Rule of Law Index in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: Rule of Law Index was 0.829 in 2025. ▼ Falling
Rule of Law Index in Sri Lanka, 1900–2025
Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2025, rule of law index in Sri Lanka stood at 0.829.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 17.1% on the previous year and up 25.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, rule of law index in Sri Lanka peaked at 0.893 in 1920 and was at its lowest, 0.397, in 2010.
Sri Lanka ranks 41st of 173 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 126 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1900s | 0.884 | 0.884 | 0.884 | 10 |
| 1910s | 0.884 | 0.884 | 0.884 | 10 |
| 1920s | 0.893 | 0.893 | 0.893 | 10 |
| 1930s | 0.8867 | 0.886 | 0.893 | 10 |
| 1940s | 0.8702 | 0.814 | 0.886 | 10 |
| 1950s | 0.8112 | 0.792 | 0.821 | 10 |
| 1960s | 0.798 | 0.798 | 0.798 | 10 |
| 1970s | 0.7439 | 0.678 | 0.777 | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.6427 | 0.563 | 0.67 | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.5912 | 0.579 | 0.597 | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.5514 | 0.484 | 0.611 | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.5478 | 0.397 | 0.71 | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.6188 | 0.46 | 0.829 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Sri Lanka
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 rule of law index in Sri Lanka?
- Rule of law index in Sri Lanka was 0.829 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest rule of law index recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The highest recorded value was 0.893 in 1920.
- What is the lowest rule of law index recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.397 in 2010.
- How does Sri Lanka rank for rule of law index?
- Sri Lanka ranks 41st out of 173 countries with data for 2025.
- Is rule of law index rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
- Over the last ten years it is up 25.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- 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 Rule of Law Index. 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 complies with the law, courts are independent, laws transparent, justice accessible, corruption absent, and the bureaucracy is impartial.