Rural Poverty in Sri Lanka: Priority Issues and Policy Measures

Rural poverty in Sri Lanka has to be analyzed and evaluated in the context of development policies and the socioeconomic transformation that has taken place during the last four decades. These policies have resulted in a configuration of development that is unusual for a low-income developing country. On the human development index, Sri Lanka ranks above 82 other developing countries, including Brazil, Jordan, Thailand, Turkey and Philippines. The annual rate of population growth has dropped to 1.3 per cent and Sri Lanka is expected to reach the net rate of reproduction of 1 by 1995, well ahead of other Asian developing countries, with the possible exception of the Republic of Korea and Thailand. Infant mortality is falling below 20 per 1,000 live births, average life expectancy has reached approximately 70 years and adult literacy is 87 per cent. As about 75 per cent of the population live in rural areas, these social and demographic indicators reflect improvements affecting the rural sector. Data from socioeconomic surveys confirm no significant rural-urban disparities in these indicators…