Sri Lanka (Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka)

http://www.humantruth.info/sri_lanka.html

By Vexen Crabtree 2013

Sri Lanka Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka
Status	Independent State
Social and Moral Index	58th best
Capital	Colombo (administrative/judicial) and Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte (legislative)
Land Area	62 710km²₁
Location	Asia
Population	21.2m₂
Life Expectancy	76.40yrs (2017)₃
GNI	$12 578 (2017)₄
ISO3166-1 Codes	LK, LKA, 144₅
Internet Domain	.lk₆
Currency	Rupee (LKR)₇
Telephone	+94₈

1. Overview

#buddhism #india #sri_lanka

“The first Sinhalese arrived in Sri Lanka late in the 6th century B.C., probably from northern India. Buddhism was introduced in about the mid-third century B.C., and a great civilization developed at the cities of Anuradhapura (kingdom from circa 200 B.C. to circa A.D. 1000) and Polonnaruwa (from about 1070 to 1200). In the 14th century, a south Indian dynasty established a Tamil kingdom in northern Sri Lanka.”
CIA's The World Factbook (2013)₉

European powers in the colonial era took it in turns to rule Sri Lanka, starting with the coastal areas by Portuguese in the 16th century₉: Portuguese ruled overall from 1619 to 1663, the Dutch from 1658 to 1796, and the British also had a go from 1802 to 1948₁₀. It finally gained independence in 1948, and changed its name from Ceylon to Sri Lanka in 1972₁₀.

Sri Lanka, along with India, "have established [South Asia]'s most stable democracies, but even their experience with democracy has been marked by the occasional lapse into more authoritarian rule₁₁.

“Endless beaches, timeless ruins, welcoming people, oodles of elephants, killer surf, cheap prices, fun trains, famous tea, flavourful food - need we go on? Sri Lanka´s attributes are many. Few places have as many Unesco World Heritage sites (eight) packed into such a small area. Its 2000-plus years of culture can be discovered at ancient sites filled with mystery.
When you´re ready to escape the tropical climate of the coast and lowlands, head for the hills, which are verdant, virescent and virally infectious with allure. Impossibly green tea plantations and rainforested peaks beckon walkers, trekkers or just those who want to see it on a spectacular train ride.
And then there are the beaches. Dazzlingly white and all so often untrod, they ring the island so that no matter where you go, you´ll be near a sandy gem.
Find a favourite beach to call your own, meditate in a 2000-year-old temple, try to keep count of the little dishes that come with your rice and curry. Stroll past colonial gems in Colombo and then hit some epic surf. Sri Lanka is spectacular, it's affordable and it's still mostly uncrowded. Now is the best time to discover it.”
"The World" by Lonely Planet (2014)₁₂

2. The India-Linked Tamil Separatists ₁₃

#china #india #norway

Southern India expeditionaries established a Tamil Kingdom in the north, in the 14th century₉. Over the many hundreds of years since then, this has been a periodic source of conflict between them and the native Sinhalese.

“Over the centuries... the Tamil communities have come to be associated with the northern areas while the Sinhalese are associated with other parts. [...] The history of repeated confrontation between Tamils from India and the people of the island resonates both in the rhetoric of contemporary ethnic relations. [...]
For some Sri Lankans... the presence of fifty million Tamils... makes it hard to think of compromise on the question of national identity. India's part in arming and training the Tamil militants is well documented, but events following the Indo-Sri Lankan Accord (1987) first embittered Sri Lanka and then, after the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi, India. In recent years, [...] India's participation in the conflict and the peace process has been low-key.”
"South Asia's Small States in World Politics" by Swarna Rajagopalan (2005)₁₀

“Tensions between the Sinhalese majority and Tamil separatists erupted into war in 1983. After two decades of fighting, the government and Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) formalized a cease-fire in February 2002 with Norway brokering peace negotiations. Violence between the LTTE and government forces intensified in 2006, but the government regained control of the Eastern Province in 2007. By May 2009, the government announced that its military had defeated the remnants of the LTTE.
Since the end of the conflict, the government has enacted an ambitious program of economic development projects, many of which are financed by loans from the Government of China. In addition to efforts to reconstruct its economy, the government has resettled more than 95% of those civilians who were displaced during the final phase of the conflict and released the vast majority of former LTTE combatants captured by Government Security Forces. At the same time, there has been little progress on more contentious and politically difficult issues such as reaching a political settlement with Tamil elected representatives and holding accountable those alleged to have been involved in human rights violations at the end of the war.”
CIA's The World Factbook (2013)₉

