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Science in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka ranks #82 of 192 countries on research quality in 2022–2025 (#89 all time), with 21k research works and 11.8% of them in the world's top 10%.

World rank, 2022–2025
#82
of 192 · #89 all time
Works, 2022–2025
21k
▲ 89% vs 2013–17
Top-10% rate
11.8%
record average 16.5%
In the world top 100
0
0 in the top 1,000
Open access
60%
world 63%

What is Sri Lanka strongest at in science?

On research quality in 2022–2025, Sri Lanka ranks highest in Agricultural and Biological Sciences (#50 of 126), Social Sciences (#68 of 151) and Medicine (#78 of 155). Relative to its size it is most specialised in Archeology, Space and Planetary Science and Paleontology.

FieldWorld rankWhere that sitsTop-10% rateWorks
Agricultural and Biological SciencesField #50 of 126 13.2%1,690 Institutions
Social SciencesField #68 of 151 16.1%2,389 Institutions
MedicineField #78 of 155 6.9%3,848 Institutions
Environmental ScienceField #67 of 125 12.3%1,642 Institutions
EngineeringField #77 of 134 10.9%2,295 Institutions
Computer ScienceField #81 of 131 11.9%1,769 Institutions
Plant ScienceSubfield #61 of 92 13.9%709 Institutions
Sociology and Political ScienceSubfield #84 of 122 16.3%710 Institutions
Business, Management and AccountingField #78 of 113 13.2%1,340 Institutions
EducationSubfield #83 of 115 18.2%428
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular BiologyField #78 of 108 10.1%787 Institutions
Civil and Structural EngineeringSubfield #54 of 73 14.2%350 Institutions

Where its research is concentrated

Location quotient: how much more — or less — of each node it does than its size predicts. Drawn around 1×, where “twice the world share” and “half of it” are the same distance apart in opposite directions. A volume reading, which on a country axis is largely population and industrial structure.

  1. ArcheologySubfield · 33.0 works10×
  2. Space and Planetary ScienceSubfield · 40.1 works9.4×
  3. PaleontologySubfield · 185.1 works7.2×
  4. Drug DiscoverySubfield · 11.4 works6.3×
  5. Library and Information SciencesSubfield · 20.9 works5.2×
  6. AnthropologySubfield · 267.9 works4.5×
  7. HorticultureSubfield · 12.1 works4.3×
  8. ArcheologySubfield · 262.8 works4.1×
← less than its size predicts1×more →

The whole field profile

All 26 fields at once. A specialist and a generalist produce the same ranked list and a completely different shape.

Agricultural and Biological Sciences: 1.68× its world share, 1,690 worksAgricultural and Bio…Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology: 0.70× its world share, 787 worksBiochemistry, Geneti…Immunology and Microbiology: 0.91× its world share, 194 worksImmunology and Micro…Neuroscience: 0.50× its world share, 171 worksNeurosciencePharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutics: 1.39× its world share, 104 worksPharmacology, Toxico…Chemical Engineering: 0.32× its world share, 24 worksChemical EngineeringChemistry: 0.67× its world share, 224 worksChemistryComputer Science: 1.07× its world share, 1,769 worksComputer ScienceEarth and Planetary Sciences: 1.39× its world share, 463 worksEarth and Planetary …Energy: 0.71× its world share, 139 worksEnergyEngineering: 0.72× its world share, 2,295 worksEngineeringEnvironmental Science: 1.56× its world share, 1,642 worksEnvironmental ScienceMaterials Science: 0.58× its world share, 428 worksMaterials ScienceMathematics: 0.40× its world share, 100 worksMathematicsPhysics and Astronomy: 0.21× its world share, 101 worksPhysics and AstronomyDentistry: 0.69× its world share, 71 worksDentistryHealth Professions: 1.12× its world share, 624 worksHealth ProfessionsMedicine: 0.94× its world share, 3,848 worksMedicineNursing: 1.76× its world share, 182 worksNursingVeterinary: 1.10× its world share, 32 worksVeterinaryArts and Humanities: 1.32× its world share, 808 worksArts and HumanitiesBusiness, Management and Accounting: 1.96× its world share, 1,340 worksBusiness, Management…Decision Sciences: 1.97× its world share, 404 worksDecision SciencesEconomics, Econometrics and Finance: 1.49× its world share, 678 worksEconomics, Econometr…Psychology: 1.10× its world share, 714 worksPsychologySocial Sciences: 0.89× its world share, 2,389 worksSocial Sciences1×world share
more than its size predictsabout as predictedless

Rings at 0.5×, 1× and 2×. Widest outward: Decision Sciences, 2.0×. Every wedge is a field page.

