Accessing Aswesuma: Key findings on Sri Lanka’s new social protection program from the bright 2024-25 national survey

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dc.creatorHülsen, Vivien
dc.creatorKlas, Nicolas
dc.creatorHeadey, Derek D.
dc.creatorMunasinghe, Dilusha
dc.creatorRanucci, Immacolata
dc.creatorSabai, Moe
dc.creatorvan Asselt, Joanna
dc.creatorWeerasinghe, Krishani
dc.date2025-11-24
dc.date2025-11-24T18:43:40Z
dc.date2025-11-24T18:43:40Z
dc.date.accessioned2026-06-27T14:59:53Z
dc.description• We use the nationally representative BRIGHT 2024-25 survey to document Aswesuma access at the national and subnational level, and among poor and food-insecure households • At the time of the BRIGHT 2024-2025 survey, the Aswesuma program covered 29.1% of the Sri Lankan population compared to just 18.8% of the population under Samurdhi in 2016: a 10.3 percentage point improvement. However, at the time of the survey, the Aswesuma program has still not reached its target of 35% national population coverage. • Encouragingly, the largest expansion of cash transfer access was in upland (Estate) districts, who had limited access to cash transfers under the previous Samurdhi program • Aswesuma access among poor populations was highest in the Estate sector (56%), followed by the rural (46%) and urban populations (44%) • Aswesuma transfers are unlikely to reduce employment or other income-generating activities among the poor, as Aswesuma cash transfers only represent 19% of the expenditures of the poorest 20% of households, and just 10% for the next poorest group. • While Aswesuma transfers may protect households against low calorie intake (hunger), Aswesuma households still have low-quality diets, under-consuming fruits, vegetables, dairy, and legumes in particular • Nutritional knowledge is also much poorer among Aswesuma beneficiaries than the rest of the Sri Lankan population, particularly knowledge of key micronutrient-rich foods • These results imply the need for a wide range of policy-oriented research and follow-up surveys on drivers of access to Aswesuma, but also impacts of Aswesuma on key welfare indicators • There is also a need to explore and improve multisectoral coordination between Aswesuma and other programs on child nutrition and development, as well as women’s empowerment.
dc.formatapplication/pdf
dc.identifierhttps://hdl.handle.net/10568/178136
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/123456789/91592
dc.languageen
dc.publisherInternational Food Policy Research Institute
dc.rightsOpen Access
dc.sourceHülsen, Vivien; Klas, Nicolas; Headey, Derek D.; Munasinghe, Dilusha; Ranucci, Immacolata; et al. 2025. Accessing Aswesuma: Key findings on Sri Lanka’s new social protection program from the bright 2024-25 national survey. BRIGHT Sri Lanka Project Note 6. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/178136
dc.subjectsocial protection
dc.subjectsocial safety nets
dc.subjectwelfare
dc.subjectfood assistance
dc.subjecthouseholds
dc.titleAccessing Aswesuma: Key findings on Sri Lanka’s new social protection program from the bright 2024-25 national survey
dc.typeBrief

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Instituto Internacional de Investigación sobre Políticas Alimentarias (IFPRI)