Sri Lanka: The socio-economic situation in Colombo, Kandy, and Galle, including demographics, employment rates, economic sectors, and crime rates, as well as access to housing, education, and health care (2022–July 2024)
1. National Overview
1.1 Demographics
According to Sri Lanka's Department of Census and Statistics (DCS), the total population of the country as of 2021 was [estimated to be] 22,156,000 people, including 11,429,000 women and 10,727,000 men (Sri Lanka [2021]).
Encyclopaedia Britannica indicates that Sri Lanka is "densely" populated, and the "majority" of its people are "poor" and "live in rural areas" (2024-06-16). An Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) report states that approximately 80 percent of Sri Lankans live in rural areas (Australia 2024-05-02, para. 2.6). Encyclopaedia Britannica notes that the movement of people from rural to urban areas has been "slow" in the country (2024-06-16).
According to Encyclopaedia Britannica, three ethnic groups in Sri Lanka—Sinhalese, Tamil, and Muslim—make up "more" than 99 percent of the population, with the Sinhalese constituting "nearly" 75 percent of the inhabitants (2024-06-16). The DFAT report explains that in Sri Lanka, Muslims are considered "both an ethnic and religious group" (Australia 2024-05-02, para. 2.6). Encyclopaedia Britannica indicates that Muslims form a "small but important" segment of the urban and suburban populations of Colombo, Kandy, Puttalam, and Gampaha (2024-06-16).
1.2 Employment Rates
A 2022 estimate from the CIA World Factbook states that 8.775 million people aged 15 and above in Sri Lanka are either employed or seeking employment (US 2024-05-28). Sources note that the unemployment rate was estimated to be 6.18 percent as of 2022 (US 2024-05-28) or 4.3 percent as of the final quarter of 2023 (Sri Lanka 2024-03-21, 3). A DCS Quarterly Bulletin, based on data collected in October through December 2023, indicates that in the country, the "overall" unemployment rate was 6.8 percent for women and 3.1 percent for men (Sri Lanka 2024-03-21, 3).
1.3 Economic Sectors
Encyclopaedia Britannica indicates that the "majority" of Sri Lankans rely on "agriculture for their livelihood" (2024-06-16). The CIA World Factbook indicates that the industries of the country include tourism, clothing and textiles, mining, and the processing of rubber, tea, coconuts, tobacco, and other agricultural commodities (US 2024-05-28). According to the DCS Quarterly Bulletin, during the final quarter of 2023, approximately 48.2 percent of employed people were engaged in the service sector, 26.5 percent in the agriculture sector, and 25.3 percent in the industry sector (Sri Lanka 2024-03-21, 2).
The DFAT report notes that in 2022, the country experienced the "worst economic crisis in its history, resulting in shortages of essential items, lengthy blackouts and hyperinflation, and, with it, major social and political unrest" (Australia 2024-05-02, para. 2.4). According to the DCS, Sri Lanka has faced "one of its biggest economic crises" following the 2019 "Easter Attack" [1] and the situation was "worsened" by the COVID-19 pandemic (Sri Lanka 2023-08-18). The same source, published in 2023, further adds that a "majority" of households continue to "struggle" with managing their "income and other commitments" (Sri Lanka 2023-08-18). Freedom House notes that Sri Lankans have "increasingly" sought to leave the country to "escape the country's economic crisis" (2024-02-29, Sec. G4).
The DCS indicates that as of March 2024, the national poverty line is 16,619 Sri Lankan rupees (LKR) [C$75] per person per month (Sri Lanka 2024-03). The DFAT report states that since 2020, poverty levels have "increased significantly," and the "inflation and income losses" after the economy's collapse in 2022 have "deepened" the "economic vulnerability" of Sri Lankans (Australia 2024-05-02, para. 2.11). An article by Martin Raiser, the World Bank's Vice President for the South Asia Region, indicates that poverty "nearly doubled" in the country between 2021 and 2022, increasing from 13 percent to 25 percent, with urban poverty tripling from 5 to 15 percent during the same period (Raiser 2023-02-27).
