Table of Contents
Sri Lankan population in the U.S., 2000-2019
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 2000 | 25,000 |
| 2010 | 45,000 |
| 2015 | 60,000 |
| 2019 | 56,000 |
Note: Based on mixed-race and mixed-group populations, regardless of Hispanic origin. See methodology for more detail.
Source: 2000 and 2010 population estimates from U.S. Census Bureau, “The Asian Population: 2010” Census Brief, Table 6. 2015 and 2019 population estimates from 2015 and 2019 American Community Survey 1-year estimates (Census Data).
English proficiency of Sri Lankan population in the U.S., 2019
| Category | English proficient |
|---|---|
| All | 79% |
| U.S. born | 98% |
| Foreign born | 75% |
| Adults | 77% |
| All Asians | 72% |
Source: Pew Research Center analysis of 2017-2019 American Community Survey (IPUMS).
Length of time in the U.S. for Sri Lankan immigrants, 2000-2019
| Year | 0 to 10 years | More than 10 years |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 53% | 47% |
| 2010 | 52% | 49% |
| 2015 | 40% | 60% |
| 2019 | 42% | 58% |
Source: Pew Research Center analysis of 2000 decennial census, 2008-2010, 2013-2015 and 2017-2019 American Community Survey (IPUMS).
Educational attainment of Sri Lankan population in the U.S., 2019
| Category | High school or less | Some college | Bachelor’s degree | Postgrad degree |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All | 20% | 20% | 29% | 31% |
| U.S. born*** | *** | *** | *** | *** |
| Foreign born | 21% | 21% | 29% | 30% |
| All Asians | 27% | 19% | 30% | 24% |
| All Americans | 39% | 29% | 20% | 13% |
Note: “High school” refers to those who have attained a high school diploma or its equivalent, such as a General Education Development (GED) certificate. “Some college” includes those with an associate degree and those who attended college but did not obtain a degree. Figures may not sum to 100% due to rounding. Due to data limitations, figures for Sri Lankans based on single-race population only, regardless of Hispanic origin. Figures for all Asians based on mixed-race and mixed-group populations, regardless of Hispanic origin. See methodology for more detail.
Source: Pew Research Center analysis of 2017-2019 American Community Survey (IPUMS).
U.S. Sri Lankan population living in poverty, 2019
| Group | All Americans | All Asians | All Sri Lankans |
|---|---|---|---|
| All | 13% | 10% | 8% |
| U.S. born | 13% | 9% | 7% |
| Foreign born | 14% | 11% | 9% |
Source: Pew Research Center analysis of 2017-2019 American Community Survey (IPUMS).
Top 10 U.S. metropolitan areas by Sri Lankan population, 2019
| Metro area | Sri Lankan population |
|---|---|
| New York | 8,000 |
| Los Angeles | 7,000 |
| Washington | 3,000 |
| Houston | 2,000 |
| Boston | 2,000 |
| Chicago | 2,000 |
| Dallas | 2,000 |
| San Francisco | 1,000 |
| Atlanta | 1,000 |
| Riverside, CA | 1,000 |
Source: Pew Research Center analysis of 2013-2015 American Community Survey (IPUMS).
Demographic characteristics of U.S. Sri Lankan population, 2019
% (unless otherwise noted)
| Among Sri Lankans in the U.S. |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All Asians in the U.S. |
All | U.S. born | Foreign born | |
| MEDIAN AGE (in years) | 34 | 37 | 13 | 41 |
| AGE | ||||
| Younger than 5 | 7 | 5 | 20 | 1 |
| 5-17 | 17 | 12 | 42 | 5 |
| 18-29 | 18 | 17 | 25 | 15 |
| 30-39 | 17 | 21 | 8 | 25 |
| 40-49 | 14 | 17 | 4 | 21 |
| 50-64 | 16 | 17 | 1 | 21 |
| 65+ | 11 | 10 | <0.5 | 12 |
| NATIVITY | ||||
| U.S. born | 43 | 20 | – | – |
| Foreign born | 57 | 80 | – | – |
| YEARS IN U.S. (among foreign born) | ||||
| 0-5 years | 21 | – | – | 25 |
| 6-10 years | 13 | – | – | 17 |
| 11-15 years | 11 | – | – | 15 |
| 16-20 years | 12 | – | – | 16 |
| 21+ years | 44 | – | – | 28 |
| CITIZENSHIP (among foreign born) | ||||
| U.S. citizen | 59 | – | – | 49 |
| Not a U.S. citizen | 41 | – | – | 51 |
| MARITAL STATUS (18 and older) | ||||
| Married | 59 | 64 | *** | 69 |
| Divorced/Separated/Widowed | 11 | 11 | *** | 11 |
| Never married | 30 | 25 | *** | 20 |
| FERTILITY (among women ages 15 to 44) | ||||
| Women who have given birth in the past 12 months | 6 | 7 | *** | 8 |
| HOUSEHOLD TYPE, BY PERSONS | ||||
| Married-couple household | 71 | 74 | 79 | 73 |
| Other family household | 13 | 9 | 11 | 8 |
| Non-family household | 15 | 17 | 10 | 18 |
| IN A MULTIGENERATIONAL HOUSEHOLD | ||||
| Multigenerational household | 27 | 23 | 22 | 23 |
The symbol *** indicates insufficient number of observations to provide a reliable estimate.
