Sri Lanka is witnessing a dramatic drop in births, with official data showing the number of registered live births fell from about 328,400 in 2018 to 220,761 in 2024, recording nearly a 33% decline.

The Department of Census and Statistics reports a fall in new births compared to the period before the COVID-19 pandemic, marking the lowest birth figures in decades.

Officials have voiced alarm over the trend. In late 2023, Education Minister Susil Premajayantha cited Health Ministry data showing a steep decrease in annual births and warned of long-term consequences for the country’s schools and workforce.

Experts attribute the birth decline to a combination of factors. Sri Lanka’s fertility rate has been trending downward for years, reflecting smaller family size preferences and later childbearing. That long-term decline was exacerbated by recent crises.

The COVID-19 pandemic and a subsequent economic collapse in 2022 created a double shock that led many couples to postpone marriages and pregnancies. (Newswire)

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Health Minister Nalinda Jayatissa has confirmed a decline in birth rates in Sri Lanka, stating that current demographic trends may not justify assigning a Family Health Officer to every Grama Niladhari Division.

He made the remarks in Parliament in response to a request by the Opposition Leader, who called for the size of Family Health Service Divisions to be reduced in line with modern family needs.

Minister Jayatissa added that a scientific assessment of the situation is currently underway.

He also noted that, under the Family Health Bureau, a large number of maternal and child health clinics are being renovated or newly constructed to strengthen healthcare services. (Newswire)

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The Chinese government will offer parents subsidies of 3,600 yuan ($500, €429) per child under the age of three per year, Beijing’s state media said Monday.

China’s population has declined for three consecutive years, and the world’s second most populous nation — after India — is facing an emerging demographic crisis.

The number of births in 2024 — 9.54 million — was half as many as in 2016, the year that ended its one-child policy that was in place for more than three decades.

Marriage rates in China have also hit a record low. Young couples put off having babies due to the high cost of raising children and career concerns.

Provinces push to raise birth rates

More than 20 provincial-level administrations in China now offer childcare subsidies, according to official data.

In March, Hohhot, the capital of Inner Mongolia in northern China, started giving families money to have more children. Couples with three or more children can get up to 100,000 yuan for each new baby.

In Shenyang, in northeastern Liaoning province, local authorities give families who have a third child 500 yuan per month until the child turns three.

In order to create a “fertility-friendly society”, China’s southwestern Sichuan province is proposing to increase marriage leave from 5 to 25 days, and more than double the current 60-day maternity leave to 150 days.

A positive step, but limited impact

Analysts said the subsidies are a positive step, but warned they won’t be enough on their own to reverse China’s population decline or lift its sluggish domestic spending.

Zhiwei Zhang, president and chief economist at Pinpoint Asset Management, told Reuters that the new subsidy showed the government had recognized the “serious challenge” that low fertility poses to the economy.

Zichun Huang, China economist at Capital Economics, said the policy marked a “major milestone” in terms of direct handouts to households and could lay the groundwork for more fiscal transfers in the future.

But he also said the sums were too small to have a “near-term impact on the birth rate or consumption.”

“For young couples who just got married and already have a baby, it might actually encourage them to consider having a second child,” Wang Xue, a mother to a nine-year-old son from Beijing, told AFP.

But she said the new measures would not be enough to convince her to have a second child.

“Having one child is manageable, but if I had two, I might feel a bit of (financial) pressure,” the 36-year-old told AFP. (DW)

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The annual birth rate in Sri Lanka has reported a significant drop, according to Consultant Paediatrician Dr. Deepal Perera.

Deepal Perera revealed Sri Lanka’s annual birth rate has reduced from 350,000 to 250,000. 

He said that it has also come to light that apart from autism, children are also more vulnerable to diseases like cancer and diabetes. 

Deepal Perera emphasized that as such, under the current circumstances, children need to be protected. (Newswire)

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An imbalance has been reported between the annual birth and death rates in Sri Lanka since the year 2020, according to the latest findings of the Registrar General’s Department. 

Senior Deputy Registrar General, Attorney-at-Law Lakshika Ganepola said the annual birth rate has dropped, while the annual death rate has increased since 2020. 

Stating that the annual birth rate before 2020 was at around 325,000, Ganepola revealed that it had significantly decreased to 280,000 within the last three years.

She further said that, however, the annual death rate which was around 140,000 before 2020 has now increased to around 180,000 within the last three years. 

As per the latest findings by the Registrar General’s Department, it is expected that the imbalance between the annual birth and death rates could negatively impact the population of Sri Lanka. 

Meanwhile, a recent report by the Central Bank of Sri Lanka has also reported a 0.6% drop in the population of Sri Lanka, from 22.2 million in 2022 to 22 million in 2023. 

As per the report, the annual birth rate which was reported at 1.93% in 2007 has dropped to 1.12% in 2023, while the annual death rate which was at 0.59% in 2007 has increased to 0.82% in 2023.

The CBSL report also disclosed an imbalance between the annual birth and death rates of Sri Lanka.

Parliamentarian Udaya Gammanpila also recently highlighted the imbalance between Sri Lanka’s birth and death rates, pointing out that younger people leaving the country was a key contributing factor. 

Addressing the media, MP Gammanpila said that Sri Lanka will face a situation of more senior citizens compared to younger citizens in the future unless action is taken to retain the younger generation to prevent the impacts of the imbalance. (Newswire)

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Sri Lanka will face a significant decline in its population in the future due to a drop in birth rate, Emeritus Professor of Demography at the University of Colombo, Prof. Indralal de Silva said. 

According to Ada Derana, Prof. de Silva has identified the current drop in the birth rate in Sri Lanka by 25% as one of the key reasons for the future population decline. 

Stating that the number of births recorded in Sri Lanka in 2022 shows a decreased figure of 90,000 compared to that recorded in 2013, he pointed out that the current birth rate is approaching the number of deaths.

Prof. de Silva also warned that this situation can further deteriorate due to the country’s youths migrating overseas. (NewsWire)

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Sri Lanka has reported a significant decrease in annual birth rate between 2019 and 2022, according to the Department of Census and Statistics.

According to Ada Derana, despite a continuous decrease in birth rates since 2014, data shows a drastic drop in Sri Lanka’s annual birth rate between 2019 to 2022.

The department states a total of 268,920 births have been reported as of 01 July 2023, while a total of 275,321 births were reported in 2022. 

A decrease of 6,401 in the number of registered births has been reported in 2023 compared to 2022, it added.

Revealing data on the previous years,  the department said 284,848 births were reported in 2021, while over 300,000 births were recorded in 2020.

Various reasons, such as social and economic constraints, birth control plans, family planning methods and global pandemics are deemed to have contributed towards peoples’ decisions to not have children. (NewsWire)

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