Plenty of political and global factors this 2022 have brought Sri Lanka into an economic crisis. In May, the country defaulted on its debt for the first time in the nation’s history. Additionally, protestors have stormed the streets to force most of the Government’s cabinet to resign. Food, fuel, and medicine shortages are the main causes of the public’s dissatisfaction with the economy.

Real Research conducted a survey on the protest and crisis in Sri Lanka. The survey aims to find out the public’s perception of the Sri Lanka protests and the crisis in general. Here are the results:

Highlights

  • 61.40% want the country to hold a referendum to choose a new government
  • 51.70% think that Sri Lanka should enforce stricter actions in the future
  • 68.28% believe that the Russian and Ukraine situation influenced the Sri Lanka crisis

51.84% Are Aware That Sri Lanka Declared Default

The survey began by asking respondents if they’d heard of the Sri Lankan Crisis. 51.84% said they heard Sri Lanka declared default, but not the reasons behind it. 31.88% were aware of it. Whereas, 16.27% said they had no idea.

Figure 1 Respondents aware of Sri Lanka’s crisis
Figure 1: Respondents aware of Sri Lanka’s crisis

Then, the survey asked respondents how they think the Government should recover Sri Lanka from the crisis. 61.40% said the country should hold a referendum to choose a new government. Meanwhile, 14.55% responded that the government should contact the IMF to help develop an economic recovery program. Finally, 6.25% want to expose the misdeeds of those responsible.

Following that, the survey asked respondents what the government should do to avoid future crises. 51.70% said that the police and forces should enforce stricter actions. Meanwhile, 20.26% responded with immediate curfews. Meanwhile, 20.26% want the government to go into direct negotiations with people and discuss the situation.

The Majority Are Satisfied With Their Country’s Economic Situation

Next, the survey asked respondents if they were satisfied with their country’s economic situation. 70.84% responded with ‘yes’, while 29.16% responded with ‘no’.

Figure 2 Respondents’ satisfaction with their country’s situation
Figure 2: Respondents’ satisfaction with their country’s situation

Afterward, the survey asked what part of their economies respondents are unsatisfied with. 22.95% said it was the country’s high level of corruption. Meanwhile, 18.96% responded that it was the low standard of living for the majority of the population. Finally, 18.27% answered the lack of job availability.

73.49% Think Fuel Price Hikes Influenced The Sri Lanka Crisis

The survey asked respondents if they think the Russian and Ukraine situation influenced the crisis in Sri Lanka. 68.28% responded with ‘Yes’, 18.72% with ‘unsure’, and finally, 13.01% said ‘no’.

Figure 3 Respondents’ willingness to visit Sri Lanka
Figure 3: Respondents’ willingness to visit Sri Lanka

Finally, the survey asked respondents how they think the Russian and Ukrain situation influenced the Sri Lanka crisis. 73.49% responded that the Russian and Ukraine situation hiked up Sri Lanka’s petrol price. Meanwhile, 10.59% said it was the lack of tourists from Russia and Ukraine. Finally, 8.64% said they were unsure.

Methodology

 
Survey TitleSurvey on the Protests and Crisis in Sri Lanka
DurationMay 26 – June 02, 2022
Number of Participants50,000
DemographicsMales and females, aged 21 to 99
Participating Countries Afghanistan, Algeria, Angola, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belarus, Benin, Bolivia, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Chile, China, China (Hong Kong) China (Macao), China (Taiwan), Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Czech Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Finland, France, Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Greanada, Guatemala, Honduras, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Ivory Coast, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lebanon, Libya, Lithuania, Malaysia, Maldives, Maluritania, Mexico, Moldova, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar [Burma], Namibia, Nepal, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Panama, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Zimbabwe.