3. Sri Lanka National and Social Development

#economics #human_development #wealth

UN HDI (2021)₁₄
Pos.		Higher is better Value₁₄
1	Switzerland	0.962
2	Norway	0.961
3	Iceland	0.959
	...
70	Barbados	0.790
71	Antigua & Barbuda	0.788
72	Seychelles	0.785
73	Sri Lanka	0.782
74	Bosnia & Herzegovina	0.780
75	St Kitts & Nevis	0.777
76	Iran	0.774
77	Ukraine	0.773
	Asia Avg	0.75
	World Avg	0.72
q=191.

Gross National Income Per-Capita (2021)₁₄
Pos.		Higher is better PPP $₁₄
1	Liechtenstein	$146 830
2	Singapore	$90 919
3	Qatar	$87 134
	...
92	Iran	$13 001
93	S. Africa	$12 948
94	Suriname	$12 672
95	Sri Lanka	$12 578
96	Paraguay	$12 349
97	Barbados	$12 306
98	Peru	$12 246
99	Equatorial Guinea	$12 074
	Asia Avg	$22 215
	World Avg	$20 136
q=193.

Social & Moral Development Index₁₅
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₁₅
1	Norway	28.6
2	Denmark	30.0
3	Sweden	30.7
	...
55	Malaysia	74.2
56	Ecuador	74.9
57	Mexico	75.1
58	Sri Lanka	75.2
59	UAE	75.5
60	Thailand	75.7
61	Turkey	76.7
62	Bosnia & Herzegovina	76.7
	Asia Avg	87.7
	World Avg	86.8
q=195.

The United Nations produces an annual Human Development Report which includes the Human Development Index. The factors taken into account include life expectancy, education and schooling and Gross National Income (GNI) amongst many others..

The Social and Moral Development Index concentrates on moral issues and human rights, violence, public health, equality, tolerance, freedom and effectiveness in climate change mitigation and environmentalism, and on some technological issues. A country scores higher for achieving well in those areas, and for sustaining that achievement in the long term. Those countries towards the top of this index can truly said to be setting good examples and leading humankind onwards into a bright, humane, and free future. See: Which are the Best Countries in the World? The Social and Moral Development Index.

4. Sri Lanka's Demographics and Migration

#birth_control #demographics #health #immigration #life_expectancy #longevity #migration #overpopulation #population

Population:

Sri Lanka's population is predicted to rise to 23.09 million by 2030. This country has a fertility rate of 2.26. The fertility rate is, in simple terms, the average amount of children that each woman has. The higher the figure, the quicker the population is growing, although, to calculate the rate you also need to take into account morbidity, i.e., the rate at which people die. If people live healthy and long lives and morbidity is low, then, 2.0 approximates to the replacement rate, which would keep the population stable. If all countries had such a fertility rate, population growth would end. The actual replacement rate in most developed countries is around 2.1.

Population₂
Pos.		2018 Population₂
1	China	1.4b
2	India	1.4b
3	USA	327.1m
	...
54	Ivory Coast	25.1m
55	Australia	24.9m
56	Niger	22.4m
57	Sri Lanka	21.2m
58	Burkina Faso	19.8m
59	Romania	19.5m
60	Mali	19.1m
61	Chile	18.7m
	World Avg	39.0m
q=195.

Life Expectancy Higher is better₁₄
Pos.		2021 Years₁₄
1	Monaco	85.9
2	Hong Kong	85.5
3	Japan	84.8
	...
49	Saudi Arabia	76.9
50	Albania	76.5
51	Poland	76.5
52	Sri Lanka	76.4
53	Algeria	76.4
54	Montenegro	76.3
55	Panama	76.2
56	Turkey	76.0
	World Avg	71.28
q=195.

Fertility Rate 2.0 is best₁₆
Pos.		2013₁₆
1	N. Korea	2.00
2	Brunei	1.99
3	St Vincent & Grenadines	2.01
	...
37	Vietnam	1.77
38	Lebanon	1.77
39	Mexico	2.25
40	Sri Lanka	2.26
41	Armenia	1.74
42	Kuwait	2.27
43	Bhutan	2.27
44	Jamaica	2.28
	World Avg	2.81
q=180.

