Sri Lanka to conduct population census

COLOMBO - Sri Lanka will conduct a nationwide population census this year, the first since 1981, Xinhua reported Sunday.

“Due to the problems in the country, conducting a census throughout the island was not possible. The 2001 census was conducted only in 18 districts,” said H.R. Gunasekera, a senior census and statistics department official.

“We will do the census in three stages. Geographic demarcation of administrative units have already begun.

“In the second quarter of the year, the building census will begin. Enumeration of people would begin in the last quarter,” Gunasekera said.

The 2001 census conducted in 18 of the 22 districts put the island’s population at 20 million.