Key media freedoms in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: Key media freedoms was 1.96 in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2025)
1.96
Change on year
up 5.2%
World rank
26th
of 175 countries
All-time high
1.96
in 2025
All-time low
-1.52
in 2005
Years of data
126
1900–2025
Key media freedoms in Sri Lanka, 1900–2025
Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2025, key media freedoms in Sri Lanka stood at 1.96. That is the highest value across all 126 years on record.
That represents a change of up 5.2% on the previous year and up 771.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, key media freedoms in Sri Lanka peaked at 1.96 in 2025 and was at its lowest, -1.52, in 2005.
Sri Lanka ranks 26th of 175 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Key media freedoms in Sri Lanka, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1900 | 0.276 | — |
| 1901 | 0.276 | +0.0% |
| 1902 | 0.276 | +0.0% |
| 1903 | 0.276 | +0.0% |
| 1904 | 0.276 | +0.0% |
| 1905 | 0.276 | +0.0% |
| 1906 | 0.276 | +0.0% |
| 1907 | 0.276 | +0.0% |
| 1908 | 0.276 | +0.0% |
| 1909 | 0.276 | +0.0% |
| 1910 | 0.276 | +0.0% |
| 1911 | 0.276 | +0.0% |
| 1912 | 0.276 | +0.0% |
| 1913 | 0.276 | +0.0% |
| 1914 | 0.276 | +0.0% |
| 1915 | 0.276 | +0.0% |
| 1916 | 0.276 | +0.0% |
| 1917 | 0.276 | +0.0% |
| 1918 | 0.276 | +0.0% |
| 1919 | 0.276 | +0.0% |
| 1920 | 0.276 | +0.0% |
| 1921 | 0.276 | +0.0% |
| 1922 | 0.276 | +0.0% |
| 1923 | 0.276 | +0.0% |
| 1924 | 0.276 | +0.0% |
| 1925 | 0.276 | +0.0% |
| 1926 | 0.276 | +0.0% |
| 1927 | 0.276 | +0.0% |
| 1928 | 0.276 | +0.0% |
| 1929 | 0.276 | +0.0% |
| 1930 | 0.276 | +0.0% |
| 1931 | 1.04 | +276.8% |
| 1932 | 1.04 | +0.0% |
| 1933 | 1.04 | +0.0% |
| 1934 | 1.04 | +0.0% |
| 1935 | 1.04 | +0.0% |
| 1936 | 1.04 | +0.0% |
| 1937 | 1.04 | +0.0% |
| 1938 | 1.04 | +0.0% |
| 1939 | 1.04 | +0.0% |
| 1940 | 1.04 | +0.0% |
| 1941 | 1.04 | +0.0% |
| 1942 | 1.04 | +0.0% |
| 1943 | 1.04 | +0.0% |
| 1944 | 1.04 | +0.0% |
| 1945 | 1.04 | +0.0% |
| 1946 | 1.04 | +0.0% |
| 1947 | 1.04 | +0.0% |
| 1948 | 0.834 | -19.8% |
| 1949 | 0.834 | +0.0% |
| 1950 | 0.834 | +0.0% |
| 1951 | 0.834 | +0.0% |
| 1952 | 0.834 | +0.0% |
| 1953 | 0.834 | +0.0% |
| 1954 | 0.834 | +0.0% |
| 1955 | 0.834 | +0.0% |
| 1956 | 0.447 | -46.4% |
| 1957 | 0.447 | +0.0% |
| 1958 | 0.447 | +0.0% |
| 1959 | 0.447 | +0.0% |
| 1960 | 0.685 | +53.2% |
| 1961 | 0.685 | +0.0% |
| 1962 | 0.685 | +0.0% |
| 1963 | 0.685 | +0.0% |
| 1964 | 0.685 | +0.0% |
| 1965 | 0.685 | +0.0% |
| 1966 | 0.685 | +0.0% |
| 1967 | 0.685 | +0.0% |
| 1968 | 0.685 | +0.0% |
| 1969 | 0.685 | +0.0% |
| 1970 | 0.359 | -47.6% |
| 1971 | 0.359 | +0.0% |
| 1972 | -0.822 | -329.0% |
| 1973 | -0.822 | -0.0% |
| 1974 | -0.822 | -0.0% |
| 1975 | -0.822 | -0.0% |
| 1976 | -0.822 | -0.0% |
| 1977 | -0.501 | -39.1% |
| 1978 | -0.501 | -0.0% |
| 1979 | -0.501 | -0.0% |
| 1980 | -0.706 | +40.9% |
| 1981 | -0.706 | -0.0% |
| 1982 | -0.706 | -0.0% |
| 1983 | -0.706 | -0.0% |
| 1984 | -0.706 | -0.0% |
| 1985 | -0.706 | -0.0% |
| 1986 | -0.706 | -0.0% |
| 1987 | -1.07 | +51.3% |
| 1988 | -1.07 | -0.0% |
| 1989 | -1.07 | -0.0% |
| 1990 | -1.07 | -0.0% |
| 1991 | -1.07 | -0.0% |
| 1992 | -1.07 | -0.0% |
| 1993 | -1.07 | -0.0% |
| 1994 | -1.07 | -0.0% |
| 1995 | -1.07 | -0.0% |
| 1996 | -1.07 | -0.0% |
| 1997 | -1.07 | -0.0% |
| 1998 | -1.07 | -0.0% |
| 1999 | -1.07 | -0.0% |
| 2000 | -0.946 | -11.4% |
| 2001 | -0.946 | -0.0% |
