Sri Lanka has been identified as one of the countries with the fastest-growing elderly populations in the Asian region, health officials revealed.
Community Health Specialist Dr. Nishani Ubhayasekara stated that the proportion of elderly citizens in Sri Lanka has risen significantly—from 12 percent in 2012 to 18 percent in 2024.
Speaking at a media briefing held at the Health Promotion Bureau, Dr. Ubhayasekara said,
“According to the 2012 census in Sri Lanka, 12% of the population was over 60 years of age. In the 2024 census, the elderly population has increased to 18%. We have predicted that by 2040, 25% of this population—that is, one in four people—will be an elderly person. If we take similar countries in Asia, Sri Lanka has been identified as a country with the highest rate of elderly population growth. There are many reasons for this. This situation has arisen due to the increase in life expectancy at birth and the decrease in the number of new births.”
Meanwhile, Dr. Sithira Seneviratne, a specialist in geriatrics at the Colombo National Hospital, noted that falls caused by frailty among the elderly are now recognized as a disease.
“Statistics show that one in three people over the age of 65 will fall in a year. Half of people over the age of 80 will fall in a year. Most of the time, falling is not recognized as a disease, but now we have recognized that falling is a disease,” Dr. Seneviratne explained.
He added that injuries resulting from falls often go untreated at the root cause:
“Most of the time, an injury occurs after a fall, but we do not investigate the cause of the fall—we only treat the injury. As we get older, we tend to think falling is a natural part of aging. But that is not normal. Falling is a disease. We can face accidents and even fatalities due to falls. One of the factors that causes falls is weakness. By identifying it early and taking the necessary measures, such complications can be prevented.”
