November 05, Colombo (LNW): The amount of money a person needs each month to meet basic living requirements in Sri Lanka has continued to rise, with the national poverty threshold reaching Rs. 17,742 in September 2026, according to the latest statistics published by the Department of Census and Statistics.
The revised figure highlights the growing financial pressure on households as the cost of securing essential goods and services continues to increase. The official poverty benchmark is used to determine the minimum monthly expenditure required for an individual to cover basic needs, with those spending below this level classified as living in poverty.
However, the financial requirements are not uniform across the country, with significant variations recorded between districts.
Colombo emerged as the district with the highest monthly poverty threshold at Rs. 19,136 per person. Gampaha followed closely at Rs. 19,037, while Kalutara recorded Rs. 18,624.
At the other end of the scale, Monaragala reported the lowest threshold at Rs. 16,965, followed by Badulla at Rs. 17,238 and Hambantota at Rs. 17,315.
The latest figures also offer a clear indication of how dramatically the cost of basic living requirements has changed over the years.
In 2012/13, the national benchmark was just Rs. 5,223 per person per month. It subsequently rose to Rs. 6,117 in 2016 and Rs. 6,966 in 2019, before experiencing a particularly sharp upward movement in more recent years.
By September 2025, the figure had climbed to Rs. 16,413, with a further increase taking it to Rs. 17,742 a year later.
The latest adjustment represents an annual rise of approximately 8.1 per cent. More strikingly, the current poverty threshold is over three times the level recorded in 2019, underscoring the substantial increase in the financial resources required to maintain even a basic standard of living.
The figures provide another indication of the continuing cost-of-living challenges facing Sri Lankan households, particularly those with limited incomes, as essential expenditure takes up an increasingly significant share of household budgets.
