Independent rankings built from public data — every figure traceable to the body that published it.

Photo: Løken · CC0 · via Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale
Topic 06 of 18 · Country Index 2026
Is a country turning its resources into better lives?
Sri Lanka is placed joint 89th of 196 countries on development & human capital in the Country Index 2026, from 3 of its 3 key statistics. Readings behind it: Social Protection Coverage 41.3 (2025); Maternal Mortality Ratio 18.32 (2023).
Development & Human Capital
joint89th
of 196 countries placed
Placed from 3 of 3 key statistics
01The evidence
Only these place Sri Lanka on development & human capital — one vote each. Every value is the publisher’s own, read at the edition the Country Index 2026 used — or, for a survey-based key, each country’s latest reading; the grey ticks are every other country it was compared with, lowest on the left.
Key 2 of 3
UN Maternal Mortality Estimation Inter-Agency Group (MMEIG)
Why it is a key: Whether a woman survives giving birth — the reach of a health system at the moment it is hardest to fake.
2023 edition · data for 2023 · CC BY 3.0 IGO
18.32
Maternal deaths per 100,000 live births
Lower is better
Sri Lanka: 18.32. Across the 195 countries in this edition, values run from 0.11 (Cook Islands) to 992.83 (Nigeria); the world median is 46.65.
Each grey tick is one of 195 countries in the 2023 edition.
Key 3 of 3
UNDP Human Development Report Office
Why it is a key: The standard composite of health, schooling and income, carrying UNDP's own published rank.
2023 edition · data for 2023 · CC BY 3.0 IGO
0.776
HDI score (0–1)
Higher is better
Ranked 89th of 193 by UNDP Human Development Report Office
Sri Lanka: 0.776. Across the 193 countries in this edition, values run from 0.388 (South Sudan) to 0.972 (Iceland); the world median is 0.762.
Each grey tick is one of 193 countries in the 2023 edition.
02Over time
Each key’s published value, edition by edition, beside the world median. The Country Index 2026 is the first edition of the standing, so the standing itself has no history to chart yet.
Maternal deaths per 100,000 live births · lower is better
Sri LankaWorld median
Sri Lanka fell from 38.76 in 2000 to 18.32 in 2023; the world median went from 70.99 to 46.65.
| Year | Sri Lanka | World median |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 18.3 | 46.7 |
| 2022 | 22.1 | 53.0 |
| 2021 | 34.0 | 76.6 |
| 2020 | 22.9 | 56.0 |
| 2019 | 20.3 | 48.4 |
| 2018 | 20.6 | 49.3 |
| 2017 | 21.5 | 47.2 |
| 2016 | 21.6 | 50.6 |
| 2015 | 22.0 | 51.9 |
| 2014 | 22.8 | 52.8 |
| 2013 | 23.4 | 53.3 |
| 2012 | 24.3 | 54.6 |
| 2011 | 25.4 | 55.0 |
| 2010 | 26.0 | 56.1 |
| 2009 | 28.2 | 56.3 |
| 2008 | 30.4 | 55.8 |
| 2007 | 31.1 | 56.8 |
| 2006 | 32.2 | 58.1 |
| 2005 | 32.4 | 60.1 |
| 2004 | 37.1 | 63.0 |
| 2003 | 35.4 | 66.8 |
| 2002 | 35.6 | 66.0 |
| 2001 | 37.3 | 68.1 |
| 2000 | 38.8 | 71.0 |
HDI score (0–1) · higher is better
Sri LankaWorld median
Sri Lanka rose from 0.702 in 2000 to 0.776 in 2023; the world median went from 0.672 to 0.762.
