Sri Lanka will conduct an Economic Census in 2026 and 2027 to gather information on agricultural and non-agricultural economic activity, Department of Census and Statistics Director General K.M.D.S.D. Karunaratne said.
Data on agricultural activity will be collected in 2026. In the same year, the department will survey formal establishments with more than 50 employees in the industry, trade and services sectors.
In 2027, the census will turn to non-agricultural activity involving fewer than 50 workers. It will cover both formal and informal establishments.
Karunaratne said the agricultural component will follow international recommendations prepared for the 2020 census round, including the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) World Programme for the Census of Agriculture (WCA-2020).
She said the census will give updated information on the structure and scale of economic activity in the country. It will help in planning, policymaking and economic decision-making, she said.
Agricultural data will be gathered first, with the remaining surveys due the following year.
