Prosperity gap in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: Prosperity gap was 3.97 in 2019. ▼ Falling
Prosperity gap in Sri Lanka, 1985–2019
Source: World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2019, prosperity gap in Sri Lanka stood at 3.97. That is the lowest value across all 9 years on record.
The figure is down 4.9% on the previous year and down 23.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, prosperity gap in Sri Lanka peaked at 7.65 in 1985 and was at its lowest, 3.97, in 2019.
Sri Lanka ranks 41st of 120 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
Prosperity gap in Sri Lanka, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 7.65 | — |
| 1990 | 7.26 | -5.0% |
| 1995 | 7.07 | -2.6% |
| 2002 | 6.59 | -6.7% |
| 2006 | 5.56 | -15.7% |
| 2009 | 5.16 | -7.1% |
| 2012 | 4.75 | -7.9% |
| 2016 | 4.17 | -12.2% |
| 2019 | 3.97 | -4.9% |
Sri Lanka compared with similar countries
- Sri Lanka's 3.97 is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 2.67, 1.5× the median. (35 countries reporting)
- Sri Lanka's 3.97 is above the median for South Asia, which is 3.97, 1.0× the median. (5 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 7.65 | 7.65 | 7.65 | 1 |
| 1990s | 7.17 | 7.07 | 7.26 | 2 |
| 2000s | 5.77 | 5.16 | 6.59 | 3 |
| 2010s | 4.3 | 3.97 | 4.75 | 3 |
Countries ranked near Sri Lanka
More reference data data for Sri Lanka
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.1608 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.316 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 2.33 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.1784 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 2.33 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.539 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 0.1604 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 1.63 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 10.15 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.9713 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is prosperity gap in Sri Lanka?
- Prosperity gap in Sri Lanka was 3.97 in 2019, according to World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest prosperity gap recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The highest recorded value was 7.65 in 1985.
- What is the lowest prosperity gap recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.97 in 2019.
- How does Sri Lanka rank for prosperity gap?
- Sri Lanka ranks 41st out of 120 countries with data for 2019.
- Is prosperity gap rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
- Over the last ten years it is down 23.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Sri Lanka data come from?
- The figures come from World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Prosperity gap. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 9 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Average factor by which incomes need to be multiplied to bring everyone to the prosperity standard of $28 per person per day.