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Labour force survey

Household population, labour force, employment and unemployment, quarterly and annual, with the older survey bases. Quarterly and annual, 1990–2026.

Published by the Department of Census and Statistics and the Central Bank of Sri Lanka; read from CBSL Economic and Social Statistics, CBSL SDDS 'More Data' workbooks, CBSL statistical tables and DCS historical labour force tables.

Frequency
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Household population, labour force, employment and unemployment

Household population ''000 persons17,089'000 persons+0.3%
Labour force participation rate %50.0%+0.7 pts
Unemployment rate %4.0%+0.2 pts
Labour force ''000 persons8,414'000 persons−0.6%
Employed ''000 persons8,103'000 persons−0.4%
Unemployed ''000 persons311'000 persons−3.5%

Other

Household population, 10 years of age and over (both sexes), pre-2013 basis ended14,009,970persons+2.8%
Labour force, total (both sexes), pre-2013 basis ended6,858,087persons+2.2%
Labour force participation rate (both sexes), pre-2013 basis ended49.0%−0.2 pts
Employed, number (both sexes), pre-2013 basis ended6,292,227persons+1.3%
Employed, per cent of the total labour force (both sexes), pre-2013 basis ended91.7%−0.9 pts
Unemployed, number (both sexes), pre-2013 basis ended565,860persons+13.9%
Unemployed, per cent of the total labour force (both sexes), pre-2013 basis ended8.3%+0.9 pts
Not in the labour force, number (both sexes), pre-2013 basis ended7,151,900persons+3.3%
Household population, 10 years of age and over (male), pre-2013 basis ended6,910,032persons+3.6%
Labour force, total (male), pre-2013 basis ended4,558,314persons+2.6%
Labour force participation rate (male), pre-2013 basis ended66.0%−0.7 pts
Employed, number (male), pre-2013 basis ended4,248,855persons+1.1%
Employed, per cent of the total labour force (male), pre-2013 basis ended93.2%−1.4 pts
Unemployed, number (male), pre-2013 basis ended309,459persons+28.3%
Unemployed, per cent of the total labour force (male), pre-2013 basis ended6.8%+1.4 pts
Not in the labour force, number (male), pre-2013 basis ended2,351,719persons+5.8%
Household population, 10 years of age and over (female), pre-2013 basis ended7,099,960persons+2.0%
Labour force, total (female), pre-2013 basis ended2,299,771persons+1.5%
Labour force participation rate (female), pre-2013 basis ended32.4%−0.1 pts
Employed, number (female), pre-2013 basis ended2,043,370persons+1.7%
Employed, per cent of the total labour force (female), pre-2013 basis ended88.9%+0.2 pts
Unemployed, number (female), pre-2013 basis ended256,401persons+0.2%
Unemployed, per cent of the total labour force (female), pre-2013 basis ended11.1%−0.2 pts
Not in the labour force, number (female), pre-2013 basis ended4,800,190persons+2.2%
Labour force (15 years and above) (SDDS historical series) ended8,531'000 persons+4.1%
Labour force participation rate (SDDS historical series) ended54.0%+0.7 pts
Unemployment rate (SDDS historical series) ended4.5%−0.1 pts
Employment rate (SDDS historical series) ended95.5%+0.1 pts

Household population ''000 persons

'000 persons, quarterly. 2026 Q1: 17,089, +0.3% on a year earlier

Series page
Published by the Department of Census and Statistics and the Central Bank of Sri Lanka; read from CBSL Economic and Social Statistics, CBSL SDDS 'More Data' workbooks, CBSL statistical tables and DCS historical labour force tables.

* Calculated by Macro Lab from the published values.