CONTEXT:Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is characterized by progressive destruction of renal mass with irreversible sclerosis and loss of nephrons over a period of months to years, depending on the underlying etiology.AIM:To describe demographic patterns and identify common causes of CKD in patients admitted to ward 41 and 48B, National Hospital of Sri Lanka.SETTINGS AND DESIGN:A hospital based descriptive 3-month study was conducted at ward 41 and 48B, National Hospital of Sri Lanka. A case record form was used to record sociodemographic variables, stage of renal disease, and etiology of patients in established chronic renal failure. Sources of data included patient interviews, diagnosis cards and case records, ultrasound scan reports, and biopsy findings.RESULTS:One hundred and twenty-one patients were recruited with male to female ratio being 2.5:1 (86:35). Mean age of the population was 47.8 years (SD ± 13.7). Common causes of CKD identified in these patients included diabetic nephropathy (37, 30.6%), hypertension (16, 13.2%), glomerulonephritis (12, 9.9%), and obstructive uropathy (10, 8.3%). The cause was unknown in 25.6% of patients with chronic renal disease. Fifty percent of patients were from the Western Province. The leading cause of CKD in patients from the Western Province was diabetic nephropathy (26, 37.7%). The etiology of CKD was unknown in majority of the patients (14, 27.4%) from other provinces. The difference in incidence of diabetic nephropathy in the Western Province as to other provinces was not statistically significant (P > 0.05).CONCLUSION:Diabetes is a major contributor to CKD reflecting changing disease epidemiology in Sri Lanka.