Which keywords describe research in Sri Lanka?

By fractional works in 2022–2025, weighted toward what it does more of than the world: Machine Learning, Deep Learning, Epidemiology, Sustainability, Climate Change, Environmental Impact, Risk Management and Supply Chain Management.

▲ more of its work than of the world’s◆ about the world’s share▼ less than the world’s

Size is fractional works in 2022–2025 in the topics tagged with each word; colour is the word's share of this country's work against its share of the world's. The 40 words are chosen for being large and distinctive. Each links to the topic it comes from most.

All 40 words, with their numbers
  1. Epidemiology1,044▲ 1.24×138 topics
  2. Machine Learning1,021▲ 1.47×95 topics
  3. Deep Learning989▲ 1.36×83 topics
  4. Sustainability853▲ 1.65×109 topics
  5. Climate Change828▲ 1.45×109 topics
  6. Environmental Impact625▲ 1.73×67 topics
  7. COVID-19436▲ 1.50×29 topics
  8. Globalization428◆ 1.03×115 topics
  9. Supply Chain Management422▲ 2.1×24 topics
  10. Neural Networks388▲ 1.19×40 topics
  11. Remote Sensing371▲ 1.42×36 topics
  12. Public Health361▲ 1.17×59 topics
  13. Antioxidant356▲ 2.5×51 topics
  14. Consumer Behavior343▲ 2.5×18 topics
  15. Pandemic342▲ 1.51×13 topics
  16. Risk Management338▲ 3.3×18 topics
  17. Renewable Energy336◆ 1.10×55 topics
  18. Mental Health324◆ 1.04×42 topics
  19. Economic Growth282▲ 1.56×31 topics
  20. Antioxidant Activity264▲ 1.97×31 topics
  21. Social Capital261▲ 2.3×20 topics
  22. Genetic Diversity247▲ 2.6×22 topics
  23. Digital Transformation229▲ 2.0×21 topics
  24. Ecosystem Services226▲ 2.8×13 topics
  25. Vaccine Development201▲ 3.7×11 topics
  26. Recycling198▲ 2.4×10 topics
  27. Environmental Monitoring198▲ 2.5×15 topics
  28. Health Benefits183▲ 2.6×16 topics
  29. Intersectionality183▲ 4.8×13 topics
  30. Social Inequality182▲ 3.2×10 topics
  31. Antimicrobial179▲ 3.0×13 topics
  32. Agricultural Origins166▲ 24×1 topic
  33. Radiocarbon Dating166▲ 24×1 topic
  34. African Diaspora162▲ 20×4 topics
  35. Archaeology of Resistance160▲ 86×1 topic
  36. Black Feminist Theory160▲ 86×1 topic
  37. Food Supply Chain152▲ 6.0×2 topics
  38. Financial Markets136▲ 4.9×4 topics
  39. business impact132▲ 6.4×1 topic
  40. economic effects132▲ 6.4×1 topic

Which universities in Sri Lanka lead research?

University of Peradeniya, Coconut Research Institute and University of Colombo rank highest in Sri Lanka on research quality in 2022–2025.

0%20%40%mean 16.3667%fractional works (log) →share in the world top 10% →University of Peradeniya: 1,888, 12.1%Coconut Research Institute: 71, 37.4%University of Colombo: 2,197, 10.0%University of Sri Jayewardenepura: 1,945, 11.5%University of Moratuwa: 2,163, 11.8%Department of Archaeology: 1,077, 19.1%Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology: 1,590, 13.1%University of Jaffna: 746, 15.8%University of Kelaniya: 1,477, 11.8%International Water Management Institute: 138, 28.1%National Research Council: 230, 17.6%University of Ruhuna: 862, 11.8%Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka: 624, 15.2%Rajarata University of Sri Lanka: 423, 15.7%Uva Wellassa University: 355, 14.5%Coconut Research Ins…University of Perade…University of Sri Ja…University of Colombo
above the meannear itbelow it

One dot per institution in the list below. The upper left is the interesting corner.

