It has been predicted that Sri Lanka’s population will be reduced by closer to one half of the current population by year 2100 i.e. in 80 years’ time.
These predictions have been made by a leading journal named “the Lancet”, based on a research conducted on fertility, deaths, migration and other factors that can make an impact on population. This is a global research, spanning in 195 countries.
According to the said report, the population of Sri Lanka will be reduced to 10.45 million by the year 2100.
Sri Lanka’s population was 21.60 million in the year 2017 and it has been predicted that it will reach its maximum population by the year 2031, estimated to be amounting to 22.34 million.
The report further states that in 2017, the average number of children a woman has given birth to (i.e. fertility rate) is 1.80, but it is expected to be decreasing to a rate of 1.46 in the 80 years to come. As per health recommendations, it is believed that if the fertility rate of a country goes below 2.1, the population of the said country will see a decline.
Health officials say that this could be due to various reasons, including and not limited to factors such as economic status, health status, professional issues the parents face, societal issues etc. (NewsWire)
Full report: https://www.thelancet.com/article/S0140-6736(20)30677-2/fulltext