Sri Lanka
Asia · Southern Asia
Island in post-crisis recovery: warm culture, tea country, cheap.
Digital Nomad
Ideal destination
Backpacker
Ideal destination
At a Glance
📈Sri Lanka's Human Development Index
0.780
High human development#78 of 191 countries worldwide, #20 of 43 in Asia.
Higher than 59% of countries with data. UNDP Human Development Report.
UNDP builds the index from three dimensions: a long and healthy life, being knowledgeable, and a decent standard of living. They are measured by life expectancy at birth, mean and expected years of schooling, and gross national income per capita.
Closest indicators in this dataset
World Bank, own vintages. UNDP’s own component values are not carried here, so these are related measures rather than the index inputs.
Nearest countries by HDI
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka is a teardrop-shaped island in the Indian Ocean with a compressed geography that includes beaches, tea-covered highlands, ancient Buddhist ruins, and elephant-filled national parks, all reachable within a few hours of each other. The culture draws from a deep Sinhalese and Tamil heritage, with temples, festivals, and a cuisine of spiced curries and coconut that is among the most distinctive in Asia. Those who can handle heat and a little infrastructure unpredictability will find it one of the most rewarding islands in Asia.
- First country in the world to elect a female prime minister (1960).
- Cinnamon originated here — European traders spent centuries trying to find the source.
- Higher literacy rate than India despite significantly lower GDP per capita.
Quick Facts
Capital
Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte
Languages
Sinhala, Tamil
Currency
Rs රු LKR
Area
61,860 km²
Nomad Hub
Fixed Broadband
37Mbps
Mobile
47Mbps
Digital Nomad Visa
Min. Income
$2,000/mo
Duration
12 months
Renewable
Yes
Application Fee
~$500
GDP / Capita
$5K
PPP / Capita
$17K
Inflation
-4.8%
Unemployment
4.0%
Innovation (GII)
22.9
GNI / Capita
$5K
Tax Revenue
9.9%
FDI Inflows
0.8%
Education Spend
1.8%
Cost of Living
33.9
Price Level Index
87th pct
20-Year Trend + IMF Forecast
Income & inflation over time
HDI since 1990
0.641 → 0.780 (+0.139)Year by year →UNDP Human Development Report, 2023-24 edition. 33 annual values, none interpolated; hover any point for its year.
Twenty years here
Year by year →The world report →World Bank observations, first to last available year per indicator (roughly 2005–2024; each series has its own window).
Thinking about Sri Lanka for real?
The matcher weighs your budget, timeline and dealbreakers against the same data on this page, then answers with the places that actually fit.
Find your match →Sri Lanka head-to-head
💬Quick answers
What is Sri Lanka's Human Development Index?
Sri Lanka's Human Development Index is 0.780 (UNDP Human Development Report), ranked #78 of 191 countries.
Is Sri Lanka safe?
Sri Lanka scores 1.91 on the Global Peace Index (lower is more peaceful), ranked #66 of 160 countries by the Institute for Economics & Peace. That measures national-level peace, not street crime; both are covered below.
How expensive is Sri Lanka?
Numbeo's cost-of-living index puts Sri Lanka at 33.9 (New York = 100); that is #42 cheapest of 143 countries with data.
What is life expectancy in Sri Lanka?
Life expectancy at birth in Sri Lanka is 77.7 yrs (World Bank), ranked #62 of 195 countries.
What is the quality of life in Sri Lanka?
Numbeo's quality-of-life index scores Sri Lanka at 61.0, ranked #86 of 87 countries with data. It composites purchasing power, safety, healthcare, cost of living, commute and pollution from resident surveys, so it reflects what residents report rather than what an economy produces.