Democracy Index in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: Democracy Index was 6 in 2018. ▼ Falling
Democracy Index in Sri Lanka, 1948–2018
Source: Polity 5 (2020); Population based on various sources (2023) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for democracy index in Sri Lanka is 6, measured in 2018.
Compared with earlier readings it is unchanged over ten years.
Over the whole period, democracy index in Sri Lanka peaked at 8 in 1970 and was at its lowest, 3, in 2010.
Sri Lanka ranks 86th of 167 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 71 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1940s | 7 | 7 | 7 | 2 |
| 1950s | 7 | 7 | 7 | 10 |
| 1960s | 7 | 7 | 7 | 10 |
| 1970s | 7.6 | 6 | 8 | 10 |
| 1980s | 5.2 | 5 | 6 | 10 |
| 1990s | 5 | 5 | 5 | 10 |
| 2000s | 5.5 | 5 | 6 | 10 |
| 2010s | 4.33 | 3 | 6 | 9 |
Countries ranked near Sri Lanka
More social development data for Sri Lanka
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of asy 213 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of ori 148,369 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 1 (2025)
- Political Rights Rating 3 (2025)
- Key features of liberal democracy 0.613 (2025)
- Varieties of democracy 0.783 (2025)
- Freedom of Expression Index 0.871 (2025)
- Freedom of Association Index 0.853 (2025)
- Electoral Democracy Index 0.783 (2025)
- Liberal democracy 2 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is democracy index in Sri Lanka?
- Democracy index in Sri Lanka was 6 in 2018, according to Polity 5 (2020); Population based on various sources (2023) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest democracy index recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The highest recorded value was 8 in 1970.
- What is the lowest democracy index recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The lowest recorded value was 3 in 2010.
- How does Sri Lanka rank for democracy index?
- Sri Lanka ranks 86th out of 167 countries with data for 2018.
- Is democracy index rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
- Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Sri Lanka data come from?
- The figures come from Polity 5 (2020); Population based on various sources (2023) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Democracy Index. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 71 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
It combines information on the extent to which open, multi-party, and competitive elections choose a chief executive who faces comprehensive institutional constraints, and political participation is competitive. It ranges from -10 to 10 (fully democratic).