Note: Family households are those with a household head and one or more persons living in the household who are related to the household head by birth, marriage or adoption. Households with a household head and an unmarried partner are only considered family households if there are other persons in the household who are related to the household head by birth, marriage or adoption. Multigenerational households are households with two or more adult generations or one that includes grandparents and grandchildren. Figures may not sum to 100% due to rounding. Due to data limitations, figures for Sri Lankans based on single-race population only, regardless of Hispanic origin. Figures for all Asians based on mixed-race and mixed-group populations, regardless of Hispanic origin. See methodology for more detail.
Source: Pew Research Center analysis of 2017-2019 American Community Survey (IPUMS).
Pew Research Center
Economic characteristics of U.S. Sri Lankan population, 2019
% (unless otherwise noted)
| Among Sri Lankans in the U.S. |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All Asians in the U.S. |
All | U.S. born | Foreign born | |
| MEDIAN ANNUAL HOUSEHOLD INCOME | $85,800 | $85,000 | *** | $84,000 |
| MEDIAN ANNUAL PERSONAL EARNINGS (ages 16 and older with positive earnings) | ||||
| All | $40,000 | $40,000 | *** | $42,000 |
| Full-time, year-round workers | $60,000 | $60,000 | *** | $64,000 |
| EMPLOYMENT STATUS (civilians ages 16 and older) | ||||
| Employed | 64 | 73 | *** | 74 |
| Not employed | 3 | 3 | *** | 2 |
| Not in labor force | 34 | 24 | *** | 23 |
| UNEMPLOYMENT RATE (civilians ages 16 and older in the labor force) | 4 | 4 | *** | 3 |
| LIVING IN POVERTY | ||||
| All ages | 10 | 8 | 7 | 9 |
| Younger than 18 | 10 | 10 | 7 | *** |
| 18-64 | 10 | 8 | *** | 8 |
| 65 and older | 12 | *** | *** | *** |
| HOMEOWNERSHIP (households) | ||||
| Owner-occupied | 59 | 52 | *** | 53 |
| Renter-occupied | 41 | 48 | *** | 47 |
The symbol *** indicates insufficient number of observations to provide a reliable estimate.
Note: The household population excludes persons living in institutions, college dormitories and other group quarters. Households are classified by the race or detailed Asian group of the head. “Full-time, year-round workers” are defined as people ages 16 and older who usually worked at least 35 hours per week and at least 48 weeks in the past year. The share of the population ages 16 and older who are not employed differs from the unemployment rate because the share not employed is based on the total population, while the unemployment rate is based on those who are in the labor force (i.e. working or looking for work). Poverty status is determined for individuals in housing units and non-institutional group quarters. It is unavailable for children younger than 15 who are not related to the householder, people living in institutional group quarters and people living in college dormitories or military barracks. Due to the way in which the IPUMS assigns poverty values, these data will differ from those provided by the U.S. Census Bureau. Figures may not sum to 100% due to rounding. Due to data limitations, figures for Sri Lankans based on single-race population only, regardless of Hispanic origin. Figures for all Asians based on mixed-race and mixed-group populations, regardless of Hispanic origin. See methodology for more detail.
Source: Pew Research Center analysis of 2017-2019 American Community Survey (IPUMS).
Pew Research Center
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