Share of population living on less than $4.20 per day vs. share in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: Share of population living on less than $4.20 per day vs. share was 11.5% in 2019. ▼ Falling
Share of population living on less than $4.20 per day vs. share in multidimensional poverty in Sri Lanka, 1985–2019
Source: World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2019, share of population living on less than $4.20 per day vs. share in multidimensional poverty in Sri Lanka stood at 11.5%. That is the lowest value across all 9 years on record.
The figure is down 18.3% on the previous year and down 52.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of population living on less than $4.20 per day vs. share in multidimensional poverty in Sri Lanka peaked at 52.3% in 1985 and was at its lowest, 11.5%, in 2019.
Sri Lanka ranks 42nd of 120 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
Share of population living on less than $4.20 per day vs. share in Sri Lanka, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 52.3% | — |
| 1990 | 50.6% | -3.2% |
| 1995 | 48.0% | -5.1% |
| 2002 | 42.5% | -11.5% |
| 2006 | 30.2% | -29.0% |
| 2009 | 24.2% | -20.0% |
| 2012 | 20.1% | -16.9% |
| 2016 | 14.1% | -29.9% |
| 2019 | 11.5% | -18.3% |
Sri Lanka compared with similar countries
- Sri Lanka's 11.5% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 4.2%, 2.8× the median. (35 countries reporting)
- Sri Lanka's 11.5% is above the median for South Asia, which is 11.5%, 1.0× the median. (5 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 52.3% | 52.3% | 52.3% | 1 |
| 1990s | 49.3% | 48.0% | 50.6% | 2 |
| 2000s | 32.3% | 24.2% | 42.5% | 3 |
| 2010s | 15.2% | 11.5% | 20.1% | 3 |
Countries ranked near Sri Lanka
More poverty & inequality data for Sri Lanka
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via the World Bank 2 surveys (2025)
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via 0 surveys per person (2025)
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via 0 surveys per US$ 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 share of population living on less than $4.20 per day vs. share in multidimensional poverty in Sri Lanka?
- Share of population living on less than $4.20 per day vs. share in multidimensional poverty in Sri Lanka was 11.5% in 2019, according to World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of population living on less than $4.20 per day vs. share in multidimensional poverty recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The highest recorded value was 52.3% in 1985.
- What is the lowest share of population living on less than $4.20 per day vs. share in multidimensional poverty recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The lowest recorded value was 11.5% in 2019.
- How does Sri Lanka rank for share of population living on less than $4.20 per day vs. share in multidimensional poverty?
- Sri Lanka ranks 42nd out of 120 countries with data for 2019.
- Is share of population living on less than $4.20 per day vs. share in multidimensional poverty rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
- Over the last ten years it is down 52.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- 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 Share of population living on less than $4.20 per day vs. share in multidimensional poverty. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Percentage of population living in households with an income or consumption below $4.20 per day.