1.4 Crime Rates
According to a 2023 organized crime index published by the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime (GI-TOC), "an independent civil-society organization, headquartered in Geneva" (GI-TOC n.d.), human trafficking is a "growing problem" in Sri Lanka, "particularly for workers who are forced into labour in other countries," and cases of "sexual exploitation and child sex tourism have also been reported, with the latter showing a rise in recent years" (2023, 3). The same source indicates that there has been a "surge in serious crimes," which "reflects the country's ongoing struggles with inflation, unemployment and the rising cost of living" (GI-TOC 2023, 3). The GI-TOC 2023 organized crime index reports that "[l]oose criminal networks" which are involved in "drug trafficking, human trafficking, smuggling counterfeit and excise goods" are a "significant" problem in Sri Lanka (2023, 4). The DFAT report notes that criminal groups operate in the country and are involved in the "drug trade" (Australia 2024-05-02, para. 2.73).
The Sri Lankan police report that 37,152 cases of "[g]rave [c]rimes" were recorded in the country from January to December 2022, including the following:
|
Abduction |
Kidnapping |
Arson |
House breaking |
Murder |
Rape of women over 16 years of age |
Property theft over LKR 50,000 [C$228] |
Robbery |
Drug production, trafficking, or possession |
| Total |
582 |
174 |
509 |
8,645 |
559 |
257 |
5,404 |
3,065 |
8,268 |
(Sri Lanka 2022-12-31a)
An analysis by GI-TOC states that, according to Sri Lankan police data, "grave crimes increased by 60 per cent month on month during 2022" (2023-05-05). GI-TOC further states that besides the economy, "the presence of youth gangs, drug and alcohol consumption, unwillingness to report crime, as well as insufficient capacity for recording crimes, are significantly influencing crime trends in Sri Lanka" (2023-05-05).
1.5 Access to Housing
The Morning, a Sri Lankan newspaper, indicates that a [2016] survey conducted by Sri Lanka's Housing and Construction Ministry showed that 216,197 families were "homeless and landless, while another 166,841 families owned only a plot of land" (2024-06-23). Rohan Parikh, the chairperson of the real estate development company Iconic Developments, (EconomyNext 2023-01-09), notes that in Sri Lanka, the housing "shortage has hit the lowest strata of the urban population the hardest" with the "lowest" income groups facing a "housing crisis and, with it, a social crisis" (Parikh 2023-05-21). Advocata Institute, a Colombo-based "independent policy think tank" which conducts research and analysis (Advocata Institute n.d.), indicates that, based on figures from the 2012 Census of Population and Housing Survey, housing demand has increased by 11.9 percent from 2012 to 2022 while housing supply has "only" increased by 9.5 percent, creating a "gap" of "approximately" 3.23 percent or 189,858 housing units (Advocata Institute 2024-02-15).
The World Bank presents the following information on housing conditions in Sri Lanka based on the results from "extensive analysis drawing on the Household Income and Expenditure Survey (HIES) 2016" conducted by the DCS:
| Type of structure |
Percentage of population |
| Single house |
93.6 |
| Slum/shanty |
0.7 |
| Other |
5.7 |
(World Bank 2021, 11, 22)
The National Level Socio-Economic Survey on the country's urban low-income settlements [2], published [after 2020] by Sri Lanka's Urban Settlement Development Authority (USDA) [3], provides the following information:
| Type of Low-Income Housing Units |
Total Units |
Total Families Living in Those Units |
Percentage |
| Shanty housing |
41,560 |
37,362 |
12% |
| Slums housing |
8,925 |
7,415 |
2% |
| Line housing [4] |
106,243 |
84,549 |
29% |
| Scattered housing |
64,369 |
56,651 |
18% |
| Highly vulnerable housing |
43,033 |
43,964 |
12% |
| Other housing |
96,315 |
108,495 |
27% |
(Sri Lanka n.d.a, 6)
1.6 Access to Education
Sources state that the government offers free education from primary to post-secondary levels (Australia 2024-05-02, para. 2.48; Encyclopaedia Britannica 2024-06-16), to "certain professional and technical fields" (Encyclopaedia Britannica 2024-06-16). Sources note that education is "compulsory up to the age of 16" (Australia 2024-05-02, para. 2.48) or that the government regulates that "all children should attend school until grade 9" (Dassanayake 2022-08-07).