Old-Age Dependency Ratio Lower is better₁₇
Pos.		2016 Per 100₁₇
1	Uganda	04.3
2	Mali	04.5
3=	Chad	04.7
	...
125	Bahamas	22.4
126	Costa Rica	22.6
127	Israel	22.9
128	Sri Lanka	23.7
129	Moldova	24.7
130	China	25.3
131	Mauritius	25.9
132	Uruguay	26.8
	World Avg	18.3
q=185.

Migration:

Immigrants₁₈
Pos.		2017 %₁₈
1	UAE	88.4%
2	Kuwait	75.5%
3	Qatar	65.2%
	...
186	Morocco	0.3%
187	Philippines	0.2%
188	N. Korea	0.2%
189	Sri Lanka	0.2%
190	Myanmar (Burma)	0.1%
191	Madagascar	0.1%
192	Indonesia	0.1%
193	Cuba	0.1%
	World Avg	9.4%
q=195.

Emigrants₁₉
Pos.		2010 %₁₉
1	Dominica	104.8%
2	Palestine	68.4%
3	Samoa	67.3%
	...
72	Burkina Faso	9.7%
73	Slovakia	9.6%
74	Morocco	9.3%
75	Sri Lanka	9.1%
76	Somalia	8.7%
77	Kuwait	8.5%
78	Ecuador	8.3%
79	Poland	8.3%
	World Avg	11.5%
q=192.

5. Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance

#equality #freedom #gender_equality #human_rights #international_law #morals #politics #prejudice #sri_lanka #tolerance

Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance (2020)₂₀
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₂₀
1	Sweden	9.0
2	Norway	14.5
3	Denmark	14.5
	...
104	Belize	93.9
105	Uganda	94.2
106	Lesotho	94.8
107=	Sri Lanka	94.8
107=	Botswana	94.8
109	Mozambique	94.9
	Asia Avg	99.9
	World Avg	87.9
q=199.

Sri Lanka is very poor at ensuring human rights and freedom compared to the rest of the world, and it has cultural issues when it comes to tolerance and equality. Sri Lanka does better than average for speed of uptake of HR treaties₂₁ and in commentary in Human Rights Watch reports₂₂. But unfortunately Sri Lanka gets most other things wrong. It does worse than average for opposing gender inequality₂₃, its nominal commitment to Human Rights₂₄, supporting personal, civil & economic freedoms₂₅, LGBT equality₂₆ and in freethought₂₇. And finally, it sits amongst the bottom 20 in supporting press freedom₂₈. "Sri Lankan police were not held accountable for routine torture and ill-treatment in custody", except for a few high-profile cases₂₉ where the government bowed to international pressure. Over the last several decades, a class of Buddhist extremists have been targeting Muslims and other religious minorities in an attempt to cleanse Sri Lanka of non-Buddhist influences₂₉ - the government has not been firm enough in protecting them nor in prosecuting offenders.

For tables, charts and commentary, see:

Human Rights and Freedom in Sri Lanka

6. Sri Lanka's Health

#alcohol #birth_control #demographics #health #life_expectancy #longevity #obesity #overpopulation #parenting #population #smoking #Sri_Lanka #vaccines

Compared to Asia (2020)₃₀
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₃₀
1	Hong Kong	18.3
2	Maldives	41.0
3	Singapore	42.6
4	Japan	51.0
5	S. Korea	51.3
6	Sri Lanka	52.9
7	Bhutan	55.1
8	China	60.4
9	Brunei	62.6
10	Malaysia	62.8
11	Oman	62.9
12	N. Korea	65.0
13=	Thailand	65.3
	Asia Avg	80.1
q=50.

Health (2020)₃₀
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₃₀
1	Monaco	13.0
2	Hong Kong	18.3
3	Maldives	41.0
4	Singapore	42.6
5	Japan	51.0
6	S. Korea	51.3
7	Sri Lanka	52.9
8	Bhutan	55.1
9	China	60.4
10	Norway	61.0
11	Brunei	62.6
12	Malaysia	62.8
	World Avg	93.5
q=196.

The countries with the best overall approach to public health, in terms of both public policy and individual lifestyle choices, are Monaco, Hong Kong and The Maldives₃₁. These countries are worth emulating. And, although often through no fault of the average citizen, the worst countries are The Marshall Islands, S. Sudan and Palau₃₁.

The data sets used to calculate points for each country are its average life expectancy, its alcohol consumption rate, its fertility rate, its smoking rate, its suicide rate, its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance, the prevalence of overweight adults, its adolescent birth rate and its immunizations take-up. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Asia and The Mediterranean₃₁, whereas the worst are Micronesia, Australasia and Africa₃₁.