| Year | Sri Lanka | World median |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 0.776 | 0.7620 |
| 2022 | 0.777 | 0.7610 |
| 2021 | 0.777 | 0.7450 |
| 2020 | 0.780 | 0.7425 |
| 2019 | 0.781 | 0.7515 |
| 2018 | 0.782 | 0.7520 |
| 2017 | 0.777 | 0.7480 |
| 2016 | 0.772 | 0.7500 |
| 2015 | 0.769 | 0.7430 |
| 2014 | 0.767 | 0.7410 |
| 2013 | 0.764 | 0.7390 |
| 2012 | 0.759 | 0.7350 |
| 2011 | 0.753 | 0.7250 |
| 2010 | 0.748 | 0.7250 |
| 2009 | 0.723 | 0.7220 |
| 2008 | 0.730 | 0.7180 |
| 2007 | 0.729 | 0.7100 |
| 2006 | 0.724 | 0.7045 |
| 2005 | 0.721 | 0.6960 |
| 2004 | 0.695 | 0.6960 |
| 2003 | 0.713 | 0.6910 |
| 2002 | 0.709 | 0.6845 |
| 2001 | 0.704 | 0.6770 |
| 2000 | 0.702 | 0.6720 |
03In context
A position reads best beside the countries around it. Every position below is a place among all 196 countries on development & human capital, never a place within the region.
Sri Lanka has no land border, so the table compares it with its sub-region. The standing is each country’s place among all 196 placed on the topic; the other columns are the publishers’ own values, read at the edition the standing used.
| Country | Standing | Social Protection CoveragePopulation covered by at least one social protection benefit (%) | Maternal Mortality RatioMaternal deaths per 100,000 live births | Human Development IndexHDI score (0–1) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 48th | 100 | 15.84 | 0.799 | |
| =89th | 41.3 | 18.32 | 0.776 | |
| 103rd | 30.1 | 31.82 | 0.766 | |
| 114th | 64.3 | 80.48 | 0.685 | |
| 133rd | 11.9 | 46.65 | 0.698 | |
| 138th | 22 | 115.11 | 0.685 | |
| 145th | 21 | 142.01 | 0.622 | |
| 154th | 20.2 | 155.03 | 0.544 | |
| 189th | 7.5 | 520.5 | 0.496 |
“—” means the publisher gives no reading for that country in that edition. A country needs readings on enough keys to be placed.
Every country in the sub-region, by its place among all 196.
The countries immediately above and below Sri Lanka in the topic’s list.
04Context, no vote
26 more statistics filed under development & human capital, published in full and deliberately given no vote in the standing. Select a row for the publisher, the rank and the links.
Statistics on which Sri Lanka does better than the middle country measured.
Sri Lanka: 80.93 · world median 40.74 · Infants under 6 months exclusively breastfed (%). UNICEF, 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 3.497 to 83.3; higher is better.
Position 2nd of 136 — derived here by ordering the published values, 1st = best. The publisher ranks no country on this.
Sri Lanka: 50.8 · world median 75.8 · Children aged 1-14 experiencing violent discipline (%). UNICEF, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 37.6 to 94; lower is better.
Position 83rd of 90 — derived here by ordering the published values, 1st = worst. The publisher ranks no country on this.
Sri Lanka: 0.754 · world median 0.678 · PHDI (0–1). UNDP Human Development Report Office, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 0.276 to 0.827; higher is better.
Position 27th of 156 — derived here by ordering the published values, 1st = best. The publisher ranks no country on this.
Sri Lanka: 5.881 · world median 14.54 · Deaths before age five (per 1,000 live births). UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (UN IGME), 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 1.26 to 115.65; lower is better.
Position 151st of 200 — derived here by ordering the published values, 1st = worst. The publisher ranks no country on this.
Sri Lanka: 5.166 · world median 12.26 · Deaths before age one (per 1,000 live births). UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (UN IGME), 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 1.214 to 71.87; lower is better.
Position 150th of 200 — derived here by ordering the published values, 1st = worst. The publisher ranks no country on this.
Sri Lanka: 0.011 · world median 0.039 · MPI (0–1). Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI), 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 0.517; lower is better.
Position 78th of 109 — derived here by ordering the published values, 1st = worst. The publisher ranks no country on this.
Sri Lanka: 9.8 · world median 17.1 · Women 20–24 married before 18 (%). UNICEF, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 76.3; lower is better.
Position 97th of 143 — derived here by ordering the published values, 1st = worst. The publisher ranks no country on this.
Sri Lanka: 77.48 · world median 74.63 · Years a newborn would live at current death rates. UN DESA Population Division, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 54.46 to 86.37; higher is better.
Position 77th of 222 — derived here by ordering the published values, 1st = best. The publisher ranks no country on this.
