⌛ Then vs now
How has Sri Lanka changed since 1990?
1990 then 2026 latest dataPeople in Sri Lanka now live 8.5 years longer than in 1990.
Land
Farmland
37.3% in 1990, 48.8% in 2024.
People
Population
16.4 million in 1990, 21.8 million in 2025.
Fertility rate
2.54 children per woman in 1990, 1.95 children per woman in 2024.
Median age
22.6 years in 1990, 32.8 years in 2023.
Aged 65 and over
5.6% in 1990, 12.5% in 2025.
Money
GDP per person (PPP)
Int$2,530 in 1990, Int$17,100 in 2025.
Economy size (GDP)
$8.03 billion in 1990, $109 billion in 2025.
Unemployment
14.7% in 1991, 4% in 2025.
Military spending
2.3% in 1990, 1.3% in 2025.
Tax revenue (central government)
19% in 1990, 9.9% in 2023.
Extreme poverty ($3.00 a day)
23.4% in 1990, 2.7% in 2019.
Health
Life expectancy
69.2 years in 1990, 77.7 years in 2024.
Infant mortality
17.9 per 1,000 in 1990, 5.2 per 1,000 in 2024.
Adult obesity
1% in 1990, 11.2% in 2024.
Hospital beds
2.7 per 1,000 in 1990, 3.9 per 1,000 in 2023.
Everyday life
Meat supply
3.4 kg in 1990, 11.6 kg in 2023.
Daily calories
2,300 kcal in 1990, 2,680 kcal in 2023.
Years of schooling
8.5 years in 1990, 10.8 years in 2023.
Working hours
2,280 hours in 1990, 2,050 hours in 2023.
Olympic medals (all time)
1 in 1990, 2 in 2026.
Connected
Urban population
18% in 1990, 21% in 2025.
Internet users
0% in 1990, 55% in 2024.
Mobile subscriptions
0.0059 in 1990, 133 in 2024.
Planet
CO₂ per person
0.2 t in 1990, 0.9 t in 2024.
Forest cover
37.8% in 1990, 34.4% in 2024.
Renewable electricity
99.8% in 1990, 61.6% in 2025.
Safety
Homicide rate
12.1 per 100k in 1990, 3.3 per 100k in 2019.