Demographics
Colombo is a multi-ethnic, multi-cultural city. The population of Colombo is a mix of numerous ethnic groups, mainly Sinhalese, Sri Lankan Moors and Tamils. There are also small communities of people with Chinese, Portuguese, Dutch, Malay and Indian origins living in the city, as well as numerous European expatriates. Colombo is the most populous city in Sri Lanka, with 642,163 people living within the city limits. In 1866 the city had a population of around 80,000. According to the census of 2001 the demographics of urban Colombo by ethnicity is as follows.
| No | Ethnicity | Population | % Of Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sinhalese | 265,657 | 41.36 |
| 2 | Sri Lankan Tamils | 185,672 | 28.91 |
| 3 | Sri Lankan Moors | 153,299 | 23.87 |
| 4 | Indian Tamils | 13,968 | 2.17 |
| 5 | Sri Lankan Malays | 11,149 | 1.73 |
| 6 | Burghers | 5,273 | 0.82 |
| 7 | Sri Lankan Chetty | 740 | 0.11 |
| 8 | Bharatha | 471 | 0.07 |
| 9 | Other | 5,934 | 0.96 |
| 10 | Total | 642,163 | 100 |
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