Demographic dividend of Sri Lanka and future development prospects YS% ,xldfõ m%cd úoHd;aul mdßf;daIslh iy rfÜ bÈß ixj¾Okh Indralal De Silva * Department of Demography, Faculty of Arts, University of Colombo, Colombo. ye|skaùu rgl j¾;udk jhia jHqyh ;SrKh jkafka w;S;fha § tu rfÜ mej;s u¾;H;d (mortality), iM,;d (fertility) yd cd;Hka;r ixl%uK (international migration) m%jK;d wkqjhs' tfukau j¾;udk iM,;d" u¾;H;d yd cd;Hka;r ixl%uK m%jK;d wkd.; jhia jHqyh ;SrKh lsÍfuys ,d uQ,sl idOlhla f,i ls%hd;aul fõ Abstract: The age structure transition that has taken place in the past decades in Sri Lanka has produced a demographic dividend, covering the period from 1991 to 2017, which is conducive for an economic take off of the country. The dependency ratios imply that there is a likelihood that the present age structure would have a favourable impact on the economy. Around 2006, the Sri Lankan population had the best demographic environment or the ‘window of opportunity’ by recording very low rate of dependency. This is an opportunity that needs to be used before the onset of demographic turbulence, primarily resulting from population ageing. If this opportunity is missed-out, the planners will have to address the consequences of an increasing dependency burden, which would further depress the efforts for required economic development. The mere existence of a favourable demographic dividend would be ineffective without a proper environment for economic acceleration. An increasing working age population seeking gainful employment, but with no proper job opportunities will be a dilemma to a country. Nevertheless, in a congenial environment of political stability and peace, adequate savings, investment potential, human capital and the knowledge economy, the optimum utilisation of the demographic bonus to gain economic acceleration would materialise. It is essential that the economic planners in the country should immediately identify the growth sectors of the economy in order to generate suffcient amount of employment for the infux of workers to the labour market during the period of the demographic dividend. Keywords: Demographic dividend, window of opportunity, age structure, ageing, dependency, economic take off. * isilva84@mail.cmb.ac.lk Sri Lanka Journal of Social Sciences 2014 37 (1 & 2): 7-17 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.4038/sljss.v37i1-2.7375 (Seetharam, 2002). jhia jHqyh fjkia ùfï m%;sM,hla f,i rgl iudc" wd¾Ól ixj¾Ok ls%hdj,shg oeä n,mEula isÿúh yel (Bloom & Williamson, 1998). miq.sh oYl lsysmh ;=< Y%S ,xldfõ iM,;djfha yd u¾;H;djfha my< neiSfï m%jK;djh jhia mqñ;sß jHqyfha m;=, ;rula mgq lsÍug iu;a ù we;' Bg fya;=j jhi 15g wvq ck ixLHdfõ m%;sY;h Bg fmr ld,j,g jvd wvq w.hla .ekSuh' tfukau" úhm;a ck.yKh jeä jk ksid jhia mqñ;sß msrñvfha by< fldgi ;rula m%idrKh ù we; (De Silva, 2010a). fuu m%jK;djkaf.a m%;sM,hla f,i wm rfÜ ck.ykfha jhia jHqyh o l%ñlj fjkia jQ w;r tys m%;st,hla f,i hemqï uÜgu o l%ufhka my< jegqKs' j¾;udkfha wm rfÜ jd¾;d jk jhia jHqyh iy hemqï wkqmd; úYaf,aIKh lrk úg jd¾;d jkqfha b;du;a hym;a m%cd úoHd;aul mßirhls' fuu hym;a m%cdúoHd;aul mßirh ixj¾Okh i|yd fhda.H jk wjia:d ljq¿jla (Window of opportunity) ks¾udKh lr we;s w;r fuu wjêh Y%S ,xldj m%cd úoHd;aul mdßf;daIslhlg (Demographic bonus) ke;fyd;a m%cd úoHd;aul ,dNdxYhlg (Demographic dividend) ysñlï lshk ld, jljdkqjla f,i o w¾: ±laúh yel (Bloom et al., 2003)' j¾;udkfha mj;sk fuu hym;a m%cd úoHd;aul mßirh w<,d lreKq bÈßm;a lr we;s fuu ,smsh ck.ykh iy rfÜ ixj¾Okh ms<sn| iEu me;slvlau idlÉPdjg Ndckh lr we;' wjia:d ljq¿jlg (Window of opportunity) ysñlï lshk fuu jljdkqj rfÜ foaYmd,k ia:djr;ajh" b;=reï" wfhdack yd /lshd W;amdokh" M,odhs;dj iy ±kqï wd¾Ólh hym;a uÜgulska mj;ajdf.k hdug b;d jeo.;a fõ' m%cd úoHd;aul mdßf;daIslh mj;sk fuu ld, iSudfõ§ úfYaI{ ±kqï iïNdrfhka hq;a cj iïmkak Y%ñlhkaf.ka furgg m%fhdackj;a jk RevIew ARtIcle