Life expectancy in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: Life expectancy was 76.39 years in 2020. ▲ Rising
Life expectancy in Sri Lanka, 1870–2020
Source: Leandro Prados de la Escosura (2021) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in years.
Analysis
In 2020, life expectancy in Sri Lanka stood at 76.39 years. That is the highest value across all 24 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 4.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, life expectancy in Sri Lanka peaked at 76.39 years in 2020 and was at its lowest, 25 years, in 1870.
Sri Lanka ranks 50th of 162 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 24 years of available data.
Life expectancy in Sri Lanka, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1870 | 25 years | — |
| 1880 | 29 years | +16.0% |
| 1890 | 31.3 years | +7.9% |
| 1900 | 32.6 years | +4.2% |
| 1913 | 31.7 years | -2.8% |
| 1925 | 32.7 years | +3.2% |
| 1929 | 38.25 years | +17.0% |
| 1933 | 39 years | +2.0% |
| 1938 | 45.75 years | +17.3% |
| 1950 | 57.04 years | +24.7% |
| 1955 | 60.5 years | +6.1% |
| 1960 | 60.15 years | -0.6% |
| 1965 | 62.6 years | +4.1% |
| 1970 | 64.65 years | +3.3% |
| 1975 | 66.17 years | +2.4% |
| 1980 | 67.8 years | +2.5% |
| 1985 | 68.87 years | +1.6% |
| 1990 | 71.93 years | +4.4% |
| 1995 | 72.26 years | +0.5% |
| 2000 | 70.36 years | -2.6% |
| 2005 | 72.12 years | +2.5% |
| 2010 | 73.22 years | +1.5% |
| 2015 | 74.93 years | +2.3% |
| 2020 | 76.39 years | +2.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1870s | 25 years | 25 years | 25 years | 1 |
| 1880s | 29 years | 29 years | 29 years | 1 |
| 1890s | 31.3 years | 31.3 years | 31.3 years | 1 |
| 1900s | 32.6 years | 32.6 years | 32.6 years | 1 |
| 1910s | 31.7 years | 31.7 years | 31.7 years | 1 |
| 1920s | 35.48 years | 32.7 years | 38.25 years | 2 |
| 1930s | 42.38 years | 39 years | 45.75 years | 2 |
| 1950s | 58.77 years | 57.04 years | 60.5 years | 2 |
| 1960s | 61.38 years | 60.15 years | 62.6 years | 2 |
| 1970s | 65.41 years | 64.65 years | 66.17 years | 2 |
| 1980s | 68.34 years | 67.8 years | 68.87 years | 2 |
| 1990s | 72.09 years | 71.93 years | 72.26 years | 2 |
| 2000s | 71.24 years | 70.36 years | 72.12 years | 2 |
| 2010s | 74.07 years | 73.22 years | 74.93 years | 2 |
| 2020s | 76.39 years | 76.39 years | 76.39 years | 1 |
Countries ranked near Sri Lanka
More health data for Sri Lanka
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.62 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.7332 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 1,250 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 304 deaths (2100)
- Total tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 6 (2025)
- Total tetanus - number of reported cases, per capita 0 units per person (2025)
- Diphtheria - number of reported cases, gaps filled 0 (2025)
- Diphtheria - number of reported cases, per capita 0 units per person (2025)
- Measles - number of reported cases, gaps filled 2 (2025)
- Measles - number of reported cases, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is life expectancy in Sri Lanka?
- Life expectancy in Sri Lanka was 76.39 years in 2020, according to Leandro Prados de la Escosura (2021) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest life expectancy recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The highest recorded value was 76.39 years in 2020.
- What is the lowest life expectancy recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The lowest recorded value was 25 years in 1870.
- How does Sri Lanka rank for life expectancy?
- Sri Lanka ranks 50th out of 162 countries with data for 2020.
- Is life expectancy rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
- Over the last ten years it is up 4.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sri Lanka data come from?
- The figures come from Leandro Prados de la Escosura (2021) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Life expectancy. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 24 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Average number of years a newborn would live if age-specific mortality rates in the current year were to stay the same throughout its life.