In the first round of three surveys that started in October 2021, only 40% of the respondents said that their economy was getting better – the lowest number since 2007, probably when the first survey was conducted.
According to the World Bank's Sri Lanka Development Update, Sri Lanka is experiencing an extreme economic crisis as a result of job and earnings losses, significant food inflation, and the country's depleting funds (SLDU).
The government has stoked inflation by creating money to pay off domestic loans and international liabilities.
According to the World Bank, the number of individuals living in poverty has likely increased by 11.7 per cent, or over half a million people, since the coronavirus pandemic began.