Pew Research Center surveyed 13,122 adults across six countries in Asia about religious identity, beliefs, and practices, using nationally representative methods. Interviews were conducted face-to-face in Cambodia, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and Thailand. They were conducted on mobile phones in Malaysia and Singapore. Local interviewers administered the survey from June to September 2022, in eight languages.

This survey is part of the Pew-Templeton Global Religious Futures project, a broader effort by Pew Research Center to study religious change and its impact on societies around the world. The Center previously has conducted religion-focused surveys across sub-Saharan Africa; the Middle East-North Africa region and many countries with large Muslim populations; Latin America; Israel; Central and Eastern Europe; Western Europe; India; and the United States.

This survey includes three countries in which Buddhists make up a majority of the population (Cambodia, Sri Lanka, and Thailand); two countries with Muslim majorities (Malaysia and Indonesia); and one country that is religiously diverse, with no single group forming a majority (Singapore). We also are surveying five additional countries and territories in Asia, to be covered in a future report.

Pew Research Center has produced a supplemental syntax file containing SPSS code to generate common analytic variables in the survey's corresponding report and toplines. The ARDA has provided this syntax in a copyable PDF document as an additional download.

Abstract

A Census of Population and Housing is the single most extensive statistical undertaking of a country. In order to plan and implement programmes and activities, statistics are needed by the Government administrators of various levels, private users, research organizations and the general public.

The 1971 Census was conducted under the Census Ordinance N0. 9 of 1900. (Chapter 143) According to that it shall be lawful for the Minister from time to time by order published in the Gazette, to direct that a census be taken of the population, agriculture (including animal husbandry ) trade, labour, industry or commerce or such other matters as he may deem necessary for ascertaining the social, civil or economic conditions of the inhabitants of Ceylon. The CPH 1971 has been designed to collect various information about the characteristics of the population and the households in Sri Lanka.

The CHP1971 provides

a. Reliable and detailed benchmark statistics on the size, distribution and composition of population.

b. Information pertaining to the characteristics of the housing units.

c. Information on the characteristics of the households

Geographic coverage

National coverage

Analysis unit

(1) Individuals (2) Households

Universe

CPH 1971 covered all residents in each household and all units in each census block.

Population census did not cover diplomats.

Kind of data

Census/enumeration data [cen]

Mode of data collection

Face-to-face [f2f]

Research instrument

A main area for the advance preparations for the 1971 Census was the redesigning of Population and Housing schedules in order to minimize the time required for coding the data. One of the reasons for the delay in tabulation of information from the earlier censuses particularly the 1953 and 1963 censuses was the inordinately long time taken at the Head Office to code the information before punching the information on cards. With a view to avoiding such delays it was decided to have as much of the coding as possible done in the field itself by the enumerators. Topics such as Sex, Marital Status, Religion, Ethnic Group etc; which consist of a few well defined categories could be easily entered on the schedules in the form of codes. A schedule designed for the purpose of was tested at the first Pilot Census. In this schedule, however, the codes for each category were shown at the bottom of the schedule and hence the enumerator had to frequently shift his eyes up and down between the cage in which the entry was to be made and the section at the bottom of the schedule showing the codes. This proved to be the somewhat strenuous and time consuming. Some of the codes were easily remembered by the enumerator e.g. Male 1, Female 2. But in the case of other items like Ethnic Group & Marital Status which contain more than 4 or 5 categories, the possibility of some mixing up of codes existed, leading to inaccuracy. On the basis of experience of the first Pilot Census, the schedule was redesigned and the codes were shown against the question in respect of which answers were sought from the respondents and the enumerators required to indicate the answers by circling the appropriate code. This layout of the schedule eliminated errors resulting from marking of a wrong code which was possible in the case of schedules used at the first Pilot Census.

A similar procedure, however, could not be adopted in respect of such topic as educational attainment, occupation and industry, in respect of which the number of possible entries were quite large. In these cases the enumerator wrote down the answers and the coding was done later, in the office, by specially trained coding staff. The Housing schedule was also designed on the same basis.

The schedule which contained the item in respect of which information was collected from all persons in the country was called the Population Schedule (General) and was printed on white paper to distinguish it from the Population Schedule (Special) printed on pink paper. The Population Schedule (Special) contained in addition to those on the Population Schedule (General) items which were to be collected from a sample only. The Housing Schedule was printed on blue paper.

Cleaning operations

The Census Schedules, on receipt in the Head Office, were checked for any possible shortages and then edited and coded where necessary by specially trained staff, prior to being passed on to the Data Processing Division, for punching and tabulation.

Computer Editing Before the punched cards were transferred to the computer room for processing, certain manual checks for control figures and sight checks were carried out administrative regions. A comprehensive editing procedure was done on the computer. The computer program which checked the records comprised of five basic edits. They were : 1. Checking to ensure that all data was numeric 2. Checking the validity of numerical codes entered for descriptive data 3. Checking the range of codes 4. Checking the consistency of related data 5. Checking and imputation of a limited amount of data for omissions.

