INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
The World Bank unveiled today a new report to guide policymakers and development practitioners across Sri Lanka in better investing in the
health and education of all Sri Lankans.The report Sri Lanka Human Capital Development: Realizing the Promise and Potential of Human Capital
is part of the Human Capital Project, a global effort led by the World Bank since 2018 that recognizes the vital importance of human capital
The project includes the Human Capital Index which measures and forecasts a country's human capital through a child's life-cycle from
birth to adulthood.
The report finds that in 2019, Sri Lanka performs moderately well globally, with an overall score of 58 percent, and a
ranking of 74 out of the 157 countries
If current education and health conditions persist, a child born in Sri Lanka today will be about half as productive as she or he could have
been had they enjoyed complete education and full health, the report notes.
"People are the most valuable resource in any country and
investing in people is smart economics," said Idah Z
Pswarayi-Riddihough, World Bank County Director for Nepal, Sri Lanka and Maldives
"Technology and automation are radically changing the very nature of work and reshaping industry
Children in primary school today are likely to work in jobs that may not even exist right now
Developing its human capital to a new and higher level will be key for Sri Lanka to become an upper-middle-income economy."
Sri Lanka has
the highest score in South Asia, above the average for the region and income group
Sri Lanka performs well in survival to age 5, expected years of schooling, adult survival, and stunting
The main constraints to achieving a higher score for Sri Lanka are under-nutrition, and on average, inadequate learning outcomes in
