October 30, Colombo (LNW): Sri Lanka has emerged as one of the fastest-ageing nations in Asia, with a significant increase in its elderly population over the past decade, according to public health officials.
Consultant Community Physician Dr Nishani Ubeysekara revealed that people aged 60 and above made up 12 per cent of the population in 2012, a figure that has risen to 18% by 2024.
Addressing a press conference organised by the Health Promotion Bureau, Dr Ubeysekara noted that projections indicate one in four Sri Lankans will be elderly by 2040, with the elderly population expected to reach 25 per cent.
She attributed this demographic shift to a combination of higher life expectancy and falling birth rates, adding that these trends place Sri Lanka among the Asian countries experiencing the fastest growth in their ageing populations.