Encyclopaedia Britannica states that Sri Lanka has a "relatively well-developed system" of primary and secondary education, with "high rates of student enrollment in most parts of the country" (2024-06-16). However, Freedom House reports that access to educational institutions is "impeded by corruption, with bribes often required to obtain primary school admission" (2024-02-29, Sec. G1).
The DCS indicates that as of 2020, there are 15 universities and 20 higher education institutions in Sri Lanka (Sri Lanka [2021]). Freedom House reports that Tamils experience "systematic discrimination" in university education (2024-02-29, Sec. F4). Corroborating information could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response.
The DFAT report indicates that "over" 92 percent of the population aged 15 and above is literate (Australia 2024-05-02, para. 2.48).
1.7 Access to Health Care
The DFAT report indicates that the public health system is "free for all Sri Lankan citizens and medicines can be accessed free of charge from government-run hospitals in all provinces" (Australia 2024-05-02, para. 2.34). Similarly, the BBC states that Sri Lanka provides "universal healthcare – free health services – to its citizens" and spends 4 percent of its budget on healthcare (2024-03-15).
The BBC reports that Sri Lanka's health system is "dealing with a shortage" of medicines, "problems with counterfeit" drugs, and an "exodus" of healthcare professionals, all stemming from a "devastating economic crisis" (2024-03-15).
The 2021 Annual Health Bulletin (AHB) of Sri Lanka's Ministry of Health presents the following data on the "Health Resource Indicators" in the country:
| Indicator |
Year |
Total |
| Number of hospitals |
2021 |
648 |
| Number of hospital beds |
2021 |
90,240 |
| Hospital beds per 1,000 population |
2021 |
4.1 |
| Nurses per 100,000 population |
2021 |
224.6 |
| Medical officers per 100,000 population |
2021 |
102 |
(Sri Lanka 2024, xxxii)
The CIA World Factbook notes that there were 1.23 physicians for every 1,000 people in 2020, and there were 4.2 hospital beds for every 1,000 people in 2017 (US 2024-05-28).
According to the DFAT report, government-run hospitals in Sri Lanka have mental health units, and medication for treating "mental illness is provided free of charge through the public system" (Australia 2024-05-02, para. 2.43).
A World Bank blog post written by Martin Raiser states that Sri Lanka provides "one of the world's most digitally advanced and free" ambulance services, called "'1990 Suwa Seriya'" (Raiser 2024-03-15). The same source notes that the service launched in 2016 and it has improved healthcare access in "hard-to-reach rural areas," with 63 percent of Suwa Seriya's "emergency calls" placed by rural residents (Raiser 2024-03-15).
2. Colombo
2.1 Demographics
The Western Provincial Council's website states that the Western Province consists of three districts, including Colombo, Gampaha and Kalutara, and that it is the "most socio-economically developed" part of the country (Western Province n.d.). The DFAT report indicates that approximately 30 percent of the country's population lives in the Western Province, including in Colombo, the political and economic capital (Australia 2024-05-02, para. 2.5). The same source adds that Tamils and Muslims have moved from other parts of the country to Colombo in "large" numbers in "search of economic opportunities" (Australia 2024-05-02, para. 3.2).
