A report on Sri Lanka's socio-economic data recently released by the Central Bank indicates that while the country achieved an economic growth rate of 5 percent last year, the population declined by 0.7 percent.
The report also notes that the country's population was estimated at 21.75 million by the middle of last year.
It further reveals that the population aged 55 and older rose to 5.19 million, while the population under the age of 14 fell to 4.5 million.
Consequently, the report highlights a significant shift in the gap between the elderly and child populations. According to Central Bank data, the population aged 55 and older stood at 3.8 million in 2018 and grew to 3.84 million by 2024; however, last year, that figure surged to 5.19 million. Furthermore, the Central Bank report indicated that the population aged 0 to 14 stood at 5.47 million in 2018 and declined to 5.53 million in 2024. The report also notes that this figure dropped further to 4.5 million last year.
According to these data, the population aged 55 and above increased by approximately 1.34 million between 2024 and 2025, while the population aged 0 to 14 decreased by approximately 1.03 million.
However, the population data for 2025 presented in this report are based on the 2024 Census of Population and Housing, and the population data for 2024 are likewise based on the 2024 Census of Population and Housing.