For more, see:

"Countries With the Healthiest Cultures and Health Policies" by Vexen Crabtree (2020).

Health:

Public health in Sri Lanka is very good. Sri Lanka comes in the best 20 in its immunizations take-up₃₂. It does better than average for its fertility rate₁₆, its adolescent birth rate₂₃, its average life expectancy₁₄, its smoking rate₃₃, its alcohol consumption rate₃₄ (but bad for Asia) and in its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance₃₅ (but high for Asia). The prevalence of overweight adults has increased by 14% over the past 40 years. Life expectancy in Sri Lanka improved by +4.1yrs in the 30 years from 1990, less than the global average of +7.9yrs.

Life Expectancy Higher is better₁₄
Pos.		2021 Years₁₄
1	Monaco	85.9
2	Hong Kong	85.5
3	Japan	84.8
	...
49	Saudi Arabia	76.9
50	Albania	76.5
51	Poland	76.5
52	Sri Lanka	76.4
53	Algeria	76.4
54	Montenegro	76.3
55	Panama	76.2
56	Turkey	76.0
	Asia Avg	73.48
	World Avg	71.28
q=195.

Alcohol Consumption Lower is better₃₄
Pos.		2016 Per Capita₃₄
1	Bangladesh	0.0
2	Kuwait	0.0
3	Libya	0.0
	...
68	N. Korea	3.9
69	Honduras	4.0
70	Jamaica	4.2
71	Sri Lanka	4.3
72=	Bahamas	4.4
72=	Ecuador	4.4
74	Bolivia	4.8
75=	Costa Rica	4.8
	Asia Avg	3.9
	World Avg	6.2
q=189.

Fertility Rate 2.0 is best₁₆
Pos.		2013₁₆
1	N. Korea	2.00
2	Brunei	1.99
3	St Vincent & Grenadines	2.01
	...
37	Vietnam	1.77
38	Lebanon	1.77
39	Mexico	2.25
40	Sri Lanka	2.26
41	Armenia	1.74
42	Kuwait	2.27
43	Bhutan	2.27
44	Jamaica	2.28
	Asia Avg	2.46
	World Avg	2.81
q=180.

Smoking Rates Lower is better₃₃
Pos.		2014₃₃
1	Guinea	15
2	Solomon Islands	26
3	Kiribati	28
	...
59	Bolivia	299
60	Bahamas	301
61	Sierra Leone	310
62	Sri Lanka	322
63	Mexico	329
64	Barbados	333
65	St Vincent & Grenadines	338
66	Hong Kong	345
	Asia Avg	1 035
	World Avg	819
q=182.

Food Aid, Health Contributions & WHO Compliance Lower is better₃₅
Pos.		2017 Rank₃₅
1	Sweden	1
2	Ireland	2
3	Denmark	3
	...
75=	Cameroon	74
76	Malta	76
77	Guatemala	77
78	Sri Lanka	78
79	Poland	79
80	Uruguay	80
81	Dominican Rep.	81
82	Zambia	82
	Asia Avg	64.4
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Overweight Adults Lower is better₃₆
Pos.		2016 %₃₆
1	Vietnam	18.3
2	India	19.7
3	Bangladesh	20.0
	...
12	Afghanistan	23.0
13	Chad	23.1
14	Burkina Faso	23.2
15	Sri Lanka	23.3
16	Malawi	23.4
17	Madagascar	23.9
18	Myanmar (Burma)	24.8
19	Rwanda	25.1
	Asia Avg	44.3
	World Avg	49.0
q=191.

Children's Health:

Adolescent Birth Rate Lower is better₂₃
Pos.		2015 Per 1000₂₃
1	N. Korea	0.5
2	S. Korea	1.6
3	Switzerland	2.9
	...
46	Latvia	13.6
47	Australia	14.1
48	UK	14.6
49	Sri Lanka	14.8
50	Micronesia	15.0
51	Tonga	15.2
52	Mongolia	15.7
53	Turkmenistan	16.4
	Asia Avg	29.9
	World Avg	47.9
q=185.

