List of riots in Sri Lanka

20th century

1900–1950

• 1915 - 1915 Ceylonese riots, Kandy, Central Province - Riots between Sinhalese and Sri Lankan Moors when a group of Moors attacked a Buddhist pageant with stones, soon spreading across the island.

  1950s

• 1953 - 1953 Ceylonese Hartal, Western, Southern and Sabaragamuwa Provinces - a nationwide demonstration, a hartal which eventually led to civil unrest.
• 1956 - 1956 Ceylonese riots, Eastern Province - The first reported ethnic riots that targeted minority Sri Lankan Tamils in Gal Oya, a new settlement in the Eastern Province. The total number of deaths is reportedly 150.
• 1958 - 1958 Ceylonese riots, Sri Lanka - 1958 ethnic riots popularly known also as the 58 riots was a watershed event in the race relationship of the various ethnic communities of Sri Lanka. The total number of deaths is estimated to be 300, mostly Sri Lankan Tamils.

  1970s

• 1977 - 1977 Sri Lankan riots, Sri Lanka - Anti-Tamil riots starting on the 12 August 1977, less than a month after the United National Party came to power in 1977. Over 300 Tamils were killed during these riots.

  1980s

• 1981 - Burning of Jaffna library, Jaffna, Northern Province - The destruction of the Jaffna Public Library, with the loss of over 100,000 books, artifacts and palm writings. Four Sri Lankan Tamils were killed.
• 1981 Riots were carried out by Sinhalese mobs against predominantly Indian Tamils in Ratnapura, Kahawatte and Balangoda areas. Shops were looted and set on fire and many women and girls were raped by marauding mobs
• 1983 - Black July, Sri Lanka - Ethnic riots Sri Lankan Tamils and Sinhalese where between 400 and 3,000 Sri Lankan Tamil civilians were killed and many more made homeless and refugees.
• 1987 - 1987 Trincomalee riots, Trincomalee, Eastern Province - riots between Tamils and Sinhalese in Trincomalee that later morphed into LTTE violence against Sinhalese killed over 200 Sinhalese and rendered thousands homeless and displaced in the Eastern Province.

  1990s

• 1997 - Kalutara prison riots, Kalutara Western Province - Three Tamil detainees were killed at the Kalutara high security detention center on 12 December 1997.

  21st century

2000s

• 2001 - Mawanella Riots, Mawanella, Central Province - Clashes that resulted in the deaths of 2 people, and more than 15 injured and the destruction of property.
• 2002 - Beruwala riots, Beruwala, Western Province - In 2002, sectarian clashes sparked between the Wahabbi and the Sunni sects of the Muslim community in Beruwala which left at least 3 dead and over 16 injured during police intervention in the conflict.

  2010s

• 2012 - 2012 Welikada prison riot, Welikada, Western Province - A riot in the Welikada Prison in November 2012 resulted in death of 27 prisoners and 43 injuries.
• 2014 - 2014 anti-Muslim riots, Kalutara Western Province - Clashes between Sinhalese and Muslims resulting in four dead and 80 injured.
• 2018 - 2018 anti-Muslim riots - Clashes between Sinhalese and Muslims causing attacks on Muslim community, mosques.
• 2019 - 2019 anti-Muslim riots - Retaliation after the Easter bombings on Muslim community and Muslim-owned property and mosques.