  1. 1University of PeradeniyaUniversity · Kandy · #2,588 worldwide12.1% top 10% · 1.9k works
  2. 2Coconut Research InstituteResearch facility · Lunuwila · #3,204 worldwide37.4% top 10% · 71 works
  3. 3University of ColomboUniversity · Colombo · #3,280 worldwide10.0% top 10% · 2.2k works
  4. 4University of Sri JayewardenepuraUniversity · Colombo · #3,948 worldwide11.5% top 10% · 1.9k works
  5. 5University of MoratuwaUniversity · Moratuwa · #4,364 worldwide11.8% top 10% · 2.2k works
  6. 6Department of ArchaeologyGovernment institution · Colombo · #5,861 worldwide19.1% top 10% · 1.1k works
  7. 7Sri Lanka Institute of Information TechnologyUniversity · Colombo · #5,948 worldwide13.1% top 10% · 1.6k works
  8. 8University of JaffnaUniversity · Jaffna · #6,315 worldwide15.8% top 10% · 746 works
  9. 9University of KelaniyaUniversity · Kelaniya · #6,943 worldwide11.8% top 10% · 1.5k works
  10. 10International Water Management InstituteResearch facility · Colombo · #7,282 worldwide28.1% top 10% · 138 works
  11. 11National Research CouncilGovernment institution · Colombo · #7,336 worldwide17.6% top 10% · 230 works
  12. 12University of RuhunaUniversity · Galle · #8,188 worldwide11.8% top 10% · 862 works
  13. 13Sabaragamuwa University of Sri LankaUniversity · Ratnapura · #9,191 worldwide15.2% top 10% · 624 works
  14. 14Rajarata University of Sri LankaUniversity · Anuradhapura · #11,315 worldwide15.7% top 10% · 423 works
  15. 15Uva Wellassa UniversityUniversity · Badulla · #11,369 worldwide14.5% top 10% · 355 works

The track on each row is its top-10% rate; the tick is the world’s rate in this record, 16.5% — teal above it, red below.

All ranked institutions in Sri Lanka

Who are the top researchers in Sri Lanka?

Samath Dhamminda Dharmaratne, Nuwan Darshana Wickramasinghe and Meththika Vithanage rank highest among researchers based in Sri Lanka.

  1. 1 Samath Dhamminda Dharmaratne · #12,245 worldwide 5.5k citations · 44 works
  2. 2 Nuwan Darshana Wickramasinghe · #25,246 worldwide 746 citations · 37 works
  3. 3 Meththika Vithanage · #26,030 worldwide 1.1k citations · 84 works
  4. 4 Himal A. Suraweera · #44,348 worldwide 502 citations · 62 works
  5. 5 Janaka Ekanayake · #56,807 worldwide 668 citations · 68 works
  6. 6 Priyanga Ranasinghe · #60,217 worldwide 295 citations · 32 works
  7. 7 Ranil Jayawardena · #100,175 worldwide 296 citations · 25 works
  8. 8 Sachith Mettananda · #102,615 worldwide 501 citations · 22 works
  9. 9 F. Noordeen · #113,039 worldwide 251 citations · 24 works
  10. 10 Anuradhani Kasturiratne · #117,918 worldwide 138 citations · 31 works
Top researchers in Sri Lanka

Which cities in Sri Lanka are research hubs?

  1. 1 Colombo Sri Lanka 33k works

How open and international is Sri Lanka's research?

60% of its research is openly available (world: 40%), and 22% is written with international co-authors (world: 18%).

openly available59.9%not open40.1%

World: 63% of research is openly available.

with international co-authors21.7%domestic only78.3%

World: 22% is written across borders.

How has Sri Lanka's research grown?

Output in 2018–2022 was 89% higher than in 2013–2017.

1990200020102020
grewheldshrank

The same series as a ribbon — one cell per year, darker for more. The line above answers how much; this answers when.

Research fields in Sri Lanka