According to the Sri Lankan Registrar General's Department, the 2023 "mid-year population estimate" for the district of Colombo, based on data from the 2012 census, is 2,460,000, including 1,207,000 men and 1,253,000 women (Sri Lanka 2023). According to the CIA World Factbook, the city of Colombo had an estimated 633,000 residents in its "major" urban areas in 2023 (US 2024-05-28). Encyclopaedia Britannica notes that the Colombo Metropolitan Region is the "domina[nt]" settlement area in Sri Lanka as the region encompasses the legislative capital, Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte, and is the "foremost administrative, commercial, and industrial area" with urban areas outside this region being "much smaller and less" diverse in functions (2024-06-16).
2.2 Employment Rates
According to the 2022 Labour Force Survey (LFS) [5] annual report, conducted by Sri Lanka's Department of Census and Statistics, 94.9 percent of the labour force in Colombo is employed and 5.1 percent is unemployed (Sri Lanka 2023-09-27, 71).
2.3 Economic Sectors
According to the DFAT report, the Western Province is the "most prosperous" settlement, with the Colombo Metropolitan Region generating half of the country's GDP (Australia 2024-05-02, para. 2.9). The 2022 LFS report indicates that 72.4 percent of the employed people in Colombo work in the "services" sector, 25.8 percent in the "industries," and 1.7 percent in the "agriculture" sector (Sri Lanka 2023-09-27, 17). The same source notes that Colombo district has the "highest employment contribution" in the services' sector nationally (Sri Lanka 2023-09-27, 17).
Encyclopaedia Britannica indicates that Colombo's "[g]eneral engineering industries" are linked with "public utilities and with the sale, service, repair, and assembly of motor vehicles and other machinery; light manufacturers process food, drinks, and tobacco" (2023-08-22).
The DCS indicates that as of March 2024, Colombo's poverty line is 17,924 Sri Lankan rupees (LKR) [C$80] per person per month (Sri Lanka 2024-03). Al Jazeera states that according to the DCS, a five-member family in Colombo would require LKR 74,270 [C$332] to fulfil "basic needs" for a month (2022-11-23).
2.4 Crime Rates
The Sri Lankan police report that 1,030 "[g]rave [c]rimes" were committed in Colombo North, 957 in Colombo South, and 651 in Colombo Central from January to December 2022, including the following:
|
Abduction |
Kidnapping |
Arson |
House breaking |
Murder |
Rape of women over 16 years of age |
Property theft over LKR 50,000 |
Robbery |
Drug production, trafficking, or possession |
| Colombo North |
4 |
2 |
1 |
188 |
17 |
2 |
122 |
57 |
493 |
| Colombo South |
2 |
6 |
21 |
178 |
5 |
2 |
178 |
70 |
356 |
| Colombo Central |
4 |
7 |
6 |
188 |
6 |
2 |
188 |
57 |
136 |
(Sri Lanka 2022-12-31b)
According to the 2023 organized crime index published by the GI-TOC, "[c]riminal gangs linked to arms trafficking" operate in the west of the country, including in Colombo (GI-TOC 2023, 3). The Sunday Times, an English language Sri Lanka-based weekly newspaper (GMR & Verité Research 2018-10-23), citing a retired senior [Deputy Inspector General] of police who was "in charge of the division handling crimes and organised crimes," indicates that "most crimes" are being reported from the Southern and Western provinces, with the Western province constituting "around" 40 percent of all crimes nationally (2023-08-27).
2.5 Access to Housing
According to the Urban Development Authority (UDA) of Sri Lanka, [a state agency (The Morning 2024-06-23),] "[o]ver" 50 percent of Colombo's population lives in "shanties, slums or dilapidated old housing schemes," which occupy 9 percent of the city's total land (Sri Lanka n.d.b). Rohan Parikh states that there is a "housing shortage" with "high costs" nationally, and "particularly" in the Colombo Metropolitan area (2023-05-21). The same source further adds that Colombo's "construction costs rank among the highest" in Asia (Parikh 2023-05-21). Advocata Institute indicates that in Colombo, housing demand surged by 10 percent in 2022 while housing supply grew by 7.4 percent, resulting in a shortfall of approximately 26,978 units (2024-02-15).
