Sri Lanka per capita income claim of over $5,000 faces scrutiny after Central Bank figures appear to show a lower dollar value.
* This article is written based on the CBSL data provided below.
Sri Lanka per capita income figures have come under fresh scrutiny after Deputy Minister of Tourism Professor Ruwan Ranasinghe told Parliament that the country’s annual per capita income had exceeded $5,000 for the first time in history.
The statement quickly drew wide media attention, with several outlets treating it as a major headline and reporting it prominently.
However, according to figures shown on the Central Bank’s website, which is updated daily, the claim appears to be questionable.
A screenshot taken from the Central Bank website this morning shows Sri Lanka’s annual per capita income as Rs. 1,364,235.
The dollar value listed was 320.4515.
When the annual per capita income in rupees is divided by the dollar value, the annual per capita income in dollars is calculated as follows:
Rs. 1,364,235 ÷ 320.4515 = $4,257.18
This raises a direct question: who is correct, Deputy Minister of Tourism Ruwan Ranasinghe or the Central Bank?
In an era where data can be checked within seconds, responsible ministers are expected to exercise greater care when making public statements involving national economic figures.
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