Sri Lanka ranked 71/197 by economy size with a GDP of $99B and 125/197 by GDP per capita at $4,516. Sri Lanka has $98.4B in government debt, with a debt-to-GDP ratio of 105.6%.
In 2025, Sri Lanka made up 0.09% of the world's economy, compared to 0.1% in 1960.
The chart below shows GDP in nominal terms, GDP adjusted for inflation (in constant dollars), and a bar chart of year-over-year inflation-adjusted growth.
| Year | GDP | GDP growth | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Current $ | Constant $ | ||
| 1960 | $1,409,873,950 | - | - |
| 1961 | $1,444,327,731 | $6,526,664,116 | 2.44% |
| 1962 | $1,434,156,379 | $6,775,853,428 | -0.7% |
| 1963 | $1,240,672,269 | $6,946,384,624 | -13.5% |
| 1964 | $1,309,747,899 | $7,217,740,543 | 5.57% |
| 1965 | $1,698,319,328 | $7,400,851,267 | 29.7% |
| 1966 | $1,751,470,588 | $7,772,654,452 | 3.13% |
| 1967 | $1,859,465,021 | $8,273,137,570 | 6.17% |
| 1968 | $1,801,344,538 | $8,753,070,071 | -3.13% |
| 1969 | $1,965,546,218 | $9,428,528,703 | 9.12% |
| 1970 | $2,296,470,588 | $9,791,209,303 | 16.8% |
| 1971 | $2,369,308,600 | $9,919,171,146 | 3.17% |
| 1972 | $2,553,936,348 | $9,878,454,941 | 7.79% |
| 1973 | $2,875,625,000 | $10,575,616,915 | 12.6% |
| 1974 | $3,574,586,466 | $10,982,337,251 | 24.3% |
| 1975 | $3,791,298,146 | $11,655,140,838 | 6.06% |
| 1976 | $3,591,319,857 | $12,043,852,220 | -5.27% |
| 1977 | $4,104,509,583 | $12,658,159,773 | 14.3% |
| 1978 | $2,733,183,857 | $13,373,831,476 | -33.4% |
| 1979 | $3,364,611,432 | $14,230,232,388 | 23.1% |
| 1980 | $4,024,621,900 | $15,062,135,547 | 19.6% |
| 1981 | $4,415,844,156 | $15,920,605,692 | 9.72% |
| 1982 | $4,768,765,017 | $16,579,956,893 | 7.99% |
| 1983 | $5,167,913,302 | $17,378,114,521 | 8.37% |
| 1984 | $6,043,474,843 | $18,264,250,049 | 16.9% |
| 1985 | $5,978,460,972 | $19,177,354,129 | -1.08% |
| 1986 | $6,405,210,564 | $20,012,632,786 | 7.14% |
| 1987 | $6,682,167,120 | $20,357,972,917 | 4.32% |
| 1988 | $6,978,371,581 | $20,861,361,467 | 4.43% |
| 1989 | $6,987,267,684 | $21,341,027,046 | 0.13% |
| 1990 | $8,032,551,173 | $22,706,851,776 | 15% |
| 1991 | $9,000,362,582 | $23,751,364,061 | 12% |
| 1992 | $9,703,011,636 | $24,796,422,002 | 7.81% |
| 1993 | $10,338,679,636 | $26,507,390,805 | 6.55% |
| 1994 | $11,717,604,209 | $27,991,783,146 | 13.3% |
| 1995 | $13,029,697,561 | $29,531,355,077 | 11.2% |
| 1996 | $13,897,738,375 | $30,653,536,886 | 6.66% |
| 1997 | $15,091,913,884 | $32,617,018,444 | 8.59% |
| 1998 | $15,794,972,847 | $34,149,503,956 | 4.66% |
| 1999 | $15,656,327,860 | $35,618,117,204 | -0.88% |
