This paper examines the critical yet often overlooked role of unpaid care and domestic work (UCDW) in Sri Lanka’s economy. It highlights how activities such as childcare, eldercare, cooking, and household maintenance, performed predominantly by women, sustain households and underpin broader economic functioning, despite remaining largely invisible in formal policy and accounting systems. Drawing on a desk review of the care economy and an analysis of the 2017 National Time Use Survey, the study estimates the value of UCDW at approximately 14 percent of GDP, with women contributing 86 percent of this total. The findings underscore the significant but unrecognized economic contribution of care work and its implications for gender inequality, labour force participation, and social welfare. 

The paper calls for stronger policy attention through improved measurement, integration into satellite accounts, expansion of care services, and initiatives to promote a more equitable distribution of care responsibilities, positioning the care economy as vital for inclusive growth and resilience in Sri Lanka.