Sri Lanka: 3,804 · world median 3,072 · Cereal yield (kg per hectare). Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 23 to 29,147; higher is better.
Position 68th of 179 — derived here by ordering the published values, 1st = best. The publisher ranks no country on this.
Sri Lanka: 3.308 · world median 3.246 · IDA Resource Allocation Index (1 = low to 6 = high). World Bank Group, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 1.617 to 4.225; higher is better.
Position 30th of 78 — derived here by ordering the published values, 1st = best. The publisher ranks no country on this.
Sri Lanka: 10.77 · world median 9.933 · Mean years of schooling (adults 25+). UNDP Human Development Report Office, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 1.412 to 14.3; higher is better.
Position 77th of 193 — derived here by ordering the published values, 1st = best. The publisher ranks no country on this.
Sri Lanka: 81.69 · world median 72.83 · Adults with an account (% of population aged 15+). World Bank Group, 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 14.83 to 99.85; higher is better.
Position 56th of 139 — derived here by ordering the published values, 1st = best. The publisher ranks no country on this.
Sri Lanka: 10.5 · world median 13.8 · Children under 5 who are stunted (%). UNICEF, WHO and World Bank Group (Joint Malnutrition Estimates), 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 0.518 to 52.8; lower is better.
Position 97th of 162 — derived here by ordering the published values, 1st = worst. The publisher ranks no country on this.
Sri Lanka: 0.598 · world median 0.564 · HCI score (0–1). World Bank Group, 2020 edition, data for 2020.
Published values in that edition run from 0.292 to 0.879; higher is better.
Position 71st of 172 — derived here by ordering the published values, 1st = best. The publisher ranks no country on this.
Sri Lanka: 74.58 · world median 69.3 · SPI overall score (0–100). World Bank Group, 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 27.12 to 94.14; higher is better.
Position 79th of 188 — derived here by ordering the published values, 1st = best. The publisher ranks no country on this.
Sri Lanka: 98.9 · world median 98.4 · Children under 5 whose birth is registered (%). UNICEF, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 2.7 to 100; higher is better.
Sri Lanka: 0.63 · world median 0.609 · IHDI (0–1). UNDP Human Development Report Office, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 0.226 to 0.923; higher is better.
Position 80th of 169 — derived here by ordering the published values, 1st = best. The publisher ranks no country on this.
Sri Lanka: 14,291 · world median 14,273 · GNI per capita (constant 2021 international $, PPP). World Bank Group, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 1,181 to 116,633; higher is better.
Position 51st of 102 — derived here by ordering the published values, 1st = best. The publisher ranks no country on this.
Statistics on which Sri Lanka does worse than the middle country measured.
Sri Lanka: 17.54 · world median 17.05 · Coefficient of Human Inequality (%). UNDP Human Development Report Office, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 4.865 to 43.08; lower is better.
Position 82nd of 169 — derived here by ordering the published values, 1st = worst. The publisher ranks no country on this.
Sri Lanka: 0.367 · world median 0.351 · GII (0 = full equality, 1 = maximum inequality). UNDP Human Development Report Office, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 0.003 to 0.838; lower is better.
Ranked 93rd of 172 by UNDP Human Development Report Office.
Sri Lanka: 13.13 · world median 13.34 · Expected years of schooling. UNDP Human Development Report Office, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 5.635 to 21.69; higher is better.
Position 108th of 195 — derived here by ordering the published values, 1st = best. The publisher ranks no country on this.
Sri Lanka: 14,583 · world median 17,265 · GDP per capita (constant 2021 international $, PPP). World Bank Group, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 1,067 to 139,593; higher is better.
Position 104th of 185 — derived here by ordering the published values, 1st = best. The publisher ranks no country on this.
Sri Lanka: 0.951 · world median 0.971 · Gender Development Index (1.000 = parity). UNDP Human Development Report Office, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 0.407 to 1.038; higher is better.
Position 120th of 184 — derived here by ordering the published values, 1st = best. The publisher ranks no country on this.
Sri Lanka: 100 · world median 100 · Population with electricity access (%). World Bank Group, 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 5.4 to 100; higher is better.
