Distribution of population between different poverty lines in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: Distribution of population between different poverty lines was 7.57 million people in 2019. ◆ Volatile
Distribution of population between different poverty lines in Sri Lanka, 1985–2019
Source: World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in people.
Analysis
Sri Lanka recorded 7.57 million people for distribution of population between different poverty lines in 2019. That is the highest value across all 9 years on record.
The figure is up 10.6% on the previous year and up 79.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, distribution of population between different poverty lines in Sri Lanka peaked at 7.57 million people in 2019 and was at its lowest, 1.03 million people, in 1985.
That places Sri Lanka 56th out of 120 countries with data for 2019, putting it in the middle of the range.
Distribution of population between different poverty lines in Sri Lanka, year by year
| Year | people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 1.03 million people | — |
| 1990 | 1.17 million people | +13.7% |
| 1995 | 1.83 million people | +56.4% |
| 2002 | 3.02 million people | +65.1% |
| 2006 | 4.11 million people | +36.0% |
| 2009 | 4.22 million people | +2.7% |
| 2012 | 5.32 million people | +25.9% |
| 2016 | 6.84 million people | +28.6% |
| 2019 | 7.57 million people | +10.6% |
Sri Lanka compared with similar countries
- Sri Lanka's 7.57 million people is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 8.77 million people, 86% of the median. (35 countries reporting)
- Sri Lanka's 7.57 million people is below the median for South Asia, which is 9.82 million people, 77% of the median. (5 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 1.03 million people | 1.03 million people | 1.03 million people | 1 |
| 1990s | 1.50 million people | 1.17 million people | 1.83 million people | 2 |
| 2000s | 3.79 million people | 3.02 million people | 4.22 million people | 3 |
| 2010s | 6.58 million people | 5.32 million people | 7.57 million people | 3 |
Countries ranked near Sri Lanka
More poverty & inequality data for Sri Lanka
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via the World Bank 2 surveys (2025)
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via 0 surveys per person (2025)
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via 0 surveys per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Fertility rate vs. share living in extreme poverty 1.97 live births per woman (2023)
- Cereal yield vs. share in extreme poverty 3,804 kg per hectare (2023)
- Cereal yield vs extreme poverty, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Cereal yield vs extreme poverty, annual growth rate 25.42 % change on previous year (2023)
- Tax revenues vs income inequality, gaps filled 9.85 (2023)
- Tax revenue as share of GDP vs. income inequality 9.8% (2023)
- Tax revenues vs income inequality, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is distribution of population between different poverty lines in Sri Lanka?
- Distribution of population between different poverty lines in Sri Lanka was 7.57 million people in 2019, according to World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest distribution of population between different poverty lines recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The highest recorded value was 7.57 million people in 2019.
- What is the lowest distribution of population between different poverty lines recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.03 million people in 1985.
- How does Sri Lanka rank for distribution of population between different poverty lines?
- Sri Lanka ranks 56th out of 120 countries with data for 2019.
- Is distribution of population between different poverty lines rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
- Over the last ten years it is up 79.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Sri Lanka data come from?
- The figures come from World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Distribution of population between different poverty lines. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Number of people living in households with an income or consumption above $10 per day.