Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Sri Lanka instead of Bosnia and Herzegovina, you would:

Health

be 46.5% less likely to be obese

In Bosnia and Herzegovina, 21.0% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Sri Lanka, that number is 11.2% of people as of 2024.

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see 74.5% less spent on your healthcare

Bosnia and Herzegovina spends $1,989 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Sri Lanka spends $507 as of 2023.

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be 64.3% more likely to die by suicide

Bosnia and Herzegovina has a suicide rate of 9.0 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Sri Lanka, it is 14.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Economy

be 63.8% less likely to be unemployed

In Bosnia and Herzegovina, 11.0% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Sri Lanka, that number is 4.0% as of 2025.

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make 51.8% less money

Bosnia and Herzegovina has a GDP per capita of $10,382 as of 2025, while in Sri Lanka, the GDP per capita is $5,002 as of 2025.

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Life

have 30.8% more children

In Bosnia and Herzegovina, there are approximately 7.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Sri Lanka, there are 10.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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be 3.0 times more likely to die during childbirth

In Bosnia and Herzegovina, approximately 6.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Sri Lanka, 18.0 women do as of 2023.

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Basic Needs

be 36.6% less likely to have internet access

In Bosnia and Herzegovina, approximately 86.1% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Sri Lanka, about 54.6% do as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 43.7% less on education

Bosnia and Herzegovina spends 3.2% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Sri Lanka spends 1.8% of total GDP on education as of 2023.

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spend 58.7% less on healthcare

Bosnia and Herzegovina spends 8.9% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Sri Lanka, that number is 3.7% of GDP as of 2023.

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Geography

see 67.0 times more coastline

Bosnia and Herzegovina has a total of 20 km of coastline. In Sri Lanka, that number is 1,340 km.

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Safety

be 16.1% less likely to die in a road accident

In Bosnia and Herzegovina, road accidents kill 13.7 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Sri Lanka, they kill 11.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

find 71.2% less home broadband

Bosnia and Herzegovina has 29.4 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Sri Lanka has 8.5 as of 2024.

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live with 43.9 times more strain on fresh water

Bosnia and Herzegovina withdraws 2% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Sri Lanka withdraws 91% as of 2022.

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use 82.5% less electricity

Bosnia and Herzegovina uses 3,677 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Sri Lanka uses 644 kWh as of 2023.

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Environment

be 32.7% less likely to die from air pollution

In Bosnia and Herzegovina, air pollution causes 55.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Sri Lanka, it causes 37.0 as of 2019.

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emit 83.6% less CO2

Bosnia and Herzegovina emits 6.5 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Sri Lanka emits 1.1 tonnes as of 2024.

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Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this

Compare further: Bosnia and Herzegovina vs. Sri Lanka

Cost of Living Comparison · 7 categories - 2026 data
Sri Lanka is 39.2% cheaper than Bosnia and Herzegovina overall
→
Size Comparison · See true size
Bosnia and Herzegovina is about 1.3 times smaller than Sri Lanka.
→
Moving from Bosnia and Herzegovina to Sri Lanka · Cost, visas & climate
Compare cost of living, salary and climate.
→

Sri Lanka: At a glance

Sri Lanka is a sovereign country in South Asia, with a total land area of approximately 64,630 sq km. The first Sinhalese arrived in Sri Lanka late in the 6th century B.C., probably from northern India. Buddhism was introduced in about the mid-third century B.C., and a great civilization developed at the cities of Anuradhapura (kingdom from circa 200 B.C. to circa A.D. 1000) and Polonnaruwa (from about 1070 to 1200). In the 14th century, a south Indian dynasty established a Tamil kingdom in northern Sri Lanka. The coastal areas of the island were controlled by the Portuguese in the 16th century and by the Dutch in the 17th century. The island was ceded to the British in 1796, became a crown colony in 1802, and was formally united under British rule by 1815. As Ceylon, it became independent in 1948; its name was changed to Sri Lanka in 1972. Tensions between the Sinhalese majority and Tamil separatists erupted into war in 1983. After two decades of fighting, the government and Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) formalized a cease-fire in February 2002 with Norway brokering peace negotiations. Violence between the LTTE and government forces intensified in 2006, but the government regained control of the Eastern Province in 2007. By May 2009, the government announced that its military had defeated the remnants of the LTTE. Since the end of the conflict, the government has enacted an ambitious program of economic development projects, many of which are financed by loans from the Government of China. In addition to efforts to reconstruct its economy, the government has resettled more than 95% of those civilians who were displaced during the final phase of the conflict and released the vast majority of former LTTE combatants captured by Government Security Forces. At the same time, there has been little progress on more contentious and politically difficult issues such as reaching a political settlement with Tamil elected representatives and holding accountable those alleged to have been involved in human rights violations and other abuses during the conflict.
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How big is Sri Lanka compared to Bosnia and Herzegovina? See an in-depth size comparison.

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