Al Jazeera, citing a five-member family living in a "small" home in a suburb of Colombo, notes that their rent is approximately 80 percent of their monthly earnings, and the couple struggles to earn such an amount (2022-11-23).
According to the USDA survey on urban low-income settlements, "[o]verall, the majority" of families who are "not entitled to a house" live in Western Province and there are 15,547 such families in Colombo (Sri Lanka n.d.a, 12).
The World Bank presents the following information on housing conditions in Western province:
| Type of structure |
Percentage of population |
| Single house |
93.2 |
| Slum/shanty |
0.8 |
| Other |
6.0 |
(2021, 22)
According to the USDA survey, the "majority" of slums in Sri Lanka are located in Colombo District (Sri Lanka n.d.a, 18). The same source presents the following information on the "categories of underserved settlements" in Colombo:
| Type of Low-Income Housing Units |
Total Units |
Total Families Living in Those Units |
| Shanty housing |
3,413 |
3,059 |
| Slums housing |
6,126 |
5,376 |
| Line housing |
18,642 |
12,444 |
| Scattered housing |
11,303 |
9,759 |
| Highly vulnerable housing |
5,619 |
5,948 |
| Other housing |
3,318 |
11,719 |
(Sri Lanka n.d.a, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 30, 32, 34, 36)
2.6 Access to Education
The 2022 labour force survey indicates that 95.6 percent of people in Colombo aged 10 and above are literate, with male literacy at 96.4 percent and female literacy at 95 percent (Sri Lanka 2023-09-27, 51).
2.7 Access to Health Care
The DFAT report states that Colombo has the "best health services and outcomes" in Sri Lanka (Australia 2024-05-02, para. 2.34). The same source adds that in Colombo, private healthcare is "available" and of "high quality"; however, it is "prohibitively expensive for most Sri Lankans" (Australia 2024-05-02, para. 2.34).
The 2021 AHB of the Ministry of Health presents the following information for Colombo:
| Indicator |
Total |
| Government medical institutions |
34 |
| Number of hospital beds |
14,507 |
| Hospital beds per 1,000 population |
6 |
| Health personnel |
33,565 |
(Sri Lanka 2024, 272, 278)
3. Kandy
3.1 Demographics
The DFAT report notes that Kandy is located in Central Province and is one of the "important urban centres" in the country (Australia 2024-05-02, para. 2.5). According to the Registrar General's Department of Sri Lanka, the 2023 "mid-year population estimate" for Kandy, based on data from the 2012 census, is 1,482,000, including 707,000 men and 775,000 women (Sri Lanka 2023).
3.2 Employment Rates
According to the 2022 LFS report, 93.3 percent of the labour force in Kandy is employed and 6.7 percent is unemployed (Sri Lanka 2023-09-27, 71). The same source notes that Kandy has the second highest unemployment rate of Sri Lanka's districts (Sri Lanka 2023-09-27, 24).
3.3 Economic Sectors
According to the 2022 LFS report, employed people in Kandy work in the following sectors: 53.4 percent in "services"; 25.6 percent in "industries"; and 21 percent in "agriculture" (Sri Lanka 2023-09-27, 17).
The DCS indicates that as of March 2024, Kandy's poverty line was LKR 16,870 [C$76] per person per month (Sri Lanka 2024-03).
