Democracy in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: Democracy was 6 in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Democracy in Sri Lanka, 1789–2025
Source: Lexical Index (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for democracy in Sri Lanka is 6, measured in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is unchanged over ten years.
Over the whole period, democracy in Sri Lanka peaked at 7 in 1948 and was at its lowest, 0, in 1789.
That places Sri Lanka 78th out of 197 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1780s | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1790s | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| 1800s | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| 1810s | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| 1820s | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| 1830s | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| 1840s | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| 1850s | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| 1860s | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| 1870s | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| 1880s | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| 1890s | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| 1900s | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| 1910s | 1.8 | 0 | 2 | 10 |
| 1920s | 2 | 2 | 2 | 10 |
| 1930s | 2 | 2 | 2 | 10 |
| 1940s | 3 | 2 | 7 | 10 |
| 1950s | 7 | 7 | 7 | 10 |
| 1960s | 7 | 7 | 7 | 10 |
| 1970s | 6 | 6 | 6 | 10 |
| 1980s | 3.9 | 3 | 6 | 10 |
| 1990s | 6 | 6 | 6 | 10 |
| 2000s | 6 | 6 | 6 | 10 |
| 2010s | 4.5 | 3 | 6 | 10 |
| 2020s | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Sri Lanka
- 78 Albania 6 compare
- 78 Armenia 6 compare
- 78 Bhutan 6 compare
- 78 Bolivia 6 compare
- 78 Bosnia and Herzegovina 6 compare
- 78 Botswana 6 compare
- 78 Colombia 6 compare
- 78 East Timor 6 compare
- 78 Ecuador 6 compare
- 78 Gambia 6 compare
- 78 Guatemala 6 compare
- 78 Honduras 6 compare
- 78 Hungary 6 compare
- 78 India 6 compare
- 78 Indonesia 6 compare
- 78 Iraq 6 compare
- 78 Israel 6 compare
- 78 Kenya 6 compare
- 78 Lebanon 6 compare
- 78 Lesotho 6 compare
- 78 Liberia 6 compare
- 78 Malawi 6 compare
- 78 Malaysia 6 compare
- 78 Maldives 6 compare
- 78 Mexico 6 compare
- 78 Moldova 6 compare
- 78 Montenegro 6 compare
- 78 Nepal 6 compare
- 78 North Macedonia 6 compare
- 78 Paraguay 6 compare
- 78 Peru 6 compare
- 78 Philippines 6 compare
- 78 Senegal 6 compare
- 78 Slovakia 6 compare
- 78 Solomon Islands 6 compare
- 78 Ukraine 6 compare
- 78 Zambia 6 compare
More reference data data for Sri Lanka
- Spring temperature anomalies 0.1264 °C (2026)
- Summer temperature anomalies 0.2745 °C (2026)
- Temperature anomalies by month 0.0088 °C (2026)
- Universal right to vote in practice 2 (2025)
- Autumn temperature anomalies 0.7892 °C (2025)
- Winter temperature anomalies 0.372 °C (2025)
- Consumer price index 292.34 2010 = 100 (2025)
- Universal right to vote 2 (2025)
- Competitive elections 1 (2025)
- Men's universal right to vote 1 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is democracy in Sri Lanka?
- Democracy in Sri Lanka was 6 in 2025, according to Lexical Index (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest democracy recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The highest recorded value was 7 in 1948.
- What is the lowest democracy recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The lowest recorded value was 0 in 1789.
- How does Sri Lanka rank for democracy?
- Sri Lanka ranks 78th out of 197 countries with data for 2025.
- Is democracy rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
- Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Sri Lanka data come from?
- The figures come from Lexical Index (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Democracy. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Identifies the political regime of a country. It distinguishes between non-electoral autocracies (score 0), one-party autocracies (score 1), multi-party autocracies without elected executive (score 2), multi-party autocracies (score 3), exclusive democracies (score 4), male democracies (score 5), electoral democracies (score 6), and full democracies (score 7).