More than half of Sri Lanka's population aged 60 years and above reported having at least one chronic disease, according to findings from the Census of Population and Housing.
The findings highlight the growing health implications of Sri Lanka's ageing population.
Around 19.2% of the country's overall population — approximately 4.18 million people — reported having a non-communicable disease.
Hypertension was reported by approximately 10.1% of the population, while diabetes was reported by around 8.5%.
The burden was substantially higher among older people.
More than half of those aged 60 and above reported at least one chronic disease.
People aged 60 years and above now account for around 18% of Sri Lanka's population.
The figures therefore point to an increasing overlap between population ageing and the long-term management of non-communicable diseases.
However, the methodology is important when interpreting these numbers.
These are Census-reported health findings.
They should not automatically be interpreted as prevalence estimates produced through clinical examination or population-wide diagnostic testing.
The underlying Census was conducted in December 2024, with the final Census report released in 2026.
The health and ageing findings have subsequently been highlighted in connection with International Day of Older Persons.
The results underline the increasing importance of chronic-disease prevention, long-term treatment, primary care and health-system planning as Sri Lanka's population continues to age.
Do not convert the Census findings into unsupported clinical prevalence estimates.