Infant Immunizations 2011-2015 Higher is better₃₂
Pos.		2015 Avg %₃₂
1=	Hungary	99.0
1=	China	99.0
3	Uzbekistan	98.9
4	Niue	98.8
5	Mongolia	98.7
6	Czechia	98.7
7	Seychelles	98.6
8	S. Korea	98.6
9	Sri Lanka	98.4
10	St Lucia	98.2
11	Bahrain	98.2
12	Iran	98.1
	Asia Avg	90.5
	World Avg	88.3
q=194.

7. Sri Lanka's Responsibility Towards The Environment

#biodiversity #climate_change #deforestation #food #meat #over-exploitation #the_environment #veganism #vegetarianism

Compared to Asia (2023)₃₇
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₃₇
1	Japan	33.2
2	Philippines	45.0
3	Sri Lanka	49.0
4	Maldives	55.0
5	Jordan	56.5
6	N. Korea	57.5
7	Indonesia	62.4
8	S. Korea	62.8
9	Bangladesh	67.0
10=	India	68.6
11	Lebanon	68.8
12=	Nepal	68.8
13	Armenia	69.5
	Asia Avg	88.8
q=51.

Responsibility Towards The Environment (2023)₃₇
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₃₇
1	Japan	33.2
2	Philippines	45.0
3	Uruguay	48.0
4	Peru	48.2
5	Sri Lanka	49.0
6	Costa Rica	49.6
7	Greece	50.4
8	Italy	51.8
9	Ecuador	52.0
10	Mexico	53.2
11	Canada	53.4
12	Maldives	55.0
	World Avg	85.7
q=188.

With regard to its responsibility towards the environment, Sri Lanka ranks 5th-best in the world. This rank is calculated from 6 data sets. Sri Lanka does the second-best in energy to GDP efficiency₃₈. It comes in the best 20 when it comes to annual meat consumption per person₃₉. It does better than average in terms of how quickly it ratified the 1993 Convention on Biological Diversity, the rate of rational beliefs on the environment in the population₄₀ and in its environmental performance₄₁. But, things still need to improve in Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka does worse than average in its forested percent change 1990-2015₄₂.

Forest Area Change 1990-2015 Higher is better₄₂
Pos.		2015 %₄₂
1	Iceland	+205.6
2	Bahrain	+144.4
3	Uruguay	+131.3
	...
136	Panama	-08.4
137	Madagascar	-08.9
138	Colombia	-09.2
139	Sri Lanka	-09.4
140	Brazil	-09.7
141	Venezuela	-10.3
142	Guinea-Bissau	-11.0
143	Senegal	-11.5
	Asia Avg	+07.0
	World Avg	+02.8
q=184.

Environmental Performance Higher is better₄₁
Pos.		2018₄₁
1	Switzerland	87.4
2	France	84.0
3	Denmark	81.6
	...
67	Lebanon	61.1
68	Macedonia	61.1
69	Brazil	60.7
70	Sri Lanka	60.6
71	Equatorial Guinea	60.4
72	Mexico	59.7
73	Dominica	59.4
74	Argentina	59.3
	Asia Avg	54.5
	World Avg	56.4
q=180.

Energy to GDP Efficiency Higher is better₃₈
Pos.		2014₃₈
1	Hong Kong	26.32
2	Sri Lanka	20.00
3	Panama	17.86
4=	Colombia	17.54
4=	Ireland	17.54
4=	Switzerland	17.54
7	Dominican Rep.	16.95
8	Mauritius	15.63
9=	Malta	15.15
9=	Singapore	15.15
11	Denmark	14.93
12	Peru	14.49
	Asia Avg	09.14
	World Avg	09.29
q=119.

Convention on Biological Diversity Earlier is better
Pos.		0 Signed
1=	China	1993 Dec 29
1=	Guinea	1993 Dec 29
1=	Cook Islands	1993 Dec 29
	...
50	Brazil	1994 May 29
51	Cuba	1994 Jun 06
52	Namibia	1997 Aug 14
53	Sri Lanka	1994 Jun 21
54	Ethiopia	1994 Jul 04
55	Dominica	1994 Jul 05
56	Italy	1994 Jul 14
57	Bangladesh	1994 Aug 01
	Asia Avg	1899 Dec 30
	World Avg	1899 Dec 30
q=197.

Rational Beliefs on the Environment Higher is better₄₀
Pos.		2011 %₄₀
1	Argentina	78.3%
2	Greece	77.6%
3	Brazil	77.1%
	...
54	Bosnia & Herzegovina	44.0%
55	Congo, (Brazzaville)	44.0%
56	Yemen	43.2%
57	Sri Lanka	43.1%
58	Djibouti	42.8%
59	Burundi	42.0%
60	Zambia	41.9%
61	Singapore	41.6%
	Asia Avg	37.9%
	World Avg	39.9%
q=145.

