Sri Lanka: crime and justice

What are the crime statistics for Sri Lanka?

Sri Lanka Police recorded 44,969 grave crimes in 2023, according to the Grave Crime Abstract for 2023 published on its statistics page. They included 573 murders, 12,138 house-breakings and 7,685 cases of trafficking or possession of dangerous drugs above set quantities.

Grave crimes are a defined list of serious offences under the Penal Code and other laws; minor offences are not included. Recorded crime depends on what is reported to the police. The 2023 abstract is the latest annual summary on the police site, checked on 15 October 2026.

Official sources: Sri Lanka Police: Grave Crime Abstract 2023 (PDF) · Sri Lanka Police: Statistics

What is the homicide rate in Sri Lanka?

According to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, the intentional homicide rate in Sri Lanka was 3.3 per 100,000 in 2019. Since 2005 it has ranged from 2.2 per 100,000 (2017) to 10.0 per 100,000 (2006). Across South Asia the middle value was 2.0 per 100,000, and Sri Lanka placed 1st highest of 5. Of 125 countries with 2019 data, 52nd highest.

What is the female homicide rate in Sri Lanka?

In 2019, the homicide rate for women in Sri Lanka was 2.2 per 100,000, according to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime. The peak was 3.3 per 100,000 in 2008 and the low 0.8 per 100,000 in 2017. World rank, highest first: 26th of 107.

How many men are killed in Sri Lanka?

According to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, the homicide rate for men in Sri Lanka was 4.5 per 100,000 in 2019. Since 2008 it has ranged from 3.6 per 100,000 (2015) to 16.4 per 100,000 (2008). World rank, highest first: 49th of 108.