Sri Lanka’s population declines for first time in 12 years
Posted on May 8th, 2024
Courtesy NewsIn.Asia
May 8 (AdaDerana) – Sri Lanka has shown a significant drop in annual birth rate while the number of annual deaths has increased since 2020, the Registrar General’s Department revealed.
The Senior Deputy Registrar General, Attorney-at-Law Lakshika Ganepola stated that the number of annual births which was around 325,000 before 2020 has now decreased to 280,000.
Meanwhile, the number of annual deaths has increased to around 180,000, which was 140,000 before 2020, as per reports.
The Registrar General’s Department points out that this situation will adversely affect Sri Lanka’s population growth.
In another survey, Professor Wasantha Athukorala, who participated in the survey from the Department of Economics and Statistics of the University of Peradeniya, revealed that Sri Lanka’s population dropped by 144,000 in 2023 compared to 2022. That is a 0.6% decrease.
The survey data suggests a combination of factors contributing to this decline.
These include an increase in the death rate, a decrease in the birth rate, and a rise in emigration.
Compared to the previous year, the number of births in 2023 fell by 27,421. The number of deaths has gone up by 8%.
The report also indicates a decrease of 19,784 marriages.