Meat Consumption Lower is better₃₉
Pos.		2021 kg₃₉
1	Congo, DR	03.0
2	Burundi	03.5
3	Bangladesh	04.3
	...
14	Kenya	10.3
15	Mozambique	10.4
16	Sierra Leone	11.7
17	Sri Lanka	12.0
18	Tanzania	12.1
19	Ivory Coast	12.6
20	Cambodia	12.6
21	N. Korea	12.8
	Asia Avg	46.7
	World Avg	52.5
q=185.

8. Sri Lanka's Modernity and Learning

#education #intelligence #it_security #modernity #politics #research #science #technology #the_internet

Compared to Asia (2020)₄₃
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₄₃
1	Taiwan	10.0
2	Japan	21.9
3=	S. Korea	24.0
	...
25	Qatar	75.5
26	Bahrain	75.6
27	Kuwait	77.6
28	Sri Lanka	79.6
29	Jordan	81.1
30	Philippines	81.8
31	Lebanon	85.7
32	Tajikistan	88.3
33	Oman	88.9
	Asia Avg	79.0
q=51.

Modernity & Learning (2020)₄₃
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₄₃
1	Finland	8.4
2	Taiwan	10.0
3	Switzerland	15.1
	...
93	Bahrain	75.6
94	Colombia	77.1
95	Kuwait	77.6
96	Sri Lanka	79.6
97	Kenya	79.8
98	Bahamas	80.0
99	Cuba	80.3
100	Fiji	80.8
	World Avg	83.2
q=205.

Modernity and Education:

Research & Development Higher is better
Pos.		2016 % RDP PPP
1	S. Korea	4.29₄₄
2	Israel	4.11₄₄
3	Japan	3.58₄₄
	...
97=	Kazakhstan	0.17₄₅
98	Bolivia	0.16₄₆
99=	Kyrgyzstan	0.16₄₇
99=	Sri Lanka	0.16₄₈
101	Albania	0.15₄₉
102	Namibia	0.14₄₈
103=	Georgia	0.13₅₀
103=	Gambia	0.13₄₇
	Asia Avg	0.75
	World Avg	0.84
q=126.

Secondary Education Higher is better₅₁
Pos.		2018₅₁
1=	Luxembourg	100.0%
1=	Estonia	100.0%
1=	Austria	100.0%
	...
53	UK	84.5%
54	Jordan	84.0%
55	France	83.5%
56	Sri Lanka	82.8%
57	Bosnia & Herzegovina	81.2%
58	Malaysia	80.8%
59	Cyprus	80.3%
60	Singapore	79.6%
	Asia Avg	66.0%
	World Avg	63.0%
q=169.

Length of Schooling Higher is better₅₂
Pos.		2021 Years₅₂
1	Australia	21.1
2	New Zealand	20.3
3	Greece	20.0
	...
82	Romania	14.2
83	Antigua & Barbuda	14.2
84	Morocco	14.2
85	Sri Lanka	14.1
86	Brunei	14.0
87	Seychelles	13.9
88	Bulgaria	13.9
89	Bosnia & Herzegovina	13.8
	Asia Avg	13.5
	World Avg	13.5
q=193.

Intellectual Endeavours Lower is better₃₅
Pos.		2017 Rank₃₅
1	Ukraine	1
2	Czechia	2
3	Hungary	3
	...
114	Bahamas	114
115	Bahrain	115
116	Kazakhstan	116
117	Sri Lanka	117
118	Rwanda	118
119	Guatemala	119
120	Niger	120
121	El Salvador	121
	Asia Avg	97.1
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

IQ Higher is better₅₃
Pos.		2006₅₃
1=	Hong Kong	108
1=	Singapore	108
3	S. Korea	106
	...
99=	Nicaragua	81
100	El Salvador	80
101=	Guatemala	79
101=	Sri Lanka	79
103	Nepal	78
104	Mauritania	76
105	Uganda	73
106=	Tanzania	72
	Asia Avg	90.4
	World Avg	85.6
q=138.

Technology and Information:

Internet Users Higher is better₅₄
Pos.		2016₅₄
1	Iceland	100%
2	Faroe Islands	99%
3	Norway	98%
	...
131	Micronesia	31%
132	Vanuatu	31%
133	Syria	30%
134	Sri Lanka	29%
135	Samoa	29%
136	Ghana	28%
137	Swaziland	28%
138	Guatemala	27%
	Asia Avg	48.7%
	World Avg	48.1%
q=201.

