Average household spending rises to Rs. 116,191

Average monthly household expenditure in Sri Lanka rose to Rs. 116,191 in the first quarter of 2025, an 84.1% increase from Rs. 63,130 recorded in 2019, according to the Department of Census and Statistics (DCS).

The increase was largely driven by rising prices, with real household expenditure showing a much more modest increase over the period.

Median monthly household expenditure also increased from Rs. 47,544 in 2019 to Rs. 94,057 in 2025.

When adjusted for price changes using 2016 prices, average monthly household expenditure rose to Rs. 63,734 in 2025 from Rs. 55,430 in 2019. Real median expenditure increased from Rs. 41,745 to Rs. 51,593.

Urban households recorded the highest average monthly expenditure at Rs. 158,023, around 36% above the national average. Rural households spent an average of Rs. 108,918, while estate households recorded the lowest expenditure at Rs. 88,691.

The preliminary findings are based on data collected from 25,000 households during the first quarter of 2025. Average household size was 3.4 persons.

The DCS survey covers household consumption across 35 categories, comprising 19 food and 16 non-food groups.