Economy

Sri Lanka among countries with lowest terror threats in the world

Published

11 months ago

March 13, 2025

Sri Lanka has been named one of the countries with the lowest terror threats in the world, according to the Global Terrorism Index (GTI) 2025.

The 12th annual GTI report, released on Wednesday (March 5), ranked Sri Lanka 100th among 163 countries considered in the index. However, with a GTI score of zero, Sri Lanka shares the lowest spot on the index with 63 other countries.

The report indicates that Sri Lanka has significantly improved, dropping 64 spots in the index within a year, thereby lowering the risk of terror threats within the island nation.

Meanwhile, Sri Lanka also shares the lowest terror threat ranking in the South Asian region with Bhutan.

In 2024, South Asia had the highest average GTI score, a position it has held for the past decade. Despite an overall deterioration in the region—driven primarily by Pakistan—terrorism has significantly declined compared to a decade ago, with all South Asian countries showing improvement.

The report attributes this improvement largely to a decline in terrorist activity in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Sri Lanka. The region is home to two of the ten countries with the worst GTI scores: Afghanistan and Pakistan. Of the seven countries in South Asia, only Bhutan and Sri Lanka have a GTI score of zero, indicating that neither country has recorded a terrorist attack in the past five years.

The surge in terrorism in the region was primarily driven by Pakistan, where regional attacks increased from 726 to 1,399 and deaths rose from 961 to 1,303. Bangladesh and Pakistan were the only two countries in the region to record a deterioration in their scores in 2024. Consequently, Pakistan ranked as the second most terrorism-affected country globally for the second consecutive year, while India was ranked 14th.

Sri Lanka was the most improved South Asian country in 2024, having recorded no terrorist attacks or deaths for the fifth consecutive year since 2019. Nepal followed as the second most improved country, recording no attacks or deaths for the second consecutive year.

Meanwhile, the Sahel region remains the epicenter of terrorism, accounting for over half of all global terrorism-related deaths, according to the report.

The GTI is produced by the international think tank, the Institute for Economics & Peace (IEP), and has been published annually for the past 12 years. It is the most comprehensive resource on global terrorism trends, using multiple factors to calculate scores, including the number of incidents, fatalities, injuries, and hostage situations. These factors are combined with conflict and socioeconomic data to provide a holistic picture of terrorism worldwide.

Economy

Galle ranks fifth among top 10 honeymoon destinations for 2026

Published

6 days ago

January 20, 2026

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Galle has been placed fifth among the world’s top 10 honeymoon destinations for 2026 in the latest rankings released by Tripadvisor.

The ranking forms part of Tripadvisor’s Travelers’ Choice Awards Best of the Best 2026 and is based solely on the volume and quality of traveller reviews submitted over a 12-month period.

Tripadvisor said the list reflects destinations that consistently received strong feedback from honeymoon travellers worldwide.

Beach and island destinations dominate the upper end of the 2026 rankings. Bali secured the top position, followed by Mauritius and the Maldives, with St. Lucia ranked fourth. Galle placed fifth, ahead of several established long-haul honeymoon favourites.

Tripadvisor noted that Galle’s appeal lies in its blend of heritage and coastal experiences. Founded by the Portuguese in the 16th century, Galle Fort remains a key attraction, with preserved ramparts, historic buildings, and walkable streets.

Economy

Sri Lanka Postal Service achieves record revenue

Published

2 weeks ago

January 12, 2026

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Sri Lanka’s postal service has recorded a remarkable turnaround in 2025, surpassing revenue targets set by the Treasury and signalling a major revival after years of stagnation.

Postmaster General Ruwan Sathkumara said the Department of Posts generated Rs. 13.1 billion last year, exceeding the revenue target assigned for 2025.

He highlighted that the past year also saw wide-ranging reforms, including large-scale recruitments, confirmations of long-serving staff, infrastructure upgrades, and investments in technology and transport to improve efficiency and service delivery.

According to Sathkumara, 378 Sub-Postmasters received permanent appointments in June 2025—the first confirmations for the category since 2020. In September, the appointments of 1,000 Postal Assistants were regularised, marking the first such confirmations since 2022.

The Postmaster General added that recruitment is underway to hire 600 Postal Service Officers through open competition, with appointments expected in February 2026.

Economy

Sri Lanka ranked most affordable place to live or retire in 2026

Published

2 weeks ago

January 11, 2026

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International Living magazine has identified the five most affordable places to live or retire in 2026, which scored the highest in the cost-of-living category of its 2026 Global Retirement Index.

It evaluated retirement destinations across climate, healthcare, visa and lifestyle, along with cost.

Sri Lanka ranked top of the list due to affordable local transportation and easy-to-obtain retirement visas. A couple can live extravagantly on $2,200 (£1,637) a month, or on $1,000 (£744) with some budgeting.

In second place is Vietnam, with the average cost of living in Hanoi sitting at under $1,800 (£1,339) per month. Rent is low and healthcare is affordable.

Thailand was ranked third, because a couple can live comfortably for around $2,000 (£1,488) a month in cities such as Chiang Mai or coastal towns such as Hua Hin. These both have affordable housing, and accessible services and transportation.

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