Freedom On The Internet Lower is better₅₅
Pos.		2012₅₅
1	Estonia	10
2	USA	12
3	Germany	15
	...
29	Rwanda	51
30	Russia	52
31	Zimbabwe	54
32	Sri Lanka	55
33	Kazakhstan	58
34	Egypt	59
35	Thailand	61
36	Pakistan	63
	Asia Avg	56.6
	World Avg	46.7
q=47.

IT Security Lower is better₅₆
Pos.		2013₅₆
1=	Ireland	0.11
1=	Luxembourg	0.11
1=	Belize	0.11
	...
71	Maldives	1.57
72	China	1.59
73	Angola	1.61
74	Sri Lanka	1.67
75	Oman	1.72
76	Iraq	1.84
77	Bangladesh	1.87
78	Sudan	1.98
	Asia Avg	1.08
	World Avg	0.98

IPv6 Uptake Higher is better₅₇
Pos.		2017 Ratio₅₇
1	Belgium	55.4
2	Germany	41.8
3	Switzerland	35.1
	...
38	Thailand	3.3
39	Denmark	3.1
40	Bosnia & Herzegovina	3.1
41	Sri Lanka	2.9
42	Latvia	2.2
43	Israel	1.8
44	Italy	1.7
45	Argentina	1.4
	Asia Avg	2.11
	World Avg	3.82
q=176.

9. National Culture

#charity #corruption #happiness #morals #politics

World Giving Index Higher is better₅₈
Pos.		2022 %₅₈
1	Indonesia	68.0
2	Kenya	61.0
3	USA	59.0
	...
35=	Venezuela	45.0
35=	Norway	45.0
35=	Austria	45.0
38	Sri Lanka	44.0
39=	Ethiopia	44.0
39=	Bosnia & Herzegovina	44.0
39=	Paraguay	44.0
39=	Dominican Rep.	44.0
	Asia Avg	37.9
	World Avg	39.6
q=125.

Corruption Higher is better₅₉
Pos.		2022 Points₅₉
1	Denmark	90.0
2=	Finland	87.0
2=	New Zealand	87.0
	...
101	Serbia	36.0
102=	Peru	36.0
102=	Turkey	36.0
102=	Sri Lanka	36.0
102=	Panama	36.0
102=	Albania	36.0
102=	Ecuador	36.0
102=	Kazakhstan	36.0
	Asia Avg	39.98
	World Avg	42.98
q=180.

Happiness Higher is better₆₀
Pos.		2018 Score₆₀
1	Finland	7.6
2	Norway	7.6
3	Denmark	7.6
	...
113	Sierra Leone	4.6
114	Congo, (Brazzaville)	4.6
115	Bangladesh	4.5
116	Sri Lanka	4.5
117	Iraq	4.5
118	Mali	4.4
119	Namibia	4.4
120	Cambodia	4.4
	Asia Avg	5.29
	World Avg	5.38
q=156.

Creativity & Culture Lower is better₃₅
Pos.		2017 Rank₃₅
1	Belgium	1
2	Netherlands	2
3	Estonia	3
	...
138	Algeria	138
139	Azerbaijan	139
140	Paraguay	140
141	Sri Lanka	141
142	Malawi	142
143	Benin	143
144	Cameroon	144
145	Laos	145
	Asia Avg	99.0
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Open Trading, Aid & Development Lower is better₃₅
Pos.		2017 Rank₃₅
1	Ireland	1
2	Denmark	2
3	Sweden	3
	...
49	UAE	49
50	Greece	50
51	Niger	51
52	Sri Lanka	52
53	Haiti	53
54	Rwanda	54
55	Swaziland	55
56	Luxembourg	56
	Asia Avg	86.3
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

10. Peace Versus Instability

#extremism #human_development #peace #politics #religious_violence #terrorism

Global Peace Index Lower is better₆₁
Pos.		2023 Score₆₁
1	Iceland	1.12
2	Denmark	1.31
3	Ireland	1.31
	...
104=	Guatemala	2.13
104=	Togo	2.13
106	Guyana	2.13
107	Sri Lanka	2.14
108	Bahrain	2.15
109	Swaziland	2.17
110	Benin	2.18
111	Lesotho	2.19
	Asia Avg	2.17
	World Avg	2.07
q=163.

