Which has higher state capacity index, Sri Lanka or Zimbabwe?

Sri Lanka, at 0.3371 against 0.2965 in Zimbabwe as of 2015.

How many years of comparable data are there for Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe?

46 years are reported by both, from 1970 to 2015.

Where does this data come from?

Jonathan Hanson and Rachel Sigman (2021); Population based on various sources (2023) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as State Capacity Index. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

Sri Lanka vs Zimbabwe: State Capacity Index

Sri Lanka

0.3371

in 2015

Zimbabwe

0.2965

in 2015

Sri Lanka rank

95th

Zimbabwe rank

97th

State Capacity Index over time

Sri Lanka
Zimbabwe

How they compare

Sri Lanka currently reports 0.3371 against 0.2965 in Zimbabwe, a difference of 0.0406.

That makes Sri Lanka's figure about 1.1 times Zimbabwe's.

The two have swapped places 2 times across 46 shared years of data; in 1970 it was Sri Lanka ahead.

Sri Lanka ranks 95th and Zimbabwe ranks 97th of 166 countries.

Across the 5 decades both report, Sri Lanka averaged higher in 2 and Zimbabwe in 3.

Head to head by decade

Decade	Sri Lanka	Zimbabwe	Difference	Ahead
1970s	-0.0191	-0.817	0.7978	Sri Lanka
1980s	-0.5723	0.5938	1.17	Zimbabwe
1990s	-0.3834	0.8203	1.2	Zimbabwe
2000s	-0.0935	0.0775	0.171	Zimbabwe
2010s	0.2459	0.1035	0.1424	Sri Lanka

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher state capacity index, Sri Lanka or Zimbabwe?: Sri Lanka, at 0.3371 against 0.2965 in Zimbabwe as of 2015.
What is the difference in state capacity index between Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe?: 0.0406, with Sri Lanka ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe?: 46 years are reported by both, from 1970 to 2015.
How do Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe rank globally for state capacity index?: Sri Lanka ranks 95th and Zimbabwe ranks 97th of 166 countries.
Where does this data come from?: Jonathan Hanson and Rachel Sigman (2021); Population based on various sources (2023) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as State Capacity Index. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Sri Lanka vs Zimbabwe: State Capacity Index. Statizoid, drawing on Jonathan Hanson and Rachel Sigman (2021); Population based on various sources (2023) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Retrieved 23 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/compare/state-capacity-index/sri-lanka/zimbabwe/

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About this data

Indicator: State Capacity Index
Source: Jonathan Hanson and Rachel Sigman (2021); Population based on various sources (2023) – with major processing by Our World in Data
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage: 166 places, 8,015 data points, 1960–2015
Last refreshed: 18 September 2026

Measures state capacity by combining 21 different indicators related to three key dimensions: extractive capacity, coercive capacity, and administrative capacity. Higher values indicate greater state capacity.