3.4 Crime Rates
The Sri Lankan police report that 1,204 "[g]rave [c]rimes" were recorded in Kandy from January to December 2022, including the following:
|
Abduction |
Kidnapping |
Arson |
House breaking |
Murder |
Rape of women over 16 years of age |
Property theft over LKR 50,000 |
Robbery |
Drug production, trafficking, or possession |
| Kandy |
18 |
10 |
11 |
482 |
8 |
12 |
238 |
108 |
89 |
(Sri Lanka 2022-12-31b)
3.5 Access to Housing
The World Bank presents the following information on housing conditions in Central province:
| Type of structure |
Percentage of population |
| Single house |
84.0 |
| Slum/shanty |
0.1 |
| Other |
15.9 |
(2021, 22)
According to the USDA survey on urban low-income settlements, there are 2,957 families in Kandy who "are not currently entitled to a house" (Sri Lanka n.d.a, 12). The same source presents the following information on the "categories of underserved settlements" in Kandy:
| Type of Low-Income Housing Units |
Total Units |
Total Families Living in Those Units |
| Shanty housing |
2,596 |
2,266 |
| Slums housing |
394 |
464 |
| Line housing |
6,417 |
6,060 |
| Scattered housing |
2,033 |
1,456 |
| Highly vulnerable housing |
1,475 |
1,375 |
| Other housing |
13,949 |
14,092 |
(Sri Lanka n.d.a, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 30, 32, 34, 36)
3.6 Access to Education
The 2022 LFS reports a 93 percent literacy rate for the population of Kandy aged 10 and above, with male literacy at 93.8 percent and female literacy at 92.4 percent (Sri Lanka 2023-09-27, 51).
3.7 Access to Health Care
According to the National Hospital Kandy's (NH Kandy) website, the Kandy-based hospital is the "second largest" medical institution in Sri Lanka; it has 964 doctors and 2,741 beds (NH Kandy n.d.).
The 2021 AHB of the Ministry of Health presents the following information for Kandy:
| Indicator |
Total |
| Government medical institutions |
59 |
| Number of hospital beds |
7,594 |
| Hospital beds per 1,000 population |
5 |
| Health personnel |
13,530 |
(Sri Lanka 2024, 272, 278)
4. Galle
4.1 Demographics
The DFAT report notes that Galle [district] is located in Southern Province and is one of the country's "important urban centres" (Australia 2024-05-02, para. 2.5).
According to the Registrar General's Department of Sri Lanka, the 2023 "mid-year population estimate" for Galle, based on data from the 2012 census, is 1,139,000, including 546,000 men and 593,000 women (Sri Lanka 2023).
4.2 Employment Rates
According to the 2022 LFS report, 94.3 percent of the labour force in Galle is employed and 5.7 percent is unemployed (Sri Lanka 2023-09-27, 71).
4.3 Economic Sectors
According to the 2022 LFS report, the employed population in Galle work in the following sectors: 44 percent in "services"; 26.6 percent in "industries"; and 29.4 percent in "agriculture" (Sri Lanka 2023-09-27, 17).
The DCS indicates that as of March 2024, Galle's poverty line is LKR 16,886 [C$76] per person per month (Sri Lanka 2024-03).
4.4 Crime Rates
|
Abduction |
Kidnapping |
Arson |
House breaking |
Murder |
Rape of women over 16 years of age |
Property theft over LKR 50,000 |
Robbery |
Drug production, trafficking, or possession |
| Galle |
7 |
8 |
11 |
224 |
25 |
6 |
138 |
103 |
134 |
(Sri Lanka 2022-12-31b)
According to the 2023 organized crime index by the GI-TOC, "[c]riminal gangs linked to arms trafficking" operate in the south of the country, including in Galle (2023, 3). The Sunday Times, citing the retired senior [Deputy Inspector General] of police, notes that "most crimes" in the country are reported from the Western and Southern provinces, with the Southern province accounting for approximately 15 percent of Sri Lanka's crime rate (2023-08-27).