| 2000 | $16,330,814,180 | $37,755,216,046 | 4.31% |
| 2001 | $15,749,753,805 | $37,171,743,867 | -3.56% |
| 2002 | $16,536,535,647 | $38,645,482,957 | 5% |
| 2003 | $18,881,765,437 | $40,941,128,632 | 14.2% |
| 2004 | $20,662,525,941 | $43,170,398,174 | 9.43% |
| 2005 | $24,405,791,045 | $45,864,985,657 | 18.1% |
| 2006 | $28,279,802,406 | $49,382,046,638 | 15.9% |
| 2007 | $32,350,238,760 | $52,738,458,482 | 14.4% |
| 2008 | $40,713,826,215 | $55,876,443,248 | 25.9% |
| 2009 | $42,066,224,093 | $57,853,861,433 | 3.32% |
| 2010 | $58,636,161,082 | $62,491,408,088 | 39.4% |
| 2011 | $67,753,284,044 | $67,909,090,095 | 15.5% |
| 2012 | $70,447,216,891 | $73,771,125,926 | 3.98% |
| 2013 | $77,000,578,167 | $76,760,144,813 | 9.3% |
| 2014 | $82,528,535,714 | $81,655,890,647 | 7.18% |
| 2015 | $85,090,301,052 | $85,090,301,052 | 3.1% |
| 2016 | $88,000,211,172 | $89,390,445,685 | 3.42% |
| 2017 | $94,369,350,286 | $95,165,677,467 | 7.24% |
| 2018 | $94,450,015,983 | $97,364,084,799 | 0.09% |
| 2019 | $88,998,706,297 | $97,149,412,680 | -5.77% |
| 2020 | $84,335,574,582 | $92,656,723,482 | -5.24% |
| 2021 | $88,556,698,938 | $96,555,233,344 | 5.01% |
| 2022 | $74,143,020,263 | $89,459,202,881 | -16.3% |
| 2023 | $83,716,142,582 | $87,374,939,262 | 12.9% |
| 2024 | $98,963,185,510 | $91,751,304,717 | 18.2% |
Economic Statistics of Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
|
Rank | |
|---|---|---|
| Gross domestic product |
$99B
2024 |
71/197 |
| GDP growth |
18.2%
2023-2024 |
10/196 |
| GDP per capita |
$4,516
2024 |
125/197 |
| GDP per capita, PPP |
$15,633
2024 |
112/197 |
| Government debt |
$98.4B
2024 |
58/185 |
| Debt-to-GDP ratio |
105.6%
2025 |
18/185 |
| Government debt per person |
$4,490
2024 |
86/185 |
| Average annual personal income after taxes |
$2,982
2025 |
140/197 |
| Listed domestic companies |
284
2024 |
26/103 |
| Market capitalization of domestic companies |
$19.5B
2024 |
60/100 |
| Income share by richest 10% |
30.8%
2019 |
51/169 |
| Income share by poorest 10% |
3.1%
2019 |
56/169 |
| Government expenditure, % of GDP |
20.2%
2025 |
157/195 |
| Consumer prices inflation |
-0.43%
2023-2024 |
190/195 |
| Central bank interest rate |
7.75%
2025 |
34/105 |
| Unemployment rate |
4.53%
2022 |
113/196 |
| Population |
22125995
|
61/197 |
Sri Lanka's GDP per capita
Sri Lanka has a GDP per capita of $4,516, ranking 125/197, a GDP per capita based on purchasing power parity (PPP) of $15,633, ranking 112/197, and a median annual after tax income of $2,982, ranking 140/197.
