Sri Lanka population 22 million by 2041

The Sri Lanka Human Rights Commission yesterday said that Sri Lanka’s population would increase moderately by about nine percent from 20 million to 22 million during the period from 2010-2041.

The Commission said that the elderly population will also increase from 2.5 million in 2010 to 5.3 million in 2041, an increase of over 100 percent or a doubling of the elderly population.

The Commission said that it has taken an initiative to organize a process of consultations to draw up draft input to the UN Open Ended Working Group as it would be a massive issue for the country in the years to come.

The UN Open Ended Working Group is working on a proposed Elders’ Convention. The Commission organized regional level consultation with the multiple stakeholders through its regional offices which have been already completed.

The Commission in a press release said:

Member Countries of the United Nations are contemplating of necessity to have a universal instrument to protect and promote the rights of elderly persons. A UN Open Ended Working Group will be meeting to discuss the present available protection/welfare mechanisms for protection and promotion of rights of elderly persons globally in different countries and at international level and to examine whether these existing mechanisms are sufficient to address the issues of growing elders population in the world. The working committee will be considering the necessity of a UN Convention to protect and promote rights of the elderly persons.

The proportion of elderly population in Sri Lanka is higher than in other South Asian countries. In 2001, over nine percent of Sri Lanka’s population were 60 years of age and over, which is a relatively large elderly population for a developing country. During the period covering 2010 to 2041, the Sri Lanka population will increase moderately by about nine percent from 20 to 22 million. During this period, the elderly population (60 and above) will increase from 2.5 million in 2010 to 5.3 million in 2041, an increase of over 100 percent, or a doubling of the elderly population.

This would be a massive issue for our country in the years to come. Therefore Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) has taken an initiative to organize a process of consultations, to draw up draft input/recommendations to the United Nations Open Ended Working Group which is working on a proposed Elders’ Convention. HRCSL organized regional level consultations with multiple state holders through its regional offices which have been already completed.

The HRCSL will be facilitating a national level consultation with multiple stakeholders today at Hotel Taj Samudra (Crystal room – upper floor) from 9 am to 4 pm to facilitate the discussion out of which input/recommendation will be forwarded to UN Open Ended Working Group which is meeting in New York from August 21 to 24.