Sri Lanka
Southern Asia
Asia
A low-cost Asian country with widely spoken English, a 5-year citizenship path and residence by investment, but a weaker passport.
54
Overall score
Moderate · 96% data coverage
Language
Sinhala, TamilCurrency
LKRCitizenship
5 years (discretionary)Personal tax
Progressive, up to 36%Cost of living
$750 / mo (single)Rules change often. Confirm any immigration, tax or legal decision with a qualified professional.
Score breakdown
42
Access
17%40Residence12%
47Citizenship and passport5%
65
Earning power
25%54Salary and work12%
75Buying power13%
47
Business and wealth
20%50Taxes7%
51Business8%
36Investment5%
60
Daily life
25%63Quality of life18%
52Education7%
48
Rights and institutions
13%54Freedom6%
42Rule of law7%
Pros
- Widely spoken English
- A 5-year citizenship path
- Residence by investment
Cons
- A weaker passport
Best for
Remote workersStudentsInvestors
Score profile
Access
Residence
40
Citizenship
67
Passport
21
Earning power
Salary & work
54
Buying power
75
Cost of living
98
Economy
71
Business and wealth
Taxes
50
Personal tax
35
Corporate tax
14
Business
51
Investment
36
Wealth building
56
Daily life
Safety
63
Healthcare
63
Environment
41
Infrastructure
61
Education
52
HDI
78
Rights and institutions
Freedom
54
Rule of law
42
Access
Residence
Openness to residents
40Limited
Migrant stock0.2% of population (2024)
Regulatory quality-0.30 (−2.5 to 2.5) (2024)
Main pathways
EmploymentStudyFamily reunificationBusiness or investment where eligible
| Student | Rules depend on status and circumstances; verify the current requirements with the competent authority before acting. |
|---|---|
| Work | Rules depend on status and circumstances; verify the current requirements with the competent authority before acting. |
| Self-employed | Rules depend on status and circumstances; verify the current requirements with the competent authority before acting. |
| Permanent | Rules depend on status and circumstances; verify the current requirements with the competent authority before acting. |
Citizenship
Citizenship accessibility
67Good
| Years required | 5 years (discretionary) |
|---|---|
| Dual allowed | Yes |
| Language | Check the current naturalisation rules for the selected route |
| Residence | Typical headline route: 5 years (discretionary); qualifying residence and absence rules apply |
| Notes | Rules depend on status and circumstances; verify the current requirements with the competent authority before acting. |
Passport
Passport power
21Low
42 / 198
Mobility
#98
Global rank
Yes
Biometric
- Visa-free20
- On arrival18
- eTA4
- Visa required156
Placeholder estimates for 2024 to 2025. Check entry rules with each destination before travelling.
Earning power
Salary & work
Labour-market strength
54Moderate
Output per worker$37,900 PPP (2024)
Unemployment4.0% (2025)
Participation48.5% of 15+ (2025)
Mean monthly earnings of employees
Overall$122 · $470 PPP (2023)
Tech (IT & comms)$230 · $1,143 PPP (2023)
| Freelance | Market access depends on language, sector, and work authorisation |
|---|---|
| Job market | Use current local vacancy and salary data for role-specific decisions. |
Buying power
Purchasing power score
75Good
GNI / person$16,750 PPP (2025)
Consumption / person$10,792 PPP (2024)
Price level27 (US = 100) (2025)
Income inequality37.7 Gini (2019)
Inflation-4.8% / yr (2025)
Cost of living
Affordability
98Excellent
Price level27 (US = 100) (2025)
| Rent | Varies substantially by city and neighbourhood |
|---|---|
| Monthly | $750 / mo (single) |
| Cities | Colombo, Kandy, Galle |
Economy
Economic strength
71Good
Output & income
GDP$108.8B (2025)
GDP / person$5,002 (2025)
GNI / person$16,750 PPP (2025)
GDP growth5.0% / yr (2024)
Stability & labour
Inflation-4.8% / yr (2025)
Unemployment4.0% (2025)
Output per worker$37,900 PPP (2024)
Sector composition
Agriculture8.4% of GDP (2025)
Industry25.4% of GDP (2025)
Services54.6% of GDP (2025)
Main industries
TourismTea & agricultureTextiles & apparelGemsInformation technology
Top exports
TeaApparel & textilesRubber productsGems & spices
| Type | Lower-middle-income, services- and export-led |
|---|---|
| Key sectors | Apparel exports, Tea & spice agriculture, Tourism |
| Summary | An island economy built on tea, apparel and tourism, recovering from a severe 2022 debt and currency crisis. |
| Currency | Sri Lankan rupee |
Business and wealth
Taxes
Tax friendliness
50Moderate
| Personal | Progressive, up to 36% |
|---|---|
| Corporate | Generally 30% |
| Capital gains | Treatment varies by asset, holding structure, residence, and treaty position |
| Dividends | Rates and withholding depend on residence and treaty eligibility |
| Exit tax | Check current domestic rules before changing tax residence |