| Year | Current $ | |
|---|---|---|
| GDP per capita | GDP per capita, PPP | |
| 1960 | $145.9 | - |
| 1961 | $145.9 | - |
| 1962 | $141.4 | - |
| 1963 | $119.4 | - |
| 1964 | $122.9 | - |
| 1965 | $155.6 | - |
| 1966 | $156.6 | - |
| 1967 | $162.3 | - |
| 1968 | $153.5 | - |
| 1969 | $163.6 | - |
| 1970 | $186.9 | - |
| 1971 | $188.8 | - |
| 1972 | $199.4 | - |
| 1973 | $220.2 | - |
| 1974 | $268.7 | - |
| 1975 | $279.8 | - |
| 1976 | $260.3 | - |
| 1977 | $292.1 | - |
| 1978 | $191 | - |
| 1979 | $230.8 | - |
| 1980 | $271.1 | - |
| 1981 | $292.5 | - |
| 1982 | $312 | - |
| 1983 | $336 | - |
| 1984 | $391 | - |
| 1985 | $385 | - |
| 1986 | $407 | - |
| 1987 | $420 | - |
| 1988 | $434 | - |
| 1989 | $430 | - |
| 1990 | $491 | $2,527 |
| 1991 | $546 | $2,713 |
| 1992 | $580 | $2,851 |
| 1993 | $607 | $3,067 |
| 1994 | $678 | $3,260 |
| 1995 | $742 | $3,454 |
| 1996 | $776 | $3,582 |
| 1997 | $827 | $3,804 |
| 1998 | $849 | $3,952 |
| 1999 | $826 | $4,103 |
| 2000 | $846 | $4,368 |
| 2001 | $804 | $4,328 |
| 2002 | $835 | $4,522 |
| 2003 | $946 | $4,850 |
| 2004 | $1,029 | $5,216 |
| 2005 | $1,207 | $5,679 |
| 2006 | $1,390 | $6,261 |
| 2007 | $1,579 | $6,820 |
| 2008 | $1,974 | $7,317 |
| 2009 | $2,027 | $7,576 |
| 2010 | $2,808 | $8,234 |
| 2011 | $3,225 | $9,076 |
| 2012 | $3,328 | $10,249 |
| 2013 | $3,741 | $11,253 |
| 2014 | $3,972 | $11,721 |
| 2015 | $4,058 | $12,227 |
| 2016 | $4,149 | $13,079 |
| 2017 | $4,399 | $13,610 |
| 2018 | $4,359 | $14,178 |
| 2019 | $4,082 | $14,113 |
| 2020 | $3,848 | $12,941 |
| 2021 | $3,997 | $14,316 |
| 2022 | $3,343 | $14,194 |
| 2023 | $3,799 | $14,456 |
| 2024 | $4,516 | $15,633 |
Sri Lanka's government spending, deficit, and chart
This chart shows Sri Lanka's government spending, budget balance, and debt over time, each expressed as a share of GDP.
Over the past 36 years, Sri Lanka recorded a fiscal deficit in 36 years — average annual deficit equal to -6.81% of GDP. In 2024, government spending reached $19.1B (20.2% of GDP), with a deficit of -5.49%.
The national debt reached $98.4B, ranking 58th out of 185 countries by total size, with a debt-to-GDP ratio of 105.6%, ranking 18th.
| Year | % of GDP | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Government spending | Government debt | Government deficit/surplus | |
| 1990 | 25.4% | 78.9% | -6.39% |
| 1991 | 26.4% | 80.5% | -7.97% |
| 1992 | 23% | 77.9% | -4.95% |
| 1993 | 23.2% | 79.2% | -5.77% |
| 1994 | 24.1% | 77.9% | -7.41% |
| 1995 | 24.8% | 77.8% | -7.11% |
| 1996 | 23.1% | 76.2% | -6.89% |
| 1997 | 21.4% | 70.1% | -5.71% |
| 1998 | 21.4% | 74.2% | -6.79% |
| 1999 | 20.5% | 77.7% | -5.58% |
| 2000 | 21.7% | 79.2% | -7.78% |
| 2001 | 22.4% | 84.4% | -8.48% |
| 2002 | 20.8% | 96.3% | -6.9% |
| 2003 | 19.3% | 86.5% | -6.15% |
| 2004 | 19.3% | 86.5% | -6.32% |
| 2005 | 20.1% | 76.6% | -5.93% |
| 2006 | 20.5% | 74.3% | -5.91% |
| 2007 | 19.9% | 71.8% | -5.81% |
| 2008 | 19.1% | 68.8% | -5.93% |
| 2009 | 21% | 72.8% | -8.33% |
| 2010 | 19.3% | 68.7% | -6.73% |
| 2011 | 19.1% | 69.4% | -6.01% |
| 2012 | 17.3% | 67.5% | -5.44% |
| 2013 | 16.6% | 69.5% | -5% |
| 2014 | 17.2% | 69.6% | -5.99% |
| 2015 | 19.3% | 76.3% | -6.64% |
| 2016 | 18.2% | 75% | -5% |
| 2017 | 17.9% | 72.3% | -5.1% |
| 2018 | 17.5% | 83.6% | -4.96% |
| 2019 | 19.5% | 82.6% | -7.52% |
| 2020 | 22.1% | 96.9% | -13.4% |
| 2021 | 20% | 102.7% | -11.7% |
| 2022 | 18.6% | 115.9% | -10.2% |
| 2023 | 19.5% | 110.4% | -8.32% |
| 2024 | 19.3% | 99.4% | -5.64% |
| 2025 | 20.2% | 105.6% | -5.49% |
Inflation rate by year
Over the past 20 years, Sri Lanka has had an average annual inflation rate of 9.71%. In 2024, inflation was -0.43%. The bar chart below shows consumer price inflation by year.
