Sri Lanka

General Country
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Maldives
Sri Lanka is an island located in the Indian Ocean
Colombo
Sri Lanka southwest of the Bay of Bengal.
Male

Maldives

Population: 21,803,000 (Annual Report Central

Bank, 2019); the sex ratio is 46M:54F (estimates
based on Household Income and Expenditure
Survey (HIES), 2016).

This map is stylized and not to scale. The information shown on this map does
not imply official recognition or endorsement of and physical, political boundaries
or feature names by the United Nations or other collaborative organizations. UN
OCHA and affiliated organizations are not liable for damages of any kind related
to the use of this data.
Child population under 18 years: 6,214,692
(estimates based on HIES, 2016).

Poverty headcount ratio at national poverty lines

(% of population): 4 per cent (HIES, 2016).

About a quarter of the population lives just above

the official poverty line, and is extremely vulnera-
ble to economic shocks.

Literacy rate: 93 per cent (Labour Force Survey,

2018).

Life expectancy at birth: 75.5 years (Annual

Report, Central Bank, 2019).
© UNICEF/UN0220415/2012

Income level: Upper Middle-Income Country

(UMIC); per capita income USD 3,741 (Annual
Report, Central Bank, 2019).

[1] Sources of data include: Department of Census and Statistics

Sri Lanka, Central Bank Sri Lanka and World Bank.
 Sri Lanka Key Indicators on Children

Indicator Value Year Source

7 per 1,000 Demographic and Health

Neonatal mortality 2016 Survey (DHS)
live births

Stunting in under-five children 17% 2016 DHS

Number of children (0-5 years)

14,500 2016 Department of Probation and Child Care
living in residential care

Early Childhood Education

(participation rate of four-year-olds
in organized learning one year 50% 2017 World Bank, Sri Lanka Education Sector
before the official primary school Assessment, 2017
age entrance)

Secondary education net 2016 Estimates based on HIES

86%
enrolment (15-16 years)

Biggest challenges facing children and UNICEF targets for 2018-2022

• Malnutrition remains a major challenge, indicating the acute need for Key priorities in the new Sri Lanka
quality and multi-sectoral services. Rates of acute malnutrition (wasting) Country Programme 2018–2022
are exceptionally high, at 15 per cent (DHS, 2016).
• Reduce the percentage of stunted
• Poor quality at all levels of education, indicating that the education under-five children to 13 per cent.
system is failing to produce skills that are in high demand in a competitive
economy. There are large disparities in learning achievement by province, • Increase net enrolment rates in secondary
gender, income and location. Only around 50 per cent of children can education to 90 per cent.
access pre-school (World Bank, Sri Lanka Education Sector Assessment,
2017).
• Increase the participation rate in organized
learning one year before the official primary
• Varying poverty levels across the country are a major problem. More school age entrance to 80 per cent.
work needs to be done to ensure that children are not denied opportunities
simply because of the family they are born into or where they live.
• Increase the number of children covered
by social protection systems by 5 per cent.
• Corporal punishment is widespread in Sri Lanka. Encouraging steps
have been taken, including the drafting of a Cabinet Policy Paper to ban
corporal punishment, however the Paper is has been pending submission • Reduce the percentage of girls and boys
to Cabinet for a considerable time. There is still no explicit legal ban on the (aged 1-14) who have experienced violent
practice. Existing circulars are poorly enforced and interventions poorly disciplinary practices (target to be
financed. determined).

• Implement the National Action Plan on

• Sri Lanka continues to grapple with ethnic tensions and
Education for Peace and Reconciliation.
misunderstandings. This continues to have a direct effect on national
development. Tensions between social and ethnic groups often begin in
childhood. • Invest in communities by prioritizing the
resilience and adaptability of education,
health and protection services in
• Sri Lanka is ranked the sixth most vulnerable country in the world with communities across Sri Lanka.
respect to the effects of climate change. Children suffer the most from
the direct physical impact of extreme weather.
© UNICEF/UN0220415/2012

Type of UNICEF programme, presence

and partnerships and salient issues

• The Country Programme Document 2018–2022 has a budget of USD 57.24 Country
million (USD 4.74 million regular resources and USD 52.5 million other Management Team
resources).

• Sri Lanka will employ a mix of upstream and downstream strategies i.e. • Tim Sutton, Representative
system strengthening, strengthening generation of disaggregated data and
integrated service delivery at subnational level. • Emma Brigham, Deputy
Representative
• Corporate alliances with major businesses will be pursued with the aim of
advancing child-centred partnerships and policies and to create mutually • Ruthie Pelpola, Operations
beneficial relationships to maximize resources for children. Manager

• Sri Lanka is a pathfinder country for the Global Partnership to End Violence • Jeremy Sprigge, Communication
against Children (GP-EVAC) and is part of the Scale Up Nutrition (SUN) Specialist
movement.
• Hanaa Singer, United Nations
• UNICEF Sri Lanka has established strategic partnerships with the EU and Resident Coordinator
World Bank on Public Finance for Children; the Korea International Coopera-
tion Agency (KOICA) on quality education services; and Australia’s Depart-
ment of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) on Child Centred Disaster Risk
Reduction and Gender Based Violence.