Sri Lanka is home to a diverse population with various ethnic groups. The Sinhalese are the largest group and make up 74.9% of the population and are concentrated in the southwest and central parts of the island. The Sri Lankan Tamils, who live predominantly in the north and east of the island, form the largest minority group at 11.1% of the population.

 The Moors, who are descendants of Arab and Indian traders, make up the third-largest ethnic group, accounting for 9.3% of the population. They are mainly concentrated in urban areas in the southern parts of the island, with significant populations in the Central and Eastern provinces. Another distinct ethnic group is the Indian Tamils, who make up 4.1% of the population. The British brought them to Sri Lanka in the 19th century to work as tea and rubber plantation workers, and they remained concentrated in the “tea country” of south-central Sri Lanka.

Other smaller minority groups include the Veddas, who are the indigenous people of Sri Lanka; Malays who descended from Austronesian settlers; the Burghers, who are descendants of European colonists mainly from Portugal, the Netherlands, and the UK; ethnic Chinese migrants who came to the island in the 18th and 19th centuries; and the Kaffirs, a small population who are descendants of Africans.

Ethnic percentage

• Sinhalese – 74.9% 
• Sri Lankan Tamils – 11.2% 
• Moors – 9.2% 
• Indian Tamils – 4.2% 
• Others (incl. Burghers, Malays, Veddas, Chinese) – 0.5%