981 close to 85% of all Tamils were Hindus. However this figure is probably lower now due to large scale conversions to other religions.
Hindus constitute the overwhelming majority of Tamils in Sri Lanka. However in the district of Mannar, Christians slightly outnumber Hindus. Highest proportion of Hindus are found in Eastern Sri Lanka (Close to 91% of all Tamils, with 92% in Amparai and Batticaloa and 87% in Trincomallee). In the Central Province also the proportion of Hindus is more than 90% of the Tamil population. (91% each in Matale and Nuwara Eliya and 88% in Kandy). In Uva province the proportion of Hindus is 91.3% of the Tamil population. However in 1981 93.15% of Uva Tamils were Hindu. In Northern Province 84% of all Tamils were Hindus (90% in Vavuniya, 87% in Jaffna and Mullaitivu and 42% in Mannar).
The below table compares 2001 census with the 1981 census.
| Total 1981 | Total 2001 | Ceylonese Tamils | Indian Tamils | Tamils 01 | Hindus 01 | H% 01 | Hindus/Tamils | C Tamils 81 | I Tamils 81 | Tamils 81 | Hindus 81 | H% 81 | H/T 81 | |
| SL | 14,846,750 | 18,797,257 | 2,233,624 | 859,052 | 3,092,676 | 1,312,970 | 6.98% | NA | 1,886,864 | 818,656 | 2,705,520 | 2,297,806 | 15.48% | 84.93% |
| Colombo | 1,699,241 | 2,251,274 | 247,739 | 24,821 | 272,560 | 194,743 | 8.65% | 71.45% | 170,590 | 19,824 | 190,414 | 130,215 | 7.66% | 68.39% |
| Gampaha | 1,390,862 | 2,063,684 | 65,302 | 7,621 | 72,923 | 42,356 | 2.05% | 58.08% | 48,182 | 5,919 | 54,101 | 26,750 | 1.92% | 49.44% |
| Kalutara | 829,704 | 1,066,239 | 12,665 | 28,895 | 41,560 | 34,678 | 3.25% | 83.44% | 9,744 | 33,659 | 43,403 | 37,035 | 4.46% | 85.33% |
| Kandy | 1,048,317 | 1,279,028 | 52,052 | 103,622 | 155,674 | 134,438 | 10.51% | 86.36% | 52,791 | 98,436 | 151,227 | 132,943 | 12.68% | 87.91% |
| Matale | 357,354 | 441,328 | 24,320 | 23,493 | 47,813 | 42,433 | 9.61% | 88.75% | 20,579 | 24,912 | 45,491 | 41,352 | 11.57% | 90.90% |
| N Eliya | 603,577 | 703,610 | 46,066 | 355,830 | 401,896 | 359,135 | 51.04% | 89.36% | 76,449 | 257,478 | 333,927 | 303,571 | 50.30% | 90.91% |
| Galle | 814,531 | 990,487 | 11,079 | 9,275 | 20,354 | 14,934 | 1.51% | 73.37% | 7,271 | 11,056 | 18,327 | 15,086 | 1.85% | 82.32% |
| Matara | 643,786 | 761,370 | 5,161 | 16,672 | 21,833 | 17,339 | 2.28% | 79.42% | 4,683 | 13,875 | 18,558 | 15,356 | 2.39% | 82.75% |
| Hambantota | 424,344 | 526,414 | 1,869 | 424 | 2,293 | 1,369 | 0.26% | 59.70% | 2,500 | 284 | 2,784 | 2,174 | 0.51% | 78.09% |
| Jaffna | 738,788 | 490,621 | 975,789 | 2,847 | 978,636 | 0 | 0.00% | NA | 790,385 | 19,980 | 810,365 | 705,705 | 84.97% | 87.08% |
| Mannar | 106,235 | 151,577 | 54,474 | 13,850 | 68,324 | 28,885 | 27.19% | 42.28% | ||||||
| Vavuniya | 95,428 | 149,835 | 54,179 | 18,714 | 72,893 | 65,574 | 68.72% | 89.96% | ||||||
| Mullaitivu | 77,189 | 121,667 | 58,209 | 11,215 | 69,424 | 60,117 | 77.88% | 86.59% | ||||||
| Killinochchi | 91,764 | 127,263 | Inc. Jaffna | |||||||||||
| Batticaloa | 330,333 | 486,447 | 362,431 | 727 | 363,158 | 0 | 0.00% | NA | 233,713 | 4,074 | 237,787 | 218,812 | 66.24% | 92.02% |
| Ampara | 388,970 | 592,997 | 109,188 | 715 | 109,903 | 100,213 | 16.90% | 91.18% | 77,826 | 1,411 | 79,237 | 72,809 | 18.72% | 91.89% |
| Trincomalee | 255,948 | 340,158 | 163,255 | 453 | 163,708 | 0 | 0.00% | NA | 87,760 | 5,372 | 93,132 | 80,843 | 31.59% | 86.80% |
| Kurunegala | 1,211,801 | 1,460,215 | 17,585 | 2,972 | 20,557 | 13,303 | 0.91% | 64.71% | 14,920 | 6,616 | 21,536 | 15,133 | 1.25% | 70.27% |
| Puttalam | 492,533 | 709,677 | 48,072 | 2,227 | 50,299 | 29,482 | 4.15% | 58.61% | 32,282 | 2,289 | 34,571 | 18,997 | 3.86% | 54.95% |
| Anuradhapura | 587,929 | 745,693 | 5,073 | 443 | 5,516 | 3,459 | 0.46% | 62.71% | 8,026 | 719 | 8,745 | 6,843 | 1.16% | 78.25% |
| Polonnaruwa | 261,563 | 358,984 | 7,034 | 194 | 7,228 | 6,592 | 1.84% | 91.20% | 5,267 | 124 | 5,391 | 4,781 | 1.83% | 88.68% |
| Badulla | 640,952 | 779,983 | 29,542 | 143,535 | 173,077 | 158,473 | 20.32% | 91.56% | 37,520 | 129,498 | 167,018 | 156,037 | 24.34% | 93.43% |
| Moneragala | 273,570 | 397,375 | 5,754 | 7,493 | 13,247 | 11,623 | 2.92% | 87.74% | 5,346 | 8,859 | 14,205 | 12,778 | 4.67% | 89.95% |
| Ratnapura | 797,087 | 1,015,807 | 28,740 | 82,591 | 111,331 | 96,738 | 9.52% | 86.89% | 19,094 | 84,740 | 103,834 | 92,156 | 11.56% | 88.75% |
| Kegalle | 684,944 | 785,524 | 14,908 | 44,202 | 59,110 | 51,662 | 6.58% | 87.40% | 15,074 | 45,752 | 60,826 | 53,854 | 7.86% | 88.54% |
Read more about this topic: Hinduism In Sri Lanka