| 2002 | -0.946 | -0.0% |
| 2003 | -0.946 | -0.0% |
| 2004 | -0.946 | -0.0% |
| 2005 | -1.52 | +61.0% |
| 2006 | -1.35 | -11.2% |
| 2007 | -1.44 | +6.3% |
| 2008 | -1.51 | +5.1% |
| 2009 | -1.51 | -0.0% |
| 2010 | -0.934 | -38.2% |
| 2011 | -0.768 | -17.8% |
| 2012 | -0.738 | -3.9% |
| 2013 | -0.666 | -9.8% |
| 2014 | -0.804 | +20.7% |
| 2015 | -0.292 | -63.7% |
| 2016 | 0.669 | -329.1% |
| 2017 | 0.669 | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 0.729 | +9.0% |
| 2019 | 0.683 | -6.3% |
| 2020 | 0.233 | -65.9% |
| 2021 | 0.511 | +119.3% |
| 2022 | 0.691 | +35.2% |
| 2023 | 1.34 | +94.6% |
| 2024 | 1.86 | +38.6% |
| 2025 | 1.96 | +5.2% |
Sri Lanka compared with similar countries
- Sri Lanka's 1.96 is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 0.209, 9.4× the median. (48 countries reporting)
- Sri Lanka's 1.96 is above the median for South Asia, which is 1.23, 1.6× the median. (6 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1900s | 0.276 | 0.276 | 0.276 | 10 |
| 1910s | 0.276 | 0.276 | 0.276 | 10 |
| 1920s | 0.276 | 0.276 | 0.276 | 10 |
| 1930s | 0.9636 | 0.276 | 1.04 | 10 |
| 1940s | 0.9988 | 0.834 | 1.04 | 10 |
| 1950s | 0.6792 | 0.447 | 0.834 | 10 |
| 1960s | 0.685 | 0.685 | 0.685 | 10 |
| 1970s | -0.4895 | -0.822 | 0.359 | 10 |
| 1980s | -0.8146 | -1.07 | -0.706 | 10 |
| 1990s | -1.07 | -1.07 | -1.07 | 10 |
| 2000s | -1.21 | -1.52 | -0.946 | 10 |
| 2010s | -0.1452 | -0.934 | 0.729 | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.1 | 0.233 | 1.96 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Sri Lanka
- 23 Suriname 2.11 compare
- 24 Barbados 2.06 compare
- 25 Switzerland 2.01 compare
- 27 Uruguay 1.9 compare
- 28 Montenegro 1.9 compare
- 29 Sierra Leone 1.87 compare
- 29 South Korea 1.87 compare
More social development data for Sri Lanka
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 213 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 148,369 (2025)
- Political Rights Rating 3 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 1 (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 3 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0068 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 148,369 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is key media freedoms in Sri Lanka?
- Key media freedoms in Sri Lanka was 1.96 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest key media freedoms recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The highest recorded value was 1.96 in 2025.
- What is the lowest key media freedoms recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The lowest recorded value was -1.52 in 2005.
- How does Sri Lanka rank for key media freedoms?
- Sri Lanka ranks 26th out of 175 countries with data for 2025.
- Is key media freedoms rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
- Over the last ten years it is up 771.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Sri Lanka data come from?
- The figures come from V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Key media freedoms. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 126 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Central estimate of the extent to which the government directly or indirectly attempts to censor political content in print and broadcast media, through formal restrictions or indirect pressures such as financial control, licensing, or access to distribution channels.