| Foreign companies | Management, permanent-establishment, CFC, and reporting rules may apply |
Personal tax
Personal tax
35Limited
| Personal | Progressive, up to 36% |
|---|---|
| Freelance | Registration, immigration permission, tax, and social contributions may apply |
| Capital gains | Treatment varies by asset, holding structure, residence, and treaty position |
| Dividends | Rates and withholding depend on residence and treaty eligibility |
| Exit tax | Check current domestic rules before changing tax residence |
Corporate tax
Corporate tax
14Low
| Corporate | Generally 30% |
|---|---|
| Capital gains | Treatment varies by asset, holding structure, residence, and treaty position |
| Dividends | Rates and withholding depend on residence and treaty eligibility |
| Foreign companies | Management, permanent-establishment, CFC, and reporting rules may apply |
Business
Business friendliness
51Moderate
Regulation & bureaucracy
Regulatory quality-0.30 (−2.5 to 2.5) (2024)
Government effectiveness-0.27 (−2.5 to 2.5) (2024)
Operating rules
| Foreign company | Generally possible, subject to sector, registration, tax, and substance rules |
|---|---|
| Local company | Available company forms and capital requirements vary |
| Freelance | Registration, immigration permission, tax, and social contributions may apply |
Investment
Investing environment
36Limited
Market cap24% of GDP (2025)
Private credit47% of GDP (2019)
| Capital gains | Treatment varies by asset, residence, holding period, and treaty position |
|---|---|
| Dividends | Data not available yet |
| ETFs & funds | Data not available yet |
| Wealth tax | Check current national and subnational rules |
| Brokers | Local and international availability varies by residency and compliance checks |
| Foreign access | Data not available yet |
| Tax-advantaged | Data not available yet |
Wealth building
Wealth accumulation
56Moderate
Salary & work
54Moderate
Business
51Moderate
Investment
36Limited
Tax friendliness
50Moderate
Cost of living
98Excellent
Daily life
Safety
Safety & stability
63Moderate
Institutions & stability
Control of corruption-0.38 (−2.5 to 2.5) (2024)
Political stability-0.35 (−2.5 to 2.5) (2024)
Check current government travel and security advice before relocating.
Healthcare
Healthcare score
63Moderate
Outcomes
Life expectancy77.7 years (2024)
Under-5 mortality5.9 per 1,000 births (2024)
Capacity & resourcing
Physicians1.14 per 1,000 (2023)
Hospital beds3.93 per 1,000 (2023)
Health spending$507 PPP / person (2023)
System & costs
| System | Public/private mix varies by eligibility and residence status |
|---|---|
| Insurance | Check residence-permit and local coverage requirements |
| Average cost | Depends on eligibility, income, insurer, and chosen coverage |
Environment
Environment score
41Limited
Environmental pressure
PM2.5 exposure22.7 μg/m³ annually (2023)
Water stress90.8% (2022)
Infrastructure
Infrastructure score
61Moderate
Digital infrastructure
Internet use54.6% (2024)
Internet resilience51 / 100 (2026)
Fixed speed59 / 100 download index (2026)
Mobile speed61 / 100 download index (2026)
Sources: World Bank World Development Indicators · Internet Society Pulse Internet Resilience Index
Utilities
Electricity access100.0% (2023)
Grid losses9.2% of output (2023)
Transport
Transport quality2.40 / 5 (2022)
Rail density25.3 km / 1,000 km² (2019)
Air connectivity1,114 departures / million people (2023)
Education
Education score
52Moderate
Attainment
Expected schooling13.1 years (2023)
Mean schooling10.8 years (2023)
Participation & investment
Tertiary enrolment21% gross (2023)
Education spending1.8% of GDP (2023)
| Tuition | $2,000-10,000 / yr |
|---|---|
| Public university | Varies by institution, programme, and student nationality |
| Languages | Sinhala, Tamil |
| Student work | Rules depend on status and circumstances; verify the current requirements with the competent authority before acting. |
HDI
Human development score
78Good
HDI0.776 (2023)
Knowledge
Expected schooling13.1 years (2023)
Mean schooling10.8 years (2023)
Rights and institutions
Freedom
Freedom score
54Moderate
| Freedom in the World | 55 / 100 (Partly free) |
|---|---|
| Freedom on the Net | 53 / 100 (Partly free) |
Sources
Rule of law
Rule of law score
42Limited
| Rule of Law percentile | 42 / 100 |
|---|
Sources
Resources
Official references
UN Statistics: M49 country and area codesunstats.un.orgPwC: Worldwide Tax Summariestaxsummaries.pwc.comSAARC: Member Statessaarc-sec.orgUNDP Human Development Report 2025hdr.undp.orgInternet Society Pulse Internet Resilience Indexpulse.internetsociety.orgWorld Bank World Development Indicatorsdata.worldbank.orgILOSTAT (International Labour Organization)ilostat.ilo.org
Quick links
Data is illustrative. Not legal or tax advice.