Colombo, Jan 28 (IANS): Sri Lanka's 21 million population is likely to increase to 25 million by 2042, driven by a significant rise in fertility rates and anticipated inward migration, the media reported on Monday.

W. Indralal De Silva, leading demographer and University of Colombo emeritus professor of demography, said that the country's population was projected to increase to 25 million by 2042 and will reach 26 million by the 2060's mainly due to a significant upturn in the fertility rates, Xinhua news agency reported.

Sri Lanka will thus have to face higher demand for housing, health, food, education, energy, water, transportation and infrastructure in the near future, De Silva said.

"Along with the fertility increase, child population will increase from 5.1 million in 2012 to 5.3 million by 2017, and for the subsequent 10 to 20 years it would remain fairly static," he said.

De Silva also said the increase in younger population would generate pressure on the government and the labour force.

In addition, he remarked that inward migration would also significantly increase as Sri Lanka was seeing the construction of some mega development projects such as Colombo Port City which would attract large crowds.