The Department of Census and Statistics (DCS) conducts the Household Income and Expenditure Survey (HIES) under the National Household Survey Programme. Information presented in this bulletin is based on the data collected from 5,431 household throughout the country during the months of July, August and September, 2012. Collection of data in this survey is successfully covered in all the districts after 26 years. The survey reveals the estimated household population in 2012 is 20.2 million in Sri Lanka. When the three residential sectors are considered, majority of the population (78%) is in the Rural sector which recorded as 15.7 million. Population in the Estate sector is 0.9 million which is 5 % of the total population in Sri Lanka. Urban sector population recorded as 3.6 million. Female population is higher than the male population in Sri Lanka. The female population reported in the survey is 10.7 million. However there are no considerable differences of distribution pattern of male. Household income refers to income received either in cash or (Monetary income) or in kind (Non-monetary income) by all the residents in a household. This includes not only wages and salaries but also all the income generated by other sources such as agricultural and non-agricultural activities, other monitory receipts (social protection transfers) such as pension, disability and relief payments, regular rental and remittance receipts and returns from businesses or investments and any other irregular gains such as compensations, lotteries etc. The survey reveals that the average household income per month is Rs. 46,207 in 2012 in Sri Lanka. The HIES 2012 has found that the average monthly household income in the Urban sector has risen only by 43% from 2009/10. However, the corresponding increase for the median household income is 35.3%. In 2012 the average monthly household income in the Estate sector has increased by 32%. When compare the food and non-food expenditure at sector level, the Urban and the Rural sector household spend more on non-food than food. But the Estate sector nonfood expenditure and food expenditure are almost equal