Sri Lanka: Fewer births, rapid ageing mark a new demographic era

Sri Lanka is quietly entering a new chapter in its history — one marked by fewer babies, longer lives, and a rapidly ageing population.

- BY IFHAM NIZAM

According to the preliminary findings of the 2024 Census of Population and Housing, released in Colombo this week, the island's total population now stands at 21,763,170, an increase of just over 1.4 million since 2012. But beneath that modest rise lies a dramatic story: Sri Lanka's annual population growth rate has dropped to just 0.5 percent, the lowest in decades.

For the Department of Census and Statistics (DCS), which carried out the massive nationwide operation with technical support from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the numbers tell a story that goes far beyond statistics.

"This is more than a release of data — it's a mirror held up to our nation," said Shyamalie Karunaratne, Director General of DCS, speaking at the event held on Thursday in Colombo. "It tells us who we are becoming as a people, and how our future must be shaped with evidence and empathy."