Priyanka Jayawardena

Priyanka Jayawardena is a Research Economist at the Institute of Policy Studies of Sri Lanka (IPS). Priyanka has over 20 years of experience in conducting economic policy related research on health, education, labour and fiscal distribution analysis. She is experienced in quantitative data analysis with applying econometric evaluation techniques -- distributional analysis, quasi-experimental methods, wealth index, equity in opportunity indices. She has conducted numerous research studies relating to the human resource development in Sri Lanka for a variety of development partners including World Bank, ADB and UNICEF and member of the Southern Voice network. Many of her recent research has been published in peer reviewed national and international journals and book chapters.

Media :

Increases to VAT rates & removal of exemptions hurt poorest; PAYE & PIT highly progressive: IPS Economist Lanka Business Online, October 09, 2024

Wealthiest 20% enjoy half of SL’s pension benefits: IPS Daily Mirror, October 10, 2024

IPS Study: Nearly 50% Of The Pension Benefits Go To The Wealthiest 20% of Sri Lanka CEOWORLD Magazine, October 10, 2024

Rs.80bn lost due to PIT tax evasion: IPS study Daily Mirror, October 11, 2024

Sri Lanka’s lower-income households pay 10 pct of income on VAT: IPS EconomyNext, October 11, 2024

Sri Lanka’s Poor Pay More VAT, Rich Face personal income tax Burden LankaNewsWeb, October 12, 2024

Interview with The Morning reporter on ‘Local students ill-prepared for real challenges 1 October 2023

‘SUN Business Network brings together food industry stakeholders at sixth bi-annual gathering’, Daily FT, 1 April 2022

Essential to integrate tobacco control measures into poverty alleviation policies and programmes – IPS, The Island, 13 November 2020

Sri Lanka should move towards income protection and unemployment insurance: IPS Researcher, EconomyNext, 10 September 2020

Interview with Inter Press Service reporter for news item on Sri Lanka’s Tea Estates, Maternal Health Leaves a Lot to Be Desired, September 23, 2014.

Selected publications

Jayawardena, P., Pathiraja, E., & Dissanayaka, N. (2024). Strategies to Curb Beedi and Smokeless Tobacco Consumption in Sri Lanka. Colombo: Institute of Policy Studies of Sri Lanka

Jayawardena, P., Weerasekera, H.(2021)Talking Tobacco: How Reduced Consumption Benefits the Economy. Health Economics Series, Institute of Policy Studies of Sri Lanka

Jayawardena, P. (2020)A Proactive Path to Combat Malnutrition in Sri Lanka. Health Economics Series, Institute of Policy Studies of Sri Lanka

Jayawardena, P., Higashi, H., Attygalle,D. ,Yogeswaran, S. Amarasinghe, U. Abdulloeva, S., (2020). PER for Nutrition in Sri Lanka: Assessing Public Financing for Nutrition (2014–2018). Washington, D.C. : World Bank Group

Thibbotuwawa, M., Jayawardena, P., Arunatilake, N. and Gunasekera, N. (2019), Living Wage Estimation for the Plantation Sector in Sri Lanka, report prepared for Global Living Wage Coalition (GLWC), ISEAL Alliance, London, UK.

Arunatilake, N. Jayawardena, P. (2017). Accounting for Social Effects of Tax Reforms. in S. Kelegama, Tax Policy in Sri Lanka, (pp. 213 – 238). Colombo: Institute of Policy Studies.

Jayawardena, P. (2017), Why People Choose to Participate in the Non-Standard Forms of Employment in Sri Lanka, Labour Economics Series No 19, Institute of Policy Studies of Sri Lanka.

Byiers. B, F. Kratke, P. Jayawardena, L. Rodrigues and A. Wijesinha, (2015), Manufacturing Progress? Employment Creation in Sri Lanka, Overseas Development Institute (ODI).

Jayawardena, P. (2014), Underlying Causes of Child and Maternal Malnutrition in the Estate Sector of Sri Lanka, Journal of South Asian Studies Vol 02. No (03), 241-255.

Jayawardena, P. (2014), "Can People in Sri Lanka’s Estate Sector Break Away from Poor Nutrition?", Health Economics Series No 1, Institute of Policy Studies of Sri Lanka

Arunatilake, N. and P. Jayawardena, (2013). School Funding Formula’s in Sri Lanka. Paris: UNESCO.

Jayawardena, P. (2012), "Socio-Economic Determinants and Inequalities in Child Malnutrition in Sri Lanka", Well-Being and Social Policy Journal, Vol. 8 Number 1, pp. 1-22.

Arunatilake. N, P. Jayawardena, A. Wijesinha, (2012), “Tax reforms in Sri Lanka – will a tax on public servants improve progressivity?”. Partnership for Economic Policy Working Paper No. 2012-13, SSRN Electronic Journal.

Arunatilake. N and P. Jayawardena. (2011) "Equity in Education and Health Services in Sri Lanka" in " Equity and Well-Being Measurement and Policy Practice", Ed Hyun Hwa Son, Routledge

Arunatilake. N, P. Jayawardena. and D. Weerakoon, (2011). “Migration, Remittances and Development in Sri Lanka” in “Migration, Remittances and Development in South Asia”, Ed Saman Kelegama Sage Publication Pvt Ltd

Arunatilake, N. and P. Jayawardena (2010) “Why people choose to participate in the informal sector in Sri Lanka?” The Indian Journal of Labour Economics, Vol. 53, No.2, p 225-250.

Arunatilake, N. and P. Jayawardena, (2010), “Labor Market Trends and Outcomes in Sri Lanka”, Gunatilaka. R, M. Mayer, and M. Vodopivec, eds., The challenge of youth employment in Sri Lanka. Washington, DC : The World Bank, pp: 19-48

Arunatilake, N. and P. Jayawardena, (2010), “Explaining Labor Market Imbalance in Sri Lanka: Evidence from Jobsnet Data”, Gunatilaka. R, M. Mayer, and M. Vodopivec, eds., The challenge of youth employment in Sri Lanka. Washington, DC : The World Bank, pp: 69-88

Arunatilake, N. and P. Jayawardena, (2010), “Formula Funding and Decentralized Management of Schools; Has it Improved Resource Allocation in Schools in Sri Lanka?”, International Journal of Educational Development, Vol. 30 issue 1, pp. 44-53, January 2010