Poverty Headcount Ratio Brief:
Decomposition of Consumption
Poverty
D e part me nt o f C e nsus a nd Statist i cs
M i ni str y of Fi na nc e a nd Pla nn in g - Sri Lanka
29 April ,2014
The poverty headcount ratios are calculated by using Household Income and Expenditure Survey (HIES) data. The Department of Census and Statistics conducts this survey once in three years and the latest survey was in 2012/13. The
latest HIES can be considered as very important milestone as it was able to cover all 25 districts since its inception.
Consumption Poverty
National poverty headcount ratio has declined from 8.9 percent
in 2009/10 to 6.7 percent in 2012/13. Poverty headcount ratios
were lower in 18 districts while it was higher in 4 districts in
2012/13 when compared with 2009/10. Mannar, Mullaitivu and
Kilinochchi districts were successfully covered for the first time
since the inception of the survey. The lowest HCR (1.4%) was
reported from Colombo district while the highest HCR (28.8%)
was reported from Mullaitivu district. (See Table 1)
Poverty Headcunt Ratio(% )
35
22.7
25
20
2009/10*
2012/13
Sri Lanka
8.9
6.7
Colombo
3.6
1.4
Gampaha
3.9
2.1
6.0
3.1
Kandy
10.3
6.2
Matale
11.5
7.8
7.6
6.6
Galle
10.3
9.9
Matara
11.2
7.1
6.9
4.9
Nuwara Eliya
15.2
15
8.9
10
6.7
Hambantota
5
Jaffna
0
1995/96
2002
2006/07
Survey Periods
2009/10
2012/13
Figure1: Poverty headcount ratio by survey periods
45
Poverty Headcount Ratio (% )
Survey Periods
District
Kalutara
28.8
30
Table 1: Poverty headcount ratio by districts2009/10,2012/13
40
35
30
Urban
38.4
30.9
25
20
15
30.0
Rural
32.0
Estate
24.7
14.0
15.7
7.9
10
5
9.4
6.7
0
1995/96
11.4
5.3
10.9
7.6
2.1
2002
2006/07 2009/10 2012/13
Survey Periods
Figure2: Poverty headcount ratio by sector and survey periods
16.1
8.3
-
20.1
2.3
3.4
Mullaitivu
-
28.8
Kilinochchi
-
12.7
Batticaloa
20.3
19.4
Ampara
11.8
5.4
Trincomalee
11.7
9.0
Kurunegala
11.7
6.5
Puttalam
10.5
5.1
Anuradhapura
5.7
7.6
Polonnaruwa
5.8
6.7
Badulla
13.3
12.3
Moneragala
14.5
20.8
Rathnapura
10.5
10.4
Kegalle
10.8
6.7
Mannar
Vavuniya
*Excluding Mannar, Mullaithivu and Kilinochchi districts