Poverty & Inequality in Sri Lanka

96 indicators covering poverty & inequality for Sri Lanka.

IndicatorLatest Year10-yr change Rank
Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via the World Bank 2 surveys 2025 down 33.3% 76th
Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via 0 surveys per person 2025 down 35.7% 100th
Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via 0 surveys per US$ of GDP 2025 down 47.9% 96th
Fertility rate vs. share living in extreme poverty 1.97 live births per woman 2023 down 9.4% 118th
Cereal yield vs. share in extreme poverty 3,804 kg per hectare 2023 down 0.8% 71st
Cereal yield vs extreme poverty, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP 2023 down 9.1% 90th
Cereal yield vs extreme poverty, annual growth rate 25.42 % change on previous year 2023 up 263.5% 14th
Tax revenues vs income inequality, gaps filled 9.85 2023 down 4.1% 160th
Tax revenue as share of GDP vs. income inequality 9.8% 2023 down 4.1% 160th
Tax revenues vs income inequality, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP 2023 down 12.2% 134th
Tax revenues vs income inequality, annual growth rate 32.5 % change on previous year 2023 up 10,301.1% 5th
Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via 0 % change on previous year 2025 1st
Gender Inequality Index 0.367 2023 down 5.2% 78th
Share of government consumption in GDP vs. share of population living in extreme poverty 14.7% 2023 up 4.4% 138th
Lifespan inequality: Gini coefficient in women 0.0829 2023 down 8.5% 184th
Lifespan inequality: Gini coefficient by sex 0.0829 2023 down 8.5% 184th
Lifespan inequality: Gini coefficient in men 0.1045 2023 down 11.2% 169th
Poverty headcount ratio at $3.00 a day (2021 PPP) 2.7% 2019 down 65.4% 50th
Poverty gap at $3.00 a day (2021 PPP) 0.4% 2019 down 73.3% 65th
Poverty headcount ratio at $4.20 a day (2021 PPP) 11.5% 2019 down 52.5% 44th
Poverty headcount ratio at $8.30 a day (2021 PPP) 53.3% 2019 down 24.8% 37th
Prosperity gap 4 average shortfall from a prosperity standard of $28/day 2019 down 23.1% 43rd
Income inequality: Atkinson index 0.3658 2023 down 9.2% 48th
Poverty gap at $4.20 a day (2021 PPP) 2.2% 2019 down 60.0% 48th
Poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line 22.8% 2019 down 11.3% 52nd
Poverty gap at $8.30 a day (2021 PPP) 17.6% 2019 down 37.1% 40th
Population living in slums 44.7% 2022 down 15.6% 46th
Inequality-adjusted Human Development Index 0.63 2023 up 5.2% 80th
Inequality-adjusted Human Development Index vs. Human Development Index 0.63 2023 up 5.2% 80th
Inequality-adjusted Human Development Index vs. GDP per capita 0.63 2023 up 5.2% 80th
Proportion of population below international poverty line 2.7% 2019 down 65.4% 52nd
Three metrics of inequality 59.11 2016 down 2.5% 35th
Gini coefficient (before tax) 0.5911 2016 down 2.5% 35th
Out-of-pocket expenditure (OOP) per capita in US$ 73.58 2023 up 12.9% 115th
Income share held by second 20% 11.1% 2019 down 4.3% 82nd
Income share held by third 20% 15.0% 2019 down 2.0% 95th
Income share held by fourth 20% 20.8% 2019 down 1.0% 110th
Income share held by highest 20% 45.7% 2019 up 2.9% 37th
Income share held by highest 10% 30.8% 2019 up 4.1% 30th
Income share held by lowest 10% 3.1% 2019 down 6.1% 39th
Income share held by lowest 20% 7.4% 2019 down 5.1% 54th
Gini index 37.7 2019 up 4.4% 43rd
Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income 9.4% 2019 up 20.5% 88th
Total shortfall from extreme poverty 98.27 million international-$ in 2021 prices 2019 down 70.9% 58th
Poverty gap index at $3 a day 0.4% 2019 down 72.3% 65th
Official development assistance grants for poverty reduction, by 0.0332 2024 down 23.1% 106th
Gini coefficient: World Inequality Database vs. World Bank 0.5766 2016 down 2.7% 26th
Income inequality: Gini coefficient before and after tax 0.5766 2016 down 2.7% 26th
Share of gross national income from poverty reduction grants 0.0% 2024 down 25.0% 100th
Use of interpolation and extrapolation on original Gini coefficient data 11,418 2017 up 75.9% 84th
Income share of the richest 10% vs. Gini coefficient (before tax) 49.0% 2016 down 1.4% 28th
Income share of the richest 1% vs. Gini coefficient (before tax) 20.5% 2016 down 3.8% 17th
Proportion of total government spending on essential services, social 26.1% 2016 up 113.1% 59th
Share of population living in extreme poverty vs. GDP per capita 2.7% 2019 down 65.3% 48th
Income inequality vs. GDP per capita 0.3766 2019 up 4.5% 38th
Total population living in extreme poverty by world region 589,870 people 2019 down 63.7% 47th
Share of population living with less than $3 and $4.20 per day 2.7% 2019 down 65.3% 48th
How does extreme monetary poverty compare to multidimensional poverty? 2.7% 2019 down 65.3% 48th
Share in extreme poverty vs. poverty gap index 2.7% 2019 down 65.3% 48th
Distribution of population between different poverty lines 7.57 million people 2019 up 79.2% 56th