Gender Inequality Index in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: Gender Inequality Index was 0.367 in 2023. ▼ Falling
Gender Inequality Index in Sri Lanka, 1990–2023
Source: UNDP, Human Development Report (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for gender inequality index in Sri Lanka is 0.367, measured in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 5.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, gender inequality index in Sri Lanka peaked at 0.468 in 2000 and was at its lowest, 0.361, in 2017.
That places Sri Lanka 78th out of 169 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 34 years of available data.
Gender Inequality Index in Sri Lanka, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 0.447 | — |
| 1991 | 0.451 | +0.9% |
| 1992 | 0.455 | +0.9% |
| 1993 | 0.452 | -0.7% |
| 1994 | 0.446 | -1.3% |
| 1995 | 0.451 | +1.1% |
| 1996 | 0.452 | +0.2% |
| 1997 | 0.452 | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 0.43 | -4.9% |
| 1999 | 0.452 | +5.1% |
| 2000 | 0.468 | +3.5% |
| 2001 | 0.461 | -1.5% |
| 2002 | 0.459 | -0.4% |
| 2003 | 0.458 | -0.2% |
| 2004 | 0.446 | -2.6% |
| 2005 | 0.435 | -2.5% |
| 2006 | 0.411 | -5.5% |
| 2007 | 0.402 | -2.2% |
| 2008 | 0.397 | -1.2% |
| 2009 | 0.401 | +1.0% |
| 2010 | 0.41 | +2.2% |
| 2011 | 0.4 | -2.4% |
| 2012 | 0.4 | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 0.387 | -3.3% |
| 2014 | 0.374 | -3.4% |
| 2015 | 0.378 | +1.1% |
| 2016 | 0.363 | -4.0% |
| 2017 | 0.361 | -0.6% |
| 2018 | 0.365 | +1.1% |
| 2019 | 0.367 | +0.5% |
| 2020 | 0.368 | +0.3% |
| 2021 | 0.37 | +0.5% |
| 2022 | 0.367 | -0.8% |
| 2023 | 0.367 | +0.0% |
Sri Lanka compared with similar countries
- Sri Lanka's 0.367 is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 0.345, 1.1× the median. (50 countries reporting)
- Sri Lanka's 0.367 is below the median for South Asia, which is 0.385, 95% of the median. (6 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 0.4488 | 0.43 | 0.455 | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.4338 | 0.397 | 0.468 | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.3805 | 0.361 | 0.41 | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.368 | 0.367 | 0.37 | 4 |
Countries ranked near Sri Lanka
More poverty & inequality data for Sri Lanka
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via the World Bank 2 surveys (2025)
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via 0 surveys per person (2025)
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via 0 surveys per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Fertility rate vs. share living in extreme poverty 1.97 live births per woman (2023)
- Cereal yield vs. share in extreme poverty 3,804 kg per hectare (2023)
- Cereal yield vs extreme poverty, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Cereal yield vs extreme poverty, annual growth rate 25.42 % change on previous year (2023)
- Tax revenues vs income inequality, gaps filled 9.85 (2023)
- Tax revenue as share of GDP vs. income inequality 9.8% (2023)
- Tax revenues vs income inequality, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is gender inequality index in Sri Lanka?
- Gender inequality index in Sri Lanka was 0.367 in 2023, according to UNDP, Human Development Report (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest gender inequality index recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The highest recorded value was 0.468 in 2000.
- What is the lowest gender inequality index recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.361 in 2017.
- How does Sri Lanka rank for gender inequality index?
- Sri Lanka ranks 78th out of 169 countries with data for 2023.
- Is gender inequality index rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
- Over the last ten years it is down 5.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Sri Lanka data come from?
- The figures come from UNDP, Human Development Report (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Gender Inequality Index. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 34 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
This index captures gender-based disadvantage in reproductive health, empowerment and the labor market; ranges from 0 (full equality) to 1 (maximum inequality), representing the share of potential human development lost because of gender gaps.