Polling by the Institute for Health Policy's Sri Lanka Opinion Tracker Survey (SLOTS), reveals that 75% of Sri Lankans believe the income gap between the rich and poor is a “very big problem”, and another 21% think it is a moderately big problem. 

This sentiment was consistent across demographic groups, including age, gender, ethnicity, urban/rural residents, and socio-economic status. However, respondents who intended to vote for or did vote for Ranil Wickremesinghe were somewhat less likely to think it was a problem, whilst AKD supporters were less likely than Sajith Premadasa supporters to think it was not a problem.

The SLOTS survey, conducted from January to mid-November 2024, highlights growing concern over income inequality:

• 92% believe the income gap has widened in the past 10 years, with only 7% saying it has remained unchanged.
• Among those who think the rich-poor income gap has widened, 94% consider it a negative development, though the share labeling it “very bad” has halved post-September’s presidential election.

Public Views on Government’s Role in Addressing Inequality

When asked about the government’s role in addressing income inequality:

• 65% say the government should do “a lot more.”
• 19% suggest the government should do “a little more.”
• Only 4% believe current efforts are sufficient, while only 10% think the government should not be doing anything to reduce the income gap.

These findings indicate that there may be widespread public support for the government increasing efforts to address income inequality.

Expert commentary

Dr. Ravi Rannan-Eliya, Executive Director of IHP, commented: "The widespread concern about income inequality among Sri Lankans reflects a critical need and public desire for more inclusive economic growth. President Dissanayake's emphasis in his speech to Parliament on 21 November on the need for equitable wealth distribution resonates with public sentiment and represents a significant step toward addressing these disparities. However, effective policies and implementation will be key to translating this vision into reality."

These findings are based on 9,525 interviews conducted between January 1 and November 24, 2024. The sample sizes varied by question, and responses were weighted to align with the national population.

About IHP

IHP is solely responsible for commissioning and designing the survey, and it takes full responsibility for it. IHP is an independent, non-partisan research institution based in Colombo, Sri Lanka. The SLOTS lead investigator is Dr Ravi Rannan-Eliya of IHP, who was trained in public opinion polling at Harvard University, and who has conducted many opinion surveys over three decades, both in and outside Sri Lanka.

Methodology

SLOTS combines data from a national sample of adults (ages 18 and over) reached by random digit dialling of mobile numbers, and others coming from a national panel of respondents who were previously recruited through random selection. All estimates are weighted to be representative of the national population, including characteristics such as age, gender, province, sector, socioeconomic status, ethnicity and education.

Funding

IHP conducts the SLOTS survey to track changes in health and social conditions, and public opinion in the country. IHP is solely responsible for conceiving, commissioning and designing the survey, and it takes full responsibility for it. Interviews are done daily by phone by IHP employees, with respondents recruited by a national field survey or by randomly dialling phone numbers. SLOTS fieldwork since 2021 has been supported by a range of funders, who play no role in question design, data analysis, or reporting. Past funders have included the Neelan Tiruchelvam Trust, Asia Foundation, European Commission, UK National Institute for Health and Care Research, the Foundation Open Society Institute, and others. Current fieldwork is supported by funding from the Velux Stiftung foundation, New York University Abu Dhabi, USAID, and the IHP Public Interest Research Fund. The survey findings and IHP reporting do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of past and present funders. Interested parties can contact IHP for more detailed data and results.