• Elderly population rises to 18%
• Colombo records lowest fertility

Sri Lanka’s Total Fertility Rate (TFR) dropped to 1.3, well below the replacement level of 2.1, according to the final report of the 15th Census of Population and Housing, signalling a deepening demographic shift towards an ageing society. 

The report was officially launched on Friday (10) at a media briefing by the Department of Census and Statistics (DCS), in collaboration with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).

The DCS released the report, marking the completion of the country’s most technologically advanced population count to date. For the first time, the census was conducted as a fully digital operation, using smartphones and tablets to collect data from more than 21.7 million people.

The latest figures confirmed a sustained decline in fertility, continuing a downward trend from 3.3 in 1981 and 2.4 in 2012.

Colombo recorded the lowest TFR in Sri Lanka at 1.0, significantly below the national average of 1.3. According to the report, a combination of the country’s highest female age at marriage, higher levels of education, and an employment-focused urban environment were the primary drivers of Colombo’s low fertility rate.

The estate rural sector recorded a TFR of 1.6 and a Total Marital Fertility Rate (TMFR) of 3.2 – both the highest among all residential sectors. This was attributed to earlier entry into marriage, lower levels of educational attainment, and cultural norms within predominant ethnic groups that favoured larger family structures.

While overall fertility remained low, the report indicated that childbearing in Sri Lanka continued largely within marriage. The TMFR stood at 2.7, suggesting that married women, on average, had more children than the national rate.

At the same time, broader social trends appeared to have influenced overall fertility. While 33.3% of ever-married women had given birth to two children, around 10.6% had not had a live birth.

The data also highlighted clear regional and ethnic variations. Sri Lanka Moor women recorded the highest fertility rate at 2.0, followed by women in the estate rural sector at 1.6. In contrast, Sinhalese women recorded the lowest rate at 1.2.

Sri Lanka’s total population stood at 21,781,800, with 28.1% residing in the Western Province. The report pointed to a significant shift in the country’s age structure, with those aged 60 and above accounting for 18% of the population. 

Meanwhile, the proportion of children aged 0–4 had more than halved since 1946, falling to 5.6%. This shift was expected to increase the old-age dependency burden on the working population. 

Labour force participation stood at 47.3%, though a notable gender disparity remained. More than half of economically inactive females were engaged in domestic and caregiving responsibilities, while over 40% of inactive males remained outside the workforce due to education or training. 

In a major social milestone, the national literacy rate had reached 97.4%, with the gender gap effectively closing for the first time since 1881. Male literacy stood at 97.9%, while female literacy was recorded at 97%. 

The report also reflected rapid digital adoption, with computer literacy at 34.7% and digital literacy among those aged five and above reaching 67.6%.

Health data showed a growing burden of non-communicable diseases, with 19.2% of the population reporting at least one chronic condition, including hypertension and diabetes. The prevalence was higher among females at 21.8%, compared to 16.4% among males. 

The census further highlighted changes in household technology and lifestyle. While the use of radios and fixed-line telephones continued to decline, 93.8% of households used mobile phones, and nearly 20% reported using laptops. Motorcycles and scooters had emerged as the most common form of private transport nationwide. 

The report was first presented on Monday (6) at the Presidential Secretariat to President Anura Kumara Dissanayake by DCS Director General K.M.D.S.D. Karunaratne.

Karunaratne stated that extensive measures had been taken to ensure data accuracy. “The census was conducted in a manner that ensured that not a single person would be overlooked or missed, nor would there be any double counting,” she said.

She added that the data had been reviewed multiple times by relevant officials, noting that while no process was entirely free of error, the likelihood of inaccuracies had been minimised. 

The 15th Census of Population and Housing was conducted in 2024 under the legal authority of the Census Ordinance.