Sri Lanka 2011 Census of Population & Housing Gets Underway

05th April 2011, www.colombopage.com, Photos By Chandana Perera

Sri Lanka today launched the 2011 Census of Population and Housing with Grama Niladaris (Village Officers) affixing a Census label on each dwelling in the country. Accordingly, Colombo Fort - Pettah Grama Niladari Chaminda Caldera listed Sri Lanka President's Official residence in Colombo, Fort as No 001.

The 14th comprehensive census enumeration of population and housing launched today after achieving peace in 2009 will be covering the whole island for the first time in 30 years.

Sri Lanka has been conducting census every ten years since 187. However the last complete census was conducted in 1981 and the census scheduled for 1991 was not conducted due to the ethnic unrest in Northern and Eastern provinces. The 2001 census was carried out in 18 out of the 25 district.

The Director General of the Census and Statistics Department says that around 1.4 billion rupees are expected to be spent on the census, which is to be conducted using latest technology.

Sri Lanka expects its population to grow by about 222,000 every year to an optimum of about 24 million by 2041. Sri Lanka's current population is 20.6 million.

The census would give valuable information on demographic and other related characteristics, useful to planners, policy makers, administrators, researchers, and other data users, the government says.

The government asks the general public to assist the Department of Census and Statistics by allowing Grama Niladari or any other authorized officer to affix the label either on the frame of the front door or in any other prominent place near the front door and not remove it until the end of the year.

Authorities emphasized that the reliability and accuracy of statistical data will depend entirely on the accuracy of the information provided by the general public.

Image: Director General of Census and Statistics Department, Mrs. D. B. P. Suranjana Vidyaratne is seen here explaining the procedure to the President Mahinda Rajapaksa in the presence of District Secretary of Colombo Somapala Hapuarachchi and several other officials of the Department.

Related Info :

• Sri Lanka's First Post War Year Achieves GDP Growth Rate of 8pct. 2009 only 3.5pct. Highest Ever Achieved Since Independence was 8.2pct in 1968 & 1978

Sri Lanka Records 8pct Q3 GDP Growth. Second Highest Ever Quarterly Record

16th December 2010, www.dailynews.lk

The economic output of Sri Lanka as measured by Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for the Q3 (July-September), of 2010 at constant (2002) prices is estimated at Rs 690.7 billion as against Rs 639.3 billion in the Q3 of 2009, registering an eight percent growth rate the Census and Statistics Department said yesterday.

This growth rate is noteworthy as it is the second highest ever recorded quarterly GDP growth since 2002. The three major sectors of the economy namely, Agriculture, Industry, and Services registered significant growth rates as 6.2 percent, 8.8 percent and eight percent respectively, in the Q3 of 2010 over the same quarter of previous year. The percentage share of the three major sectors, the Agriculture, Industry, and Services to the total GDP reported as 12.0 percent, 28.5 percent and 59.5 percent respectively.

The “Agriculture, forestry, and fishing” sector showed a 6.2 percent growth during the Q3 of 2010 as against the growth of (-) 0.5 percent during the same quarter previous year. The growth rate of tea production is registered as two percent for the Q3 2010 as against (-) 2.1 percent for the Q3 2009. The value added of rubber production grew by 15.9 percent for this quarter as against the (-) 3.4 percent the same quarter of the last year.

The real terms value added of the industry sector grew by 8.8 percent in the Q3 2010 against 4.4 percent growth in Q3 of 2009. The manufacturing sector which is the largest portion of industry sector grew by 6.5 percent in the Q3 of 2010.

The higher growth of factory industry was supported by the higher growth of Chemicals, Petroleum, rubber and plastic products by 9.8 percent, Non-metallic mineral products by 11.3 percent and Fabricated metal machinery and equipment by 9.7 percent and Textile, wearing apparel and leather products by 3.2 percent.

Construction sub sector grew by 11.3 percent in the Q3 of 2010 as against 6.4 percent growth in the same quarter previous year. This Q3 growth is the highest ever recorded quarterly growth achieved since 2002.

The overall service sector marked eight percent growth in the Q3 2010 against 5.1 percent growth in the same quarter of 2009 marking the ever highest growth in a third quarter since 2002. This recorded 8 percent high growth in Q3 2010 has been boosted by the promising higher growth of its major sub sectors such as Hotels and restaurants by 32.2 percent, Transport and communication by 12.4 percent, Banking, insurance and real estate by 8.5 percent, and Wholesale and retail trade by 7.7 percent.

The export trade sector grew by 1.2 percent at constant prices for the Q3 2010. According to trade indices of CBSL, export volume and export price level increased by 0.9 percent and by 4.7 percent respectively during the reference quarter.

The import trade sector grew by 11.8 percent in the reference period as against a 1.5 percent drop in the same quarter of the previous year. Domestic trade sector grew by 7.7 percent in the Q3 2010.

Related Info:
Sri Lanka Records Highest GDP Growth of 8.5pct since 2002. All Three Major Sectors Register Significant Growth

Sri Lanka Records Highest GDP Growth of 8.5pct since 2002. All Three Major Sectors Register Significant Growth

17th September 2010, www.news.lk

Sri Lanka recorded an economic growth rate of 8.5 percent in the second quarter of 2010, the highest ever recorded quarterly GDP growth since 2002.

According to the figures released by the Department of Census and Statistics, the economic output of Sri Lanka as measured by Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for the second quarter(April-June), of 2010 at constant (2002) prices is estimated at Rs. 635.0 Billion as against Rs. 585.5 Billion in the corresponding period of yester year, registering an 8.5 percent growth rate.

The report says that all three major sectors of the economy Agriculture, Industry, and Services registered significant growth rates of 5.1 percent, 9.2 percent and 8.8 percent respectively, in the same period.

The Agriculture sector contributed 11.9 percent to the total GDP while Industry was responsible for 28.1 percent and Services accounted for 60.0 percent of the total. Within the Agriculture Sector Minor Export Crops grew by 20.7 percent, Paddy by 10.3 percent and Fishery by 18.3 percent as the agricultural activities in the war-ravaged Northern and Eastern provinces picked up and fishing restrictions eased.

The report noted that the marine fish production increased by 134.1 percent in the Northern Province and by 45.8 percent in the Eastern Province while overall fish production in other regions except the North and the East decreased by 2.1 percent in the second quarter as more fishermen from the South migrated to North. The Services sector posted a substantially higher growth rate of 8.8 percent higher over the 1.2 percent recorded a year earlier.The Census and Statistics Department attributes the growth in the Q2 2010 due to the recovery of its major sub sectors such as Wholesale & retail trade, Hotels & restaurants and Transport & communication. Hotels and restaurant sector has experienced significant growth of 25.2 percent in Q2 as opposed to a negative 0.4 percent for the same period last year. Tourists arrivals have jumped from 81,027 in the Q2 2009 to 118,243 in the Q2 2010 indicating a 45.9 percent increase.

Reduction of import duty on vehicles in the latter part of the quarter contributed to an increase of 78.6 percent in the total number of new vehicles registered in Q2 as opposed to a 36.2 percent decline in the same quarter of previous year.