In spite of the fact that the Central Bank of Sri Lanka reported a significant drop in poverty levels last year, official government statistics show that nine districts in the country are below the poverty line.

The Department of Census and Statistics notes that the monthly expenditure of an individual in these districts on basic needs is less than Rs.3,811.

The poverty threshold or poverty line is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The Department of Census and Statistics lists the poverty threshold at Rs.3,811  as at the end of March.

This translates into daily expenditure per capital of Rs.127 ; less than one US dollar a day.

Notably, people in nine of the 22 districts surveyed by the Department of Census and Statistics, are living below the poverty line.

However, as the per the recently unveiled 2013 annual report of the Central Bank, poverty in Sri Lanka has fallen to 6.5 percent.

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