Sri Lanka to conduct population, housing census 

COLOMBO: A Gazette notification has been issued by President Ranil Wickremesinghe, to carry out a census of population and housing in Sri Lanka for 2023 and 2024.

The President, in his capacity as the Minister of Finance, Economic Stabilization and National Policies, has directed that a Census of Population and Housing of Sri Lanka be taken in the years of 2023 and 2024, by the powers vested in him by Section 2 of the Census Ordinance (Chapter 143).

The Department of Census and Statistics (DCS) had planned to conduct the 15th population and housing census of the country in the year 2021.

However, the government had taken steps to postpone it due to the Covid-19 pandemic situation.

The first population and housing census in Sri Lanka was conducted in 1871 and the last population and housing census was conducted in 2012.

A population and housing census is usually conducted every ten years.