4.5 Access to Housing
The World Bank presents the following information on housing conditions in Southern province:
| Type of structure |
Percentage of population |
| Single house |
97.6 |
| Slum/shanty |
0.2 |
| Other |
0.2 |
(2021, 22)
According to the USDA survey on urban low-income settlements, there are 6,339 families living in Galle who "are not currently entitled to a house" (Sri Lanka n.d.a, 12). The same source presents the following information on the "categories of underserved settlements" in Galle:
| Type of Low-Income Housing Units |
Total Units |
Total Families Living in Those Units |
| Shanty housing |
1,396 |
1,214 |
| Slums housing |
11 |
231 |
| Line housing |
1,031 |
999 |
| Scattered housing |
13,149 |
13,836 |
| Highly vulnerable housing |
1,261 |
1,343 |
| Other housing |
151 |
129 |
(Sri Lanka n.d.a, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 30, 32, 34, 36)
4.6 Access to Education
The 2022 LFS reports a 93.9 percent literacy rate for the population in Galle aged 10 and above, with male literacy at 93.9 percent and female literacy at 93.8 percent (Sri Lanka 2023-09-27, 51).
4.7 Access to Health Care
The 2021 AHB of the Ministry of Health presents the following information for Galle:
| Indicator |
Total |
| Government medical institutions |
28 |
| Number of hospital beds |
129 |
| Hospital beds per 1,000 population |
4 |
| Health personnel |
9,303 |
(Sri Lanka 2024, 272, 278)
Sources state that the Karapitiya Teaching Hospital [Galle National Hospital] was declared a national hospital in Sri Lanka, becoming the "third" hospital to be granted this status, following the Colombo and Kandy National Hospitals (The Sunday Times 2024-05-26; Daily News 2024-05-24). Daily News, a Sri Lankan media source, citing the Cabinet spokesman, notes that this hospital serves as the "main tertiary" health center to patients in the Southern Province and "adjacent" provinces; "primary and secondary" healthcare institutions in those provinces refer patients to this hospital for "specialist services" (2024-05-24). The Director of Galle National Hospital told the Sunday Times that the hospital had 2,066 beds with approximately 120 medical specialists, 490 junior doctors, and 1,900 nurses as of May 2024 (2024-05-26).
This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim for refugee protection. Please find below the list of sources consulted in researching this Information Request.
Notes
[1] According to CNN, a "series of bombs" exploded in churches and hotels in Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday in April 2019, resulting in the deaths of "at least" 290 people and in hundreds of people injured (CNN [2019-04]). "Several" of those bombs went off inside churches during Easter services in three cities (CNN [2019-04]).
[2] The National Level Socio-Economic Survey collected data on "urban low-income" communities residing "in urban declared areas," reaching a sample of 208 Divisional Secretariat Divisions (Sri Lanka n.d.a, 4).
[3] The Urban Settlement Development Authority (USDA), established in 2008, operates under Sri Lanka's Ministry of Urban Development and Housing (Sri Lanka n.d.c). Its objectives include formulating national policies related to "urban settlement development," ensuring their implementation, and improving "living conditions" in "underserved settlements" (Sri Lanka n.d.c).
[4] Line houses or "'line rooms'" are "[s]mall attached" houses "constructed during the British [colonial] period" in Sri Lanka (UN n.d.). They are "common" forms of houses in plantation areas which are in a state of "disrepair" (UN n.d.).
[5] The Labour Force Survey (LFS) was conducted by the Department of Census and Statistics (DCS) of Sri Lanka to gather information on the labour force, employment, and unemployment among the working age population of 15 years and above (Sri Lanka 2023-09-27, I, 2). The 2022 report was conducted from January to December on a sample size of 25,750 housing units (Sri Lanka 2023-09-27, I, 2).
References
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Advocata Institute. N.d. "About Us." [Accessed 2024-07-05]
Al Jazeera. 2022-11-23. Mohamed Rizwie, Fathima Maryam & Hassaan Shazuli. "'We'll Be Left Without a Home'." [Accessed 2024-06-25]
Australia. 2024-05-02. Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT). DFAT Country Information Report: Sri Lanka. [Accessed 2024-06-25]
British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). 2024-03-15. Anbarasan Ethirajan. "Sri Lankan Parents Spending Hundreds on Children's Leukaemia Meds." [Accessed 2024-07-03]
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