Life expectancy vs. Electoral Democracy Index in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: Life expectancy vs. Electoral Democracy Index was 77.48 years in 2023. ▲ Rising
Life expectancy vs. Electoral Democracy Index in Sri Lanka, 1901–2023
Source: Riley (2005); Zijdeman et al. (2015); HMD (2025); UN WPP (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in years.
Analysis
In 2023, life expectancy vs. electoral democracy index in Sri Lanka stood at 77.48 years. That is the highest value across all 82 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.2% on the previous year and up 2.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, life expectancy vs. electoral democracy index in Sri Lanka peaked at 77.48 years in 2023 and was at its lowest, 29.9 years, in 1911.
That places Sri Lanka 84th out of 236 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 82 years of available data.
Life expectancy vs. Electoral Democracy Index in Sri Lanka, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1901 | 32.6 years | — |
| 1911 | 29.9 years | -8.3% |
| 1921 | 32 years | +7.0% |
| 1935 | 46.3 years | +44.7% |
| 1940 | 45.2 years | -2.4% |
| 1946 | 45.8 years | +1.3% |
| 1948 | 54 years | +17.9% |
| 1949 | 55.5 years | +2.8% |
| 1950 | 53.17 years | -4.2% |
| 1951 | 53.98 years | +1.5% |
| 1952 | 54.86 years | +1.6% |
| 1953 | 55.65 years | +1.4% |
| 1954 | 56.44 years | +1.4% |
| 1955 | 57.18 years | +1.3% |
| 1956 | 57.9 years | +1.3% |
| 1957 | 58.54 years | +1.1% |
| 1958 | 59.28 years | +1.3% |
| 1959 | 59.97 years | +1.2% |
| 1960 | 60.6 years | +1.1% |
| 1961 | 61.16 years | +0.9% |
| 1962 | 61.63 years | +0.8% |
| 1963 | 62.03 years | +0.7% |
| 1964 | 62.38 years | +0.6% |
| 1965 | 62.79 years | +0.7% |
| 1966 | 63.16 years | +0.6% |
| 1967 | 63.56 years | +0.6% |
| 1968 | 63.87 years | +0.5% |
| 1969 | 64.14 years | +0.4% |
| 1970 | 64.35 years | +0.3% |
| 1971 | 64.24 years | -0.2% |
| 1972 | 64.62 years | +0.6% |
| 1973 | 64.79 years | +0.2% |
| 1974 | 64.97 years | +0.3% |
| 1975 | 65.36 years | +0.6% |
| 1976 | 65.84 years | +0.7% |
| 1977 | 66.39 years | +0.8% |
| 1978 | 66.84 years | +0.7% |
| 1979 | 67.51 years | +1.0% |
| 1980 | 68.01 years | +0.7% |
| 1981 | 68.38 years | +0.6% |
| 1982 | 68.66 years | +0.4% |
| 1983 | 68.73 years | +0.1% |
| 1984 | 68.76 years | +0.1% |
| 1985 | 68.88 years | +0.2% |
| 1986 | 68.96 years | +0.1% |
| 1987 | 69.01 years | +0.1% |
| 1988 | 69 years | -0.0% |
| 1989 | 67.28 years | -2.5% |
| 1990 | 69.24 years | +2.9% |
| 1991 | 69.13 years | -0.2% |
| 1992 | 69.62 years | +0.7% |
| 1993 | 70.05 years | +0.6% |
| 1994 | 70.21 years | +0.2% |
| 1995 | 69.75 years | -0.7% |
| 1996 | 69.84 years | +0.1% |
| 1997 | 69.93 years | +0.1% |
| 1998 | 70.13 years | +0.3% |
| 1999 | 70.43 years | +0.4% |
| 2000 | 71.18 years | +1.1% |
| 2001 | 71.8 years | +0.9% |
| 2002 | 72.27 years | +0.6% |
| 2003 | 72.44 years | +0.2% |
| 2004 | 68.02 years | -6.1% |
| 2005 | 73.07 years | +7.4% |
| 2006 | 72.83 years | -0.3% |
| 2007 | 72.98 years | +0.2% |
| 2008 | 72.56 years | -0.6% |
| 2009 | 70.3 years | -3.1% |
| 2010 | 74.46 years | +5.9% |
| 2011 | 74.74 years | +0.4% |
| 2012 | 75.19 years | +0.6% |
| 2013 | 75.55 years | +0.5% |
| 2014 | 75.76 years | +0.3% |
| 2015 | 75.99 years | +0.3% |
| 2016 | 76.14 years | +0.2% |
| 2017 | 76.24 years | +0.1% |
| 2018 | 76.49 years | +0.3% |
| 2019 | 76.7 years | +0.3% |
| 2020 | 76.93 years | +0.3% |
| 2021 | 76.28 years | -0.8% |
| 2022 | 77.3 years | +1.3% |
| 2023 | 77.48 years | +0.2% |
Sri Lanka compared with similar countries
- Sri Lanka's 77.48 years is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 74.42 years, 1.0× the median. (58 countries reporting)
- Sri Lanka's 77.48 years is above the median for South Asia, which is 73.82 years, 1.0× the median. (6 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Life expectancy vs. Electoral Democracy Index in Sri Lanka changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1935 | +44.7% | 32 years | 46.3 years |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1900s | 32.6 years | 32.6 years | 32.6 years | 1 |
| 1910s | 29.9 years | 29.9 years | 29.9 years | 1 |
| 1920s | 32 years | 32 years | 32 years | 1 |
| 1930s | 46.3 years | 46.3 years | 46.3 years | 1 |
| 1940s | 50.12 years | 45.2 years | 55.5 years | 4 |
| 1950s | 56.7 years | 53.17 years | 59.97 years | 10 |
| 1960s | 62.53 years | 60.6 years | 64.14 years | 10 |
| 1970s | 65.49 years | 64.24 years | 67.51 years | 10 |
| 1980s | 68.57 years | 67.28 years | 69.01 years | 10 |
| 1990s | 69.83 years | 69.13 years | 70.43 years | 10 |
| 2000s | 71.75 years | 68.02 years | 73.07 years | 10 |
| 2010s | 75.72 years | 74.46 years | 76.7 years | 10 |
| 2020s | 77 years | 76.28 years | 77.48 years | 4 |
Countries ranked near Sri Lanka
- 81 Colombia 77.72 years compare
- 82 Iran 77.65 years compare
- 83 Antigua and Barbuda 77.6 years compare
- 85 Bonaire Sint Eustatius and Saba 77.44 years compare
- 86 Argentina 77.39 years compare
- 86 North Macedonia 77.39 years compare
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)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 0 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate -2.13 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per capita 0.0339 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate -2.12 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is life expectancy vs. electoral democracy index in Sri Lanka?
- Life expectancy vs. electoral democracy index in Sri Lanka was 77.48 years in 2023, according to Riley (2005); Zijdeman et al. (2015); HMD (2025); UN WPP (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest life expectancy vs. electoral democracy index recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The highest recorded value was 77.48 years in 2023.
- What is the lowest life expectancy vs. electoral democracy index recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The lowest recorded value was 29.9 years in 1911.
- How does Sri Lanka rank for life expectancy vs. electoral democracy index?
- Sri Lanka ranks 84th out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is life expectancy vs. electoral democracy index rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
- Over the last ten years it is up 2.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sri Lanka data come from?
- The figures come from Riley (2005); Zijdeman et al. (2015); HMD (2025); UN WPP (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Life expectancy vs. Electoral Democracy Index. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Period life expectancy is the number of years the average person born in a certain year would live if they experienced the same chances of dying at each age as people did that year.