The Department of Census and Statistics (DCS) in Sri Lanka launched the report of the national Multidimensional Poverty Index and child Multidimensional Poverty Index in April 2023 as official statistics to guide poverty reduction in Sri Lanka. This MPI is based on data from the Household Income and Expenditure Survey 2019. The report is published in English, Sinhala and Tamil. Prior to the launch of the report a policy brief of the results had been published in 2021.  

• Department of Census and Statistics, OPHI & UNICEF (2023). Sri Lanka’s Multidimensional Poverty Index 2019 Results: National and Child Analysis.  

• (Policy brief version) DCS, OPHI and UNICEF (2021). Multidimensional Poverty in Sri Lanka. Department of Census and Statistics (DCS) of the Government of Sri Lanka, Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI), and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). Colombo.

Poverty Cut-Off: A person is considered poor in the national MPI if they are deprived in 33.3 per cent/1/3 or more of the 10 weighted indicators. A child is considered poor in the linked child MPI if they are deprived in one dimension or 25% or more of the 12 weighted indicators. 

The annual global MPI produced by the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative in partnership with the Human Development Report Office of the United Nations Development Programme is an internationally comparable index of acute multidimensional poverty. OPHI publishes Country Briefings summarising poverty statistics of the global MPI for each country. 

Visit the most recent Global MPI Country Briefing for Sri Lanka based on SLDHS year 2016. 

Official institution responsible for statistics  

• Department of Census and Statistics (DCS)

Additional materials  

• UNDP (2023). Understanding Multidimensional Vulnerabilities: Impact on People of Sri Lanka

Events

• 15 February 2022 | Intervention by Diana Dilshanie Deepawansa, Deputy Director, Department of Census and Statistics at Side-Event at United Nations Statistical Commission 53

News

• 26 June 2010 | Results of OPHI’s Missing Dimensions Modules Pilots in Sri Lanka and Nigeria
• 12 May 2024 | Harnessing District-Level Data to Measure and Address Multidimensional Vulnerabilities

Dimensions articles  

• October 2023 | Revealing Sri Lanka’s Multidimensional Poverty | MPPN

• October 2023 | Sri Lanka launches a child MPI directly linked to its national MPI | MPPN 

VNRs  

• In 2018 Sri Lanka reported on multidimensional poverty using estimates based on 2012/13 data.