Peacekeeping & Security Lower is better₃₅
Pos.		2017 Rank₃₅
1	Samoa	1
2	S. Africa	2
3	Tunisia	3
	...
23	Guatemala	23
24	Ecuador	24
25	Madagascar	25
26	Sri Lanka	26
27	Netherlands	27
28	Mongolia	28
29	Rwanda	29
30	Paraguay	30
	Asia Avg	76.0
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Refugees & UN Treaties Lower is better₃₅
Pos.		2017 Rank₃₅
1	Austria	1
2	Germany	2
3	Netherlands	3
	...
75	Botswana	75
76	Lebanon	76
77	Bahrain	77
78	Sri Lanka	78
79	Algeria	79
80	Ecuador	80
81	Kuwait	81
82	Paraguay	82
	Asia Avg	92.2
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Impact of Terrorism Lower is better₆₂
Pos.		2019 Score₆₂
1	Togo	0.00
2	Mongolia	0.00
3	Swaziland	0.00
	...
93	Bolivia	3.39
94	Algeria	3.41
95	Sweden	3.45
96	Sri Lanka	3.57
97	Canada	3.59
98	Belgium	3.64
99	Angola	3.78
100	Tunisia	3.94
	Asia Avg	3.60
	World Avg	2.78
q=150.

11. Economic Inequality and Poverty

#capitalism #economics #health #inequality #life_expectancy #social_development

Inequality in Life Expectancy Lower is better₆₃
Pos.		2019₆₃
1	Iceland	2.40
2=	Singapore	2.50
2=	Hong Kong	2.50
	...
53	Saudi Arabia	6.40
54	Oman	6.70
55	Bahamas	6.80
56	Sri Lanka	7.00
57=	Costa Rica	7.10
57=	Russia	7.10
59	Albania	7.20
60=	Lebanon	7.40
	Asia Avg	11.80
	World Avg	14.59
q=184.

Income Inequality (Gini Coefficient) Lower is better₆₄
Pos.		2017 %₆₄
1	Ukraine	25.0
2=	Belarus	25.4
2=	Slovenia	25.4
	...
94	Ethiopia	39.1
95	Morocco	39.5
96=	Uruguay	39.5
97	Sri Lanka	39.8
98	Iran	40.0
99=	Micronesia	40.1
99=	Philippines	40.1
101	Senegal	40.3
	Asia Avg	35.2
	World Avg	38.1
q=152.

12. Religion and Beliefs

#belief #buddhism #buddhist_extremism #christianity #god #hinduism #islam #judaism #religion #sri_lanka

Disbelief In God (2007)₆₅
Pos.		Higher is better %₆₅
1	Vietnam	81
2	Japan	65
3	Sweden	64
	...
85=	El Salvador	1
85=	Panama	1
87	Somalia	0
88=	Sri Lanka	0
88=	Burundi	0
88=	Burkina Faso	0
88=	Brunei	0
88=	Botswana	0
88=	Syria	0
88=	Sierra Leone	0
88=	Thailand	0
88=	Togo	0
88=	Benin	0
88=	Tunisia	0
88=	Uganda	0
88=	Bangladesh	0
	World Avg	9.9
q=137.

Data from the Pew Forum, a professional polling outfit, states that in 2010 the religious makeup of this country was as follows in the table below₆₆:

Christian	7.3%
Muslim	9.8%
Hindu	13.6%
Buddhist	69.3%
Folk Religion	0.1%
Jewish	0.1%
Unaffiliated	0.1%

The CIA World Factbook has slightly different data, and states: Buddhist (official) 69.1%, Muslim 7.6%, Hindu 7.1%, Christian 6.2%, unspecified 10% (2001 census provisional data)₆₇.

Freedom of Religion and Belief: Over the past several decades a rechanchivist Buddhist-nationalist movement has taken to extremism and violence in an attempt to curb "pagan" non-Buddhists in Sri Lanka. Religious minorities remain at risk and there are few protections for minorities, although in 2017 on one occasion the government did protect 31 Rohingya Muslim refugees by taking them into custody after threats of violence from Buddhist extremists₂₉. On other occasions in 2017 "flares of violence in Galle and Vavuniya [possibly involved] mobs attacking Muslim homes and businesses"₂₉. Although the extremists are opposed by liberal-minded Buddhist communities, the extremists have widespread ongoing support from Buddhist communities.

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