Sri Lanka
Freedom at a Glance
Global Freedom
58 / 100
Partly Free
Internet Freedom
53 / 100
Partly Free
Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s election as president in 2019 and the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna’s (SLPP) victory in the 2020 parliamentary polls emboldened the Rajapaksa family. While Gotabaya and Mahinda Rajapaksa resigned from their posts in the face of the Aragalaya (“Struggle”) protests in 2022, the family appears to maintain significant control through the SLPP.
Research & Recommendations
Sri Lanka
Partly Free
58
100
| PR Political Rights | 26 40 |
| CL Civil Liberties | 32 60 |
Last Year's Score & Status
54
100
Partly Free
A country or territory’s Freedom in the World status depends on its aggregate Political Rights score, on a scale of 0–40, and its aggregate Civil Liberties score, on a scale of 0–60.
See the methodology.
Overview
The slight improvements in political rights and civil liberties that Sri Lanka experienced after the 2015 election of President Maithripala Sirisena were stalled after Gotabaya Rajapaksa became president in 2019 and his family’s ethnic Sinhala Buddhist nationalist party Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) won parliamentary polls in 2020. A pattern of governmental mismanagement, corruption, and acute economic crisis under SLPP rule prompted the 2022 Aragalaya (Struggle) protest movement, which resulted in the ouster of President Rajapaksa and his brother, Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa. A new government overseen by veteran politician Ranil Wickremesinghe, who was chosen by Parliament to serve out the remainder of Rajapaksa’s presidential term, brought relative stability, but the austerity measures it introduced under pressure from international creditors further damaged public confidence in the political establishment and contributed to a sweeping victory by the leftist opposition National People’s Power (NPP) alliance in the 2024 presidential and parliamentary elections.
Freedom in the World 2025 Policy Recommendations
Prioritize strengthening the rule of law and delivering economic dividends in the aftermath of political transitions
In countries where democratic forces have come to power after periods of antidemocratic rule, the new governments should pursue an agenda that protects and expands freedoms even as it delivers tangible economic and social benefits to citizens.
In countries emerging from war or the collapse of authoritarian regimes, focus on safety, reconciliation, reform
These countries must act swiftly to release all political prisoners, build or revitalize democratic institutions, reform police and other security forces, organize and hold competitive multiparty elections, and ensure accountability for past human rights violations.
Bolster checks and balances to mitigate the threat of democratic backsliding
In countries where there has been significant erosion of political rights and civil liberties, policymakers, legislators, jurists, civic activists, and donor communities should work to strengthen institutional guardrails and norms that serve to constrain elected leaders with antidemocratic or illiberal aims.
Sri Lanka
Partly Free
53
100
| A Obstacles to Access | 14 25 |
| B Limits on Content | 21 35 |
| C Violations of User Rights | 18 40 |
Last Year's Score & Status
53
100
Partly Free
Scores are based on a scale of 0 (least free) to 100 (most free).
See the methodology and report acknowledgements.
Political Overview
A pattern of governmental mismanagement, corruption, and economic crisis under Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) party rule prompted the 2022 Aragalaya (Struggle) protest movement, which resulted in the ouster of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and his brother, Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa. A new government overseen by veteran politician Ranil Wickremesinghe brought relative stability, but the austerity measures it introduced further damaged public confidence in the political establishment and contributed to a sweeping victory by the leftist opposition National People’s Power (NPP) alliance in 2024.
Freedom on the Net 2025 Policy Recommendations
Countering Restrictions on Freedom of Expression
Freedom of expression online has been and is increasingly under attack as governments shut off internet connectivity, block social media platforms, and restrict access to websites that host political, social, and religious speech. Protecting freedom of expression will require strong legal and regulatory safeguards for digital communications.
Countering Manipulation of the Online Environment
Governments should encourage a whole-of-society approach to fostering a high-quality, diverse, and trustworthy information space. The Global Declaration on Information Integrity Online identifies best practices for safeguarding the information ecosystem, to which governments should adhere.
Countering Restrictions on Privacy and Disproportionate Government Surveillance
Comprehensive data-protection regulations and industry policies on data protection are essential for upholding privacy and combating disproportionate government surveillance, but they require careful crafting to ensure that they do not contribute to internet fragmentation—the siloing of the global internet into nation-based segments—and cannot be used by governments to undermine privacy and other fundamental freedoms.
News and Updates
Freedom House Perspectives
News Releases & Media Coverage
Policy & Advocacy
Country Facts
Basic Facts
Freedom in the World Score
58
/ 100
Partly Free
Freedom on the Net Score
53
/ 100
Partly Free
Population: 22,180,000
Internet Facts
Status
Partly Free
Networks Restricted
No
Social Media Blocked
No
Websites Blocked
Yes
Pro-government Commentators
No
Users Arrested
Yes
Election Facts
Status
Past Election
Date of Election
September 21, 2024
Type of Election
Presidential
Internet Penetration
56.30%
Election Year
2024
Vulnerability Index
59
/ 100
Transnational Repression
Status
Not Tracked