These describe the shape of a country — more is not better or worse, only different — so they are never ahead or behind.
Sri Lanka: 17.12 · world median 11.26 · Manufacturing value added (% of GDP). World Bank Group, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 0.481 to 43.97.
Position 28th of 132 — derived here by ordering the published values, counted from the highest value. The publisher ranks no country on this.
Sri Lanka: 1.015 · world median 2.579 · Net ODA received (% of GNI). OECD Development Assistance Committee, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from -0.001 to 101.78.
Position 91st of 130 — derived here by ordering the published values, counted from the highest value. The publisher ranks no country on this.
No current reading for Sri Lanka
Children with Functional Difficulties, Poverty Gap at $3.00 a Day (last 2019), Poverty Headcount Ratio at $3.00 a Day (last 2019), Poverty Headcount Ratio at $8.30 a Day (last 2019) and Prosperity Gap (last 2019). Listed rather than hidden, so the page can be checked against it.
05Country Index 2026
Development & Human Capital is Sri Lanka’s 8th best-placed topic of 16. Strongest first; each marker sits at the position divided by that topic’s field, so fields of different sizes compare fairly.
06The top of the list
The three countries placed highest of 196, and the leaders Sri Lanka can most readily be measured against.
1Cook Islands
Polynesia
1st of 196 · 2 of 3 keys
Photo: Benedict Adam · CC BY 2.0, greyscale
2Norway
Northern Europe
2nd of 196 · 3 of 3 keys
Photo: Ximonic , Simo Räsänen · CC BY-SA 3.0, greyscale
3Denmark
Northern Europe
3rd of 196 · 3 of 3 keys
Photo: User:Aconcagua · CC BY-SA 3.0, greyscale
Highest in Asia
Highest in Southern Asia
This page
Positions out of 196 placed on the topic. A country needs readings on enough keys to be placed, and the top of the list is often held on fewer of them.
07Analysis

On development & human capital
Thirteen countries scored across four editions — 2000, 2008, 2016 and 2025 — and five the report could not score at all. DR Congo and South Sudan share 121st place on 37.5.

On development & human capital
India and Pakistan on six published measures: hunger, happiness, human development, rule of law, literacy and GDP per capita. India is the better placed on five of them; Pakistan on one.
08Questions
Every answer is built from the numbers on this page, so none can say something the page does not.
Sri Lanka is placed joint 89th of 196 countries on Development & Human Capital in the Country Index 2026, from 3 of its 3 key statistics (Social Protection Coverage, Maternal Mortality Ratio and Human Development Index). The position is this site’s ordering of published statistics, not a rank any publisher printed.
41.3 in 2025 (population covered by at least one social protection benefit (%)), according to International Labour Organization (ILO). The world median in the same edition was 52.1.
18.32 in 2023 (maternal deaths per 100,000 live births), according to UN Maternal Mortality Estimation Inter-Agency Group (MMEIG). The world median in the same edition was 46.65.
Maternal Mortality Ratio fell from 38.76 in 2000 to 18.32 in 2023; Human Development Index rose from 0.702 in 2000 to 0.776 in 2023.
No current reading is published for Sri Lanka on Children with Functional Difficulties, Poverty Gap at $3.00 a Day, Poverty Headcount Ratio at $3.00 a Day, Poverty Headcount Ratio at $8.30 a Day and Prosperity Gap. They are listed rather than hidden, so the evidence on the page can be checked against it.
09Keep reading
10Method
What this topic does not measure
Poverty lines, inequality and aid received are published here as context rather than as keys, often because they cover fewer countries or are measured too rarely. Development is also not the same as economic size or growth, which belong to Economy & Innovation.
A standing is a place in a list, not a mark out of anything. This one is part of the Country Index 2026, and it is worked out like this.
The other 26 statistics on this page come from 9 publishers, each named beside its numbers, with every edition and licence on the datasets pages.
The standing itself is part of the Country Index 2026, published under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sri Lanka’s banner and the countries placed highest, from their profiles: Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale, each used under the licence named.
Nations Inquiry (2026). Sri Lanka: Development & Human Capital — standing and statistics, Country Index 2026. https://nationsinquiry.com/countries/sri-lanka/development