Chinese people in Sri Lanka
Chinese people in Sri Lanka or Sri Lankan Chinese (Sinhala: ශ්රී ලාංකික චීන; Tamil: இலங்கை சீனர்கள்), are Sri Lankan citizens of full or partial Chinese descent born or raised in Sri Lanka. Most trace their origins to Hakka and Cantonese migrants from the southern coastal regions of China and other Han migrants from Hubei and Shandong who migrated to Sri Lanka in the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries.
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| ~3,500 Sri Lankan Chinese (2001) (less than 0.20% of the population) | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Majority: Colombo Minority: Negombo, Kandy, Kurunegala, Matugama, Galle and Trincomalee | |
| Languages | |
| majority Sinhala, but historically Hakka, Cantonese and other varieties of Chinese | |
| Religion | |
| Theravada Buddhism | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Chinese people in India and Southeast Asia and Sinhalese people |
Intermarriage between Sri Lankans, mostly Sinhalese women, and ethnic Chinese men is very common and they have adopted the culture, language and integrated into broader Sri Lankan society. As a result, the vast majority of Sri Lankan Chinese have partial Sinhalese ancestry. Approximately 80% of Sri Lankan Chinese live in Colombo and are mainly involved in the dental trade, textile retail, hotel and restaurant industries. In the past, some younger generations of Sri Lankan Chinese left the country due to political instability. Additionally, a fair amount of Sri Lankan Chinese have at times migrated to other countries such as the United Kingdom, the United States and Australia.