| Year | Inflation |
|---|---|
| 1960 | -1.54% |
| 1961 | 1.13% |
| 1962 | 1.5% |
| 1963 | 2.27% |
| 1964 | 3.2% |
| 1965 | 0.22% |
| 1966 | -0.16% |
| 1967 | 2.19% |
| 1968 | 5.86% |
| 1969 | 7.46% |
| 1970 | 5.87% |
| 1971 | 2.67% |
| 1972 | 6.35% |
| 1973 | 9.63% |
| 1974 | 12.3% |
| 1975 | 6.63% |
| 1976 | 1.33% |
| 1977 | 1.22% |
| 1978 | 12.1% |
| 1979 | 10.7% |
| 1980 | 26.1% |
| 1981 | 18% |
| 1982 | 10.8% |
| 1983 | 14% |
| 1984 | 16.6% |
| 1985 | 1.48% |
| 1986 | 7.98% |
| 1987 | 7.72% |
| 1988 | 14% |
| 1989 | 11.6% |
| 1990 | 21.5% |
| 1991 | 12.2% |
| 1992 | 11.4% |
| 1993 | 11.7% |
| 1994 | 8.45% |
| 1995 | 7.67% |
| 1996 | 15.9% |
| 1997 | 9.57% |
| 1998 | 9.36% |
| 1999 | 4.69% |
| 2000 | 6.18% |
| 2001 | 14.2% |
| 2002 | 9.55% |
| 2003 | 6.31% |
| 2004 | 7.58% |
| 2005 | 11.6% |
| 2006 | 10% |
| 2007 | 15.8% |
| 2008 | 22.6% |
| 2009 | 3.46% |
| 2010 | 6.22% |
| 2011 | 6.72% |
| 2012 | 7.54% |
| 2013 | 6.91% |
| 2014 | 3.18% |
| 2015 | 3.77% |
| 2016 | 3.96% |
| 2017 | 7.7% |
| 2018 | 2.14% |
| 2019 | 3.53% |
| 2020 | 6.15% |
| 2021 | 7.01% |
| 2022 | 49.7% |
| 2023 | 16.5% |
| 2024 | -0.43% |
Balance of trade
|
Sri Lanka
|
Rank | |
|---|---|---|
Current account balance
|
$1.56B
2023 |
50/189 |
| Current account balance, % of GDP |
+1.86%
2023 |
59/189 |
| Goods imports |
$16.8B
2023 |
83/188 |
| Goods exports |
$11.9B
2023 |
93/188 |
| Service imports |
$2.01B
2023 |
119/188 |
| Service exports |
$5.42B
2023 |
90/188 |
| Imports of goods and services, % of GDP |
22.5%
2024 |
159/180 |
| Exports of goods and services, % of GDP |
19.9%
2024 |
150/193 |
Sri Lanka's top 10 trading partners
Sri Lanka's biggest trading partner accounting for 15.7%% of all exports and imports is India, with a trade balance between the two of -$2.9B — Sri Lanka exports $884M worth of goods and services to India and imports $3.78B.
