Quality of life comparison
If you lived in United Kingdom instead of Sri Lanka, you would:
Health
live 3.7 years longer
In Sri Lanka, the average life expectancy is 78 years (74 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2024. In United Kingdom, that number is 81 years (80 years for men, 83 years for women) as of 2024.
see 13.0 times more spent on your healthcare
Sri Lanka spends $507 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). United Kingdom spends $6,606 as of 2024.
have 2.9 times more doctors per person
Sri Lanka has 11.4 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. United Kingdom has 33.0 as of 2023.
have 31.3% more access to essential health services
Sri Lanka scores 67 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. United Kingdom scores 88 as of 2021.
be 35.2% less likely to die by suicide
Sri Lanka has a suicide rate of 14.7 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In United Kingdom, it is 9.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 2.4 times more likely to be obese
In Sri Lanka, 11.2% of adults are obese as of 2024. In United Kingdom, that number is 27.4% of people as of 2024.
Economy
make 11.5 times more money
Sri Lanka has a GDP per capita of $5,002 as of 2025, while in United Kingdom, the GDP per capita is $57,602 as of 2025.
be 18.8% more likely to be unemployed
In Sri Lanka, 4.0% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In United Kingdom, that number is 4.8% as of 2025.
be 30.1% more likely to live below the poverty line
In Sri Lanka, 14.3% live below the poverty line as of 2019. In United Kingdom, however, that number is 18.6% as of 2017.
Life
be 55.6% less likely to die during childbirth
In Sri Lanka, approximately 18.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In United Kingdom, 8.0 women do as of 2023.
be 21.2% less likely to die during infancy
In Sri Lanka, approximately 5.2 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In United Kingdom, on the other hand, 4.1 children do as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 74.9% more likely to have internet access
In Sri Lanka, approximately 54.6% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In United Kingdom, about 95.5% do as of 2024.
be 10.9% more likely to have access to drinking water
In Sri Lanka, approximately 90% of people have access to drinking water (98% in urban areas, and 88% in rural areas) as of 2024. In United Kingdom, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 3.2 times more on education
Sri Lanka spends 1.8% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. United Kingdom spends 5.9% of total GDP on education as of 2021.
spend 3.0 times more on healthcare
Sri Lanka spends 3.7% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In United Kingdom, that number is 11.1% of GDP as of 2024.
Geography
see 9.3 times more coastline
Sri Lanka has a total of 1,340 km of coastline. In United Kingdom, that number is 12,429 km.
Safety
be 66.2% less likely to be murdered
Sri Lanka has a homicide rate of 3.3 per 100,000 people as of 2019. In United Kingdom, that number is 1.1 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 79.1% less likely to die in a road accident
In Sri Lanka, road accidents kill 11.5 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In United Kingdom, they kill 2.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 5.0 times more home broadband
Sri Lanka has 8.5 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. United Kingdom has 42.2 as of 2024.
live with 84.2% less strain on fresh water
Sri Lanka withdraws 91% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. United Kingdom withdraws 14% as of 2022.
use 6.5 times more electricity
Sri Lanka uses 644 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. United Kingdom uses 4,195 kWh as of 2024.
Environment
be 64.9% less likely to die from air pollution
In Sri Lanka, air pollution causes 37.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In United Kingdom, it causes 13.0 as of 2019.
emit 4.0 times more CO2
Sri Lanka emits 1.1 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. United Kingdom emits 4.2 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2017–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: Sri Lanka vs. United Kingdom
United Kingdom: At a glance
How big is United Kingdom compared to Sri Lanka? See an in-depth size comparison.