Chandana Kularatne is the World Bank's Country Economist for Lao PDR, based in Vientiane. Previously, he was Country Economist for Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Island from 2014-2018. Working with government counterparts on key economic and fiscal policy issues at the national and local level, Chandana analyses and comments on data countries can use to raise the living standards of their citizens.

Prior his work in the East Asia and Pacific region, he was based in Washington, DC working as an economist for Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and the Maldives as part of the Economic Policy and Poverty Sector, as well as an Economist for Ethiopia. Before joining the World Bank, Chandana worked as Deputy-Director for the National Treasury of South Africa and a Lecturer at the University of Cape Town.

Chandana holds a Doctor of Philosophy from the University of Cape Town; a Master of Commerce (Economics) from the University of Witwatersrand; and a Bachelor of Economic Science from the University of Witwatersrand, South Africa.