Experts warn Sri Lanka’s fast ageing population could place immense pressure on healthcare systems and the national economy unless urgent reforms strengthen health management, prevention strategies, and long term demographic planning.
Sri Lanka’s population structure is shifting rapidly, creating new challenges for healthcare planning and national development. According to Professor Manori Weeratunga, President of the Sri Lanka Society of Population Scientists, the country must urgently strengthen its health management system to respond effectively to changing demographic trends and the realities of an ageing society.
Professor Weeratunga shared these insights while addressing the Annual Population Conference 2026 organized by the Sri Lanka Society of Population Scientists at the Sirimavo Bandaranaike Conference Hall in Colombo. Her remarks highlighted the growing importance of population science in shaping Sri Lanka’s long term public health policy and economic planning.
The conference, held under the theme Population Dynamics Challenges and Opportunities, brought together scholars, policymakers, development professionals, researchers, and students. Participants examined demographic change, population ageing, and the broader social and economic implications these trends will bring to Sri Lanka and the region.
During her address, Professor Weeratunga explained that nearly eighteen percent of Sri Lanka’s population is now aged sixty and above. This figure signals a clear acceleration in population ageing, a trend that will reshape healthcare demand, labor markets, and social welfare systems in the coming decades.
She noted that Sri Lanka has made impressive progress in life expectancy through decades of healthcare improvements. However, the next priority should focus on improving healthy life expectancy while tackling the growing burden of chronic non communicable diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, and hypertension.
Professor Weeratunga emphasized that prevention through healthier lifestyles is essential for protecting population health. She also warned that gaps remain in early disease detection and long term health monitoring, areas where Sri Lanka’s healthcare system must improve urgently.