Below is the list of the top 10 trade partners of Sri Lanka.
| Rank | Country | Trade value | Share of total trade | Export to | Import from | Top export to | Top import from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
India
|
$4.67B | 15.7% | $884M | $3.78B | Raw agricultural goods | Textiles & consumer goods |
| 2 |
China
|
$4.59B | 15.4% | $252M | $4.33B | Textiles & consumer goods | Machinery & equipment |
| 3 |
United States
|
$3.36B | 11.3% | $2.91B | $447M | Textiles & consumer goods | Processed food, beverages & tobacco |
| 4 |
UAE
|
$1.7B | 5.72% | $335M | $1.37B | Raw agricultural goods | Raw materials & minerals |
| 5 |
Singapore
|
$1.35B | 4.54% | $100M | $1.25B | Raw materials & minerals | Raw materials & minerals |
| 6 |
United Kingdom
|
$1.07B | 3.6% | $904M | $168M | Textiles & consumer goods | Machinery & equipment |
| 7 |
Germany
|
$928M | 3.11% | $628M | $299M | Textiles & consumer goods | Machinery & equipment |
| 8 |
Italy
|
$882M | 2.96% | $595M | $286M | Textiles & consumer goods | Textiles & consumer goods |
| 9 |
Malaysia
|
$802M | 2.69% | $87.6M | $714M | Raw materials & minerals | Raw materials & minerals |
| 10 |
Russia
|
$727M | 2.44% | $177M | $550M | Raw agricultural goods | Raw materials & minerals |
Sri Lanka's top 10 exports
|
Sri Lanka
|
Rank | |
|---|---|---|
| Textiles & consumer goods | $5.55B | 38/193 |
| Transport & tourism services | $3.52B | 82/188 |
| Raw agricultural goods | $2.18B | 55/193 |
| Raw materials & minerals | $1.46B | 100/193 |
| IT & IP services | $1.1B | 61/183 |
| Processed food, beverages & tobacco | $869M | 86/192 |
| Machinery & equipment | $698M | 89/193 |
| Chemicals & pharma | $319M | 95/193 |
| Precious metals & jewellery | $289M | 83/190 |
| Animal & marine products | $272M | 83/192 |
Sri Lanka's top 10 imports
|
Sri Lanka
|
Rank | |
|---|---|---|
| Raw materials & minerals | $5.02B | 74/193 |
| Textiles & consumer goods | $3.29B | 62/193 |
| Machinery & equipment | $3.29B | 105/193 |
| Transport & tourism services | $2.36B | 97/188 |
| Chemicals & pharma | $2.08B | 86/193 |
| Processed food, beverages & tobacco | $1.27B | 87/193 |
| Raw agricultural goods | $1.23B | 74/193 |
| Metals | $1.19B | 89/193 |
| Wood & paper products | $540M | 80/193 |
| Animal & marine products | $377M | 95/193 |
Economic freedom indices
|
Sri Lanka
|
Rank | |
|---|---|---|
| Economic freedom | 49.4 | 164/197 |
| Property rights | 51.3 | 87/182 |
| Government integrity | 37.4 | 87/182 |
| Judicial effectiveness | 47.4 | 87/182 |
| Tax burden | 77.5 | 105/181 |
| Government spending | 88.8 | 30/180 |
| Fiscal health | 0 | 179/181 |
| Business freedom | 55.8 | 121/182 |
| Labor freedom | 54.6 | 120/182 |
| Monetary freedom | 54.5 | 164/180 |
| Trade freedom | 65 | 130/181 |
| Investment freedom | 30 | 157/181 |
| Financial freedom | 30 | 150/181 |
Sri Lanka's economic freedom by year
Sri Lanka is ranked 150/180 for economic freedom with a score of 49.4, compared to 66/163 and a score of 61 in 2005.
| Year | Index | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Economic freedom | Judicial effectiveness | Tax burden | Government spending | Fiscal health | |
| 1995 | 60.6 | - | 64.3 