How to Find Date of Birth from a Sri Lanka NIC Number

[The Sri Lanka]

Sri Lankan NIC number contains specific information about the individual to whom it is issued. By decoding the NIC number, you can easily determine the person’s date of birth, gender, and age. In this article, we will guide you through how to extract this information from the NIC number.

Understanding the Structure of the Sri Lanka NIC Number

A Sri Lankan NIC number typically follows this format:
XXXXXX-XXXX
Where the first six digits represent the individual’s date of birth, the next digit reveals their gender, and the last part of the number (after the dash) is a serial number that is used for registration purposes. Here's a detailed breakdown:

1. Date of Birth (First Six Digits):
   The first six digits of the NIC represent the individual's date of birth in the format DDMMYY, i.e., the first two digits for the day, the next two for the month, and the last two for the year.
   For example:
   If the NIC starts with 123456, the birthdate is 12th of May, 1956.

2. Gender (7th Digit):
   The 7th digit in the NIC number indicates the gender of the individual. The gender is encoded as follows:

   • 1-4 for males
   • 5-9 for females

   For example, if the NIC number is 123456-7890, the 7th digit is 7, indicating that the person is female.

3. Age (Calculated from Date of Birth):
   To calculate the person's age, you can use the date of birth embedded in the NIC and subtract it from the current date. The age will change every year on the individual’s birthday.

Example of Decoding a Sri Lankan NIC Number

Let’s decode an example Sri Lankan NIC number: 123456-7890

1. First Six Digits: 123456

   • These digits represent the date of birth.
   • Day = 12
   • Month = 05 (May)
   • Year = 56 (1956)
   • Therefore, the person was born on May 12, 1956.

2. 7th Digit: 7

   • The 7th digit, 7, indicates that the individual is female.

3. Age Calculation:

   • To calculate the age, subtract the birth year (1956) from the current year (2025).
     2025 - 1956 = 69 years.
   • Depending on whether the current date has passed the individual’s birthday, you might need to adjust by one year. If today's date is before May 12, the person would be 68 years old.

How to Calculate the Age Using a Simple Formula

To calculate someone's age from their NIC number:

1. Extract the year, month, and day from the first six digits.
2. Find the current date (you can use any online date tool or the date on your device).
3. Subtract the birth year from the current year.
4. Adjust for the birth date:
   • If the current date has passed the birthday for the current year, the age is simply the result from the subtraction.
   • If today’s date is before the birthday (in the current year), subtract one year from the result.

Example:

Let’s assume today's date is February 19, 2025.

1. Birth Date from the NIC: May 12, 1956.
2. Current year: 2025.
3. Calculation: 2025 - 1956 = 69 years.
4. Since February 19 is before May 12, the person has not yet celebrated their birthday this year, so the age is 68 years.

For more analysis, try this NIC convertor.