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Disclaimer / Limitations
This country’s legal measures were reviewed by our legal staff in consultation with in-country lawyers and/or CRVS legal experts. All efforts were made to ensure the accuracy of the legal analysis, however, if you consider there to be any discrepancies or if there have been changes in the law of the country since our staff last updated the legal analysis, we welcome any additional information or insights. Please contact us via this form.
Vital Statistics
Sri Lanka
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Sri Lanka
Vital Statistics
Structure of Vital Statistics Agency
Structure of Vital Statistics Agency
Agency
Does the legal framework designate the entity or entities responsible for compiling vital statistics in the country?
Yes. Department of Census and Statistics.
Recommended Practice based on International Guidelines
The legal framework for the vital statistics system should assign the functions of establishing, operating and maintaining a national vital statistics system to a governmental agency. Most countries assign responsibility for the vital statistics system to the national statistics office. Another option is to place the vital statistics administration within the civil registration agency. A third option is to designate specific government agencies to carry out different vital statistics functions related to their respective areas of work. Whatever option is chosen, close coordination between the vital statistics system, civil registration system, and health sector is essential.
The Statistics Ordinance established the Bureau of Statistics and empowered it with broad authority to require information from government entities in order to generate statistics on a variety of topic. This Bureau later mergered with the Census Department and became known as the Department of Census and Statistics, which is situated under the Ministry of Home Affairs. The Vital Statistics Unit of the Department of Census and Statistics, which sits in the Registrar General's Department, is tasked with compilation of vital statistics in Sri Lanka.
Link Between Civil Registration and Vital Statistics
Are vital statistics derived from the civil registration system?
Yes
Recommended Practice based on International Guidelines
A well-functioning civil registration system is the ideal source from which to derive accurate, complete, timely, and continuous information on vital events. Vital statistics should therefore be derived from civil registration data.
Vital statistics are derived from the civil registration system. The Registrar of the Division completes statistical forms on births, deaths, and stillbirths, which are then forwarded through the District Registrars to the Land Registries, where data is uploaded to a software. The data files are sent to the Vital Statistics Unit.
Law Source
Are there clear procedures and timeframes in the legal framework to facilitate sharing data from the civil registration agency to the national statistics agency(ies)?
No
Recommended Practice based on International Guidelines
The law should require and enable the regular and timely sharing of statistical data from civil registration authority to the vital statistics agency.
No relevant legal provisions are available in Sri Lankan law on transmission of information between the civil registration and vital statistics agency. In practice, the Registrar of the Division sends statistical forms on a monthly basis to the Vital Statistics Unit (through the District Registrars and Land Registries).
Law Source
Does the law require that civil registration data be anonymized before it is shared with the national statistics agency(ies)?
No
Recommended Practice based on International Guidelines
The law should balance the privacy of individuals, with facilitation of data linkages between the civil registration and vital statistics agency when statistical data is shared between them. Generally vital event information should be submitted with identity information - such as name and unique personal identifier- removed.
The law is silent on privacy protection of individuals during transmission of vital statistical data. Since Sri Lanka's Vital Statistics Unit sits within the Registrar General's Department, there is integration of Vital Statistics within the Civil Registration system. Some forms -- B33, B154 and B153 -- contain names of individual and are sent to the Vital Statistics Unit. These forms should be anonymized before sharing, but are currently not anonymized.
