According to the Department of Census and Statistics, the poverty line at national level is the minimum expenditure per person per month to fulfil basic needs. Colombo, Gampaha and Kalutara districts in the Western Province rank highest above the poverty line with personal expenditures of Rs. 3,975, Rs. 3,969 and Rs. 3,871, respectively in April, the Department said.

Personal expenditures in the other districts above the poverty level are: Matale (Rs. 3,840), Nuwara Eliya (Rs. 3,857), Mannar (Rs. 3,949), Vavuniya (Rs. 3,907), Kilinochchi (Rs. 3,877) Batticaloa (Rs. 3,871), Trincomalee (Rs. 3,824) and Kegalle (Rs. 3,860).

Income levels in Kandy (Rs. 3,817), Puttalam (Rs. 3,819), Ampara (Rs. 3,794), Jaffna (Rs. 3,769), Mulaithivu (Rs. 3,789), Polonnaruwa (Rs. 3,771), and Ratnapura (Rs. 3,715) are below the poverty line.

The poverty line at national level has risen rapidly since the 2002 level of Rs. 1,423. It was Rs. 2,142 in 2006, Rs. 3,845 in 2014 May, Rs. 3,886 in 2014 June, Rs. 3,924 in 2014 July, Rs. 3,924 in 2014 August, Rs. 3,896 in 2014 September, Rs. 3,834 in 2014 October, Rs. 3,838 in 2014 November, and Rs. 3,860 in 2014 December.

The District poverty lines are calculated using the spatial price index values calculated at district level using Household Income and Expenditure Survey 2012/13 data since 2014, according to the Department of Census and Statistics.