Official poverty lines by District : January 2026
(Minimum Expenditure per person per month to fulfill the basic needs)

Survey Year 2012/13 Rs.	5223	5429	5422	5287	5214	5246	5269	5049	5018	4811	5149	5395	5338	5166	5296	5287	5183	5223	5046	5218	4941	5151	5007	4746	5075	5273
Survey Year 2016 Rs.	6117	6640	6438	6406	6337	6223	6506	6040	5846	5867	5979	6109	5993	5936	5870	6231	6117	6059	6026	5970	5904	6139	5994	5759	6067	6362
Survey Year 2019 Rs.	6966	7513	7474	7312	7071	7061	7326	7078	6803	6768	6798	7135	6959	6917	6730	7004	7022	6787	6843	7111	6798	6816	7018	6661	6997	7284
2025 Jan. Rs.	16334	17617	17526	17146	16581	16557	17177	16596	15952	15870	15941	16730	16317	16219	15780	16423	16464	15915	16045	16674	15941	15983	16455	15618	16407	17079
2025 Feb. Rs.	16318	17599	17509	17129	16565	16541	17160	16580	15936	15854	15925	16714	16301	16203	15765	16407	16448	15899	16030	16657	15925	15967	16439	15603	16391	17062
2025 Mar. Rs.	16302	17582	17492	17112	16548	16525	17143	16563	15921	15839	15909	16697	16285	16187	15750	16391	16432	15884	16014	16641	15909	15952	16423	15587	16375	17046
2025 Apr. Rs.	16342	17625	17535	17154	16589	16566	17185	16604	15960	15878	15948	16738	16325	16227	15788	16431	16472	15923	16053	16682	15948	15991	16463	15626	16415	17087
2025 May Rs.	16421	17710	17619	17237	16669	16646	17268	16684	16037	15954	16026	16819	16404	16306	15864	16510	16552	16000	16131	16762	16025	16068	16543	15701	16494	17170
2025 Jun Rs.	16516	17813	17721	17337	16766	16742	17368	16781	16130	16047	16118	16916	16499	16400	15956	16606	16648	16092	16224	16859	16118	16161	16639	15792	16590	17269
2025 Jul Rs.	16484	17778	17687	17303	16733	16710	17335	16748	16098	16016	16087	16884	16467	16368	15925	16574	16616	16061	16193	16827	16087	16130	16606	15762	16558	17236
2025 Aug Rs.	16397	17684	17594	17212	16645	16621	17243	16660	16013	15931	16002	16794	16380	16282	15841	16486	16528	15976	16107	16738	16002	16044	16519	15678	16470	17145
2025 Sep Rs.	16413	17702	17611	17229	16661	16638	17260	16676	16029	15947	16018	16811	16396	16298	15857	16502	16544	15992	16123	16754	16018	16060	16535	15694	16486	17162
2025 Oct Rs.	16421	17710	17619	17237	16669	16646	17268	16684	16037	15954	16026	16819	16404	16306	15864	16510	16552	16000	16131	16762	16025	16068	16543	15701	16494	17170
2025 Nov Rs.	16397	17684	17594	17212	16645	16621	17243	16660	16013	15931	16002	16794	16380	16282	15841	16486	16528	15976	16107	16738	16002	16044	16519	15678	16470	17145
2025 Dec Rs.	16658	17966	17874	17486	16910	16886	17518	16925	16268	16185	16257	17062	16641	16541	16093	16749	16791	16231	16364	17004	16257	16300	16782	15928	16732	17418
2026 Jan Rs.	16730	18044	17951	17562	16983	16959	17593	16998	16339	16255	16327	17136	16713	16612	16163	16821	16864	16301	16434	17078	16327	16370	16854	15997	16805	17493

   The Official Poverty line at the National level for January, 2026 is Rs. 16,730 (Corrected)

   Source : Department of Census & Statistics - Sri Lanka

   Note:-

• Official Poverty Line was updated based on 2012/13 Household Income and Expenditure Survey.
• District Official poverty lines have been re-estimated adjusting for price differences using the National Consumer Price Index (NCPI) (Base: 2021=100).
• The Official poverty line increased due to the higher National Consumer Price Index (NCPI) value reported in January, 2026 (Corrected) compared to preceding month.