Sri Lankans show increasing favorability toward India

Public sentiment in Sri Lanka has shifted significantly toward a favorable view of India, according to data from the Pew Research Center. A survey of over 42,000 people across 36 countries found that 79 percent of Sri Lankans view India favorably, the highest percentage among the nations surveyed. Additionally, 63 percent of respondents identified India as their country’s key ally.

This positive trend marks a major turnaround from previous decades, when relations were strained by India’s involvement in the country’s ethnic conflicts and the deployment of the Indian Peace Keeping Force. Since 2024, favorable views of India have increased by 14 percent.

Analysts suggest that India’s swift financial assistance during Sri Lanka’s 2022 economic crisis—providing approximately four billion US dollars to help secure essential imports like food and medicine—acted as a critical turning point in public perception. This humanitarian and economic support has helped mitigate historical mistrust rooted in the 1980s.