The centralized civil registration system of Sri Lanka is the responsibility of the Registrar General's Department, with registrar’s divisions in the 332 Divisional Secretariats, for a total close to one thousand registration divisions. The current civil registration system is based on a 1951 law, last amended in 2008. Vital statistics are compiled at the Statistics Branch of the Registrar General’s Department from the birth and death returns provided by the Registrars of Births and Deaths. The legal time limit for birth and death registration is 3 months, and both acts are free of charge if done in time. Death registration is now mandatory to obtain a funeral permit.

A lot of the births happening in health facilities, with an estimated 97.2% of children between 0 and 5 years old registered in 2006–2007. However, since only 50% of deaths occur in such facilities, some deaths are not registered, and even more do not have a proper cause of death defined. Other challenges include the proper declaration of still-births, and the problem of child marriage.

To face these problems, Sri Lanka has widely implemented verbal autopsy methods, to have a better image of cause of deaths which occur outside of health facilities. By increasing the collaboration between different stakeholders, the country has also managed to produce its vital statistics reports in a timely manner. A population e-register, with a unique identification number, is now being piloted, to prepare for a wider implementation.

The centralized civil registration system of Sri Lanka is the responsibility of the Registrar General's Department, with registrar’s divisions in the 332 Divisional Secretariats, for a total close to one thousand registration divisions. The current civil registration system is based on a 1951 law, last amended in 2008. Vital statistics are compiled at the Statistics Branch of the Registrar General’s Department from the birth and death returns provided by the Registrars of Births and Deaths. The legal time limit for birth and death registration is 3 months, and both acts are free of charge if done in time. Death registration is now mandatory to obtain a funeral permit.

A lot of the births happening in health facilities, with an estimated 97.2% of children between 0 and 5 years old registered in 2006–2007. However, since only 50% of deaths occur in such facilities, some deaths are not registered, and even more do not have a proper cause of death defined. Other challenges include the proper declaration of still-births, and the problem of child marriage.

To face these problems, Sri Lanka has widely implemented verbal autopsy methods, to have a better image of cause of deaths which occur outside of health facilities. By increasing the collaboration between different stakeholders, the country has also managed to produce its vital statistics reports in a timely manner. A population e-register, with a unique identification number, is now being piloted, to prepare for a wider implementation.