This is the 60th edition of the Statistical Abstract of which the first issue was published in 1949. The aim of the Statistical Abstract is to present a number of statistical tables on a wide range of subject fields providing statistical information on the Country’s Population, Employment, Agriculture, Education, Trade, Industry,Climate, Communication, Social Condition etc.

Every effort was made by the department to ensure that the information in the official Statistical Abstract of Sri Lanka is as comprehensive, clear and up to date as limitations of time and space allow. In order to help researchers, a series of data covering several years are given wherever possible. The information in this issue has been revised and brought up to date to cover as far as possible the year 2022.

This publication has been prepared by the Publications division headed by Director Mr. K.S.R.L. Senadeera under the guidance of Mr. P.M.P. Anura Kumara, former Director General and Mrs. D.D.G.A. Seneviratne, the Director General of the Department.

The preparation of this publication and the verification of the data included in this publication were carried out by Ms. W. Aruni Nilupuli Sirisena, Statistical Officer, assisted by Mr. S.Pungunran, Statistical Officer under the supervision of Mrs. K.K. De Almeida Statistician.

This publication owes much to the assistance and co-operation of divisions of the department, various ministries, Government departments and other Organizations which provided valuable data for this publication.

For the year 2023, the Statistical Abstract is formally designed using the software InDesign by the officer who carried out the publication with the assistant of Ms. Ruvini Wijesundara, Development Officer, Dishanthi Karannagoda & Upeksha Disaanayake, Information, Communication and Technology assistants and Cording Clerk (Tamil medium)Ms. P. Vageeshvaree, Including all the staff members of the Publication Division.

I wish to express my appreciation to all staff members of the Publication division and the Printing division of this department for their contribution for this publication.