Official statistics show registered marriages have dropped by about 28% since 2010, while annual live births have fallen by more than 100,000 since 2019.
Sri Lanka has recorded a sustained decline in registered marriages and live births, raising long-term questions about population ageing, labour-force growth and demand for social services.
Registered marriages fell from 200,985 in 2010 to 144,182 in 2025, a reduction of about 28%. Registrations recovered after the sharp disruption caused by the pandemic but declined again during the following years.
Registered live births fell from 319,108 in 2019 to 214,570 in 2025. Over the same period, deaths remained comparatively high, increasing the importance of long-term demographic planning.
The figures do not by themselves explain why people are marrying later or having fewer children. Affordability, migration, education, employment, housing, family preferences and access to reproductive healthcare may all influence the trend. Policymakers will need deeper research before designing responses.
(Source – Daily Mirror)