Editing to ensure that all data was numeric enabled the detection of errors occurring due to punching and verifying machine faults. All the other edits provided a complete check for validity and consistency of the records. Only records which satisfied all edit checks were written on tape while the error records were appropriately printed by districts. These error lists were referred to the appropriate division for correction. The corrected records were re-punched and passed through the edit program again. This procedure was adopted for each district until no errors were printed. At the commencement of processing 4 error lists for each district were referred back, but with experience gained in the correction of error lists, the reference was cut down to two lists

This data set include Sri Lanka census of population and housing 2012 with sex age and religion dis-aggregated data up to GND (4th Admin) level . This data set is shared by Disaster Management Centre of Sri Lanka during the 2016 flood response only for humanitarian response/agency purposes and updated with population projection up to 2022 by WFP and UNOCHA.

Sri Lanka LK: Sex Ratio at Birth: Male Births per Female Births data was reported at 1.043 Ratio in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 1.042 Ratio for 2016. Sri Lanka LK: Sex Ratio at Birth: Male Births per Female Births data is updated yearly, averaging 1.042 Ratio from Dec 1962 (Median) to 2017, with 21 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 1.046 Ratio in 1987 and a record low of 1.035 Ratio in 1967. Sri Lanka LK: Sex Ratio at Birth: Male Births per Female Births data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Sri Lanka – Table LK.World Bank.WDI: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Sex ratio at birth refers to male births per female births. The data are 5 year averages.; ; United Nations Population Division. World Population Prospects: 2017 Revision.; Weighted average;

Attitudes towards religion and religious practice

Topics: Assessment of personal happiness; satisfaction with relationships with family members; attitudes towards extramarital sex; attitudes towards homosexual relationships between adults; attitudes towards abortion if family has very low income; gender roles in marriage; institutional trust (parliament, business and industry, churches and religious organisations, courts and legal system, schools and educational system); attitudes towards the influence of religious leaders on voters; attitudes towards science and religion (too much trust in science and too little religious faith, more conflicts through religions than peace, intolerance of people with strong religious convictions); assessment of the power of churches and religious organisations in the country; acceptance of a person from different religion as spouse of a relative (social distance); attitudes towards freedom of expression for religious extremists in public meetings, on the Internet and in social media; doubt or firm belief in God (scale deism); past or present belief in God; belief in life after death, heaven, hell, religious miracles and supernatural powers of deceased ancestors; attitude towards a higher truth and the meaning of life (God concerns himself with human beings, people can do little to change life (fatalism), life is meaningful because God exists, life does not serve any purpose, own actions give meaning to life, own way in connecting with God without church or worship services); Opinion on gender equality in one´s own religion; religion of mother and father in the respondent´s childhood; religion the respondent raised in; frequency of church attendance by father and mother in the respondent´s childhood; personal frequency of church attendance at the age of 11-12; frequency of prayers; frequency of participation in church activities (apart from attending church services); read or listened to religious scriptures outside of church services in the last 12 months (e.g. Bible, Koran, Torah or other religious scriptures); shrine, altar or religious object (e.g. cross) in the respondent´s home; frequency of visiting a holy place (shrine, temple, church or mosque) for religious reasons; self-assessment of religiousness and spirituality; religion helps people to make friends and to gain comfort in difficult times; religions are a barrier to equality between women and men; opinion on the separation of state and religion (government should not interfere with attempts of religion to spread); opinion on the peaceful coexistence of people belonging to different religions; religion represents the past and not the future; religion is as relevant to life today as in the past; personal attitude towards different religious groups (Christians, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, Jews, atheists or non-believers); self-assessment of health status.

Optional items (not in all countries): born-again experience; feelings about the Bible; new commitment to religion after a turning point; belief in lucky charms, fortune tellers, faith healers and horoscopes; decision criteria for personal actions (laws or religious principles); perceived threat of people belonging to different groups (Christians, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, Jews, non-believers); people can be trusted vs. can´t be too careful in dealing with people; belief in reincarnation and Nirvana; country’s laws should not be based on religion.

Demography: sex; age; year of birth; years of full-time schooling; country specific highest completed degree of education; highest completed degree of education (derived from country specific degree) ; current or former employment status; hours worked weekly; employment relationship; supervision of other employees; number of other employees supervised; type of organisation: for-profit vs. non-profit and public vs. private; occupation (ISCO/ILO-08); main status; living in steady partnership; trade union membership; religious affiliation or denomination (country specific); groups of religious denomination (derived from country specific religion); attendance of religious services; top-bottom self-placement; vote participation in last general election; country specific party voted for in last general election; left-right scheme of party voted for in last general election (derived from country-specific parties); ethnic group 1 and 2 (country specific); household size; household composition: number of adults in the household; number of children above school entry age in the household; number of children below school age in the household; personal income (country specific); household income (country specific); legal partnership status; father´s and mother´s country of birth (migration background); place of living: urban – rural; region (country specific).

Information about spouse/ partner on: current or former employment status; hours worked weekly; employment relationship; supervision of other employees; occupation...

Interaction of chronic illnesses and religion towards the mean per capita income.