One-fourth of Sri Lanka’s population living in poverty - Minister Upali Pannilage
March 13, 2026 03:11 pm
According to the Ministry of Rural Development, Social Security and Community Empowerment, one-fourth of Sri Lanka’s population is currently living in poverty.
Minister Upali Pannilage stated that nearly 80% of those affected by poverty reside in rural areas, emphasizing that rural poverty should be eradicated first.
The Minister noted that the causes of poverty should be identified within each Grama Niladhari Division and that representatives of the Community Development Councils should jointly prepare development plans accordingly.
He further stated that the ongoing military tensions in the Middle East have had certain impacts on the global economy.
However, he said that measures taken to strengthen the country’s economy over the past 15 months have helped minimize the effects on Sri Lanka.
Minister Pannilage also stressed that if the country had not taken steps to strengthen the economy during that period, it could have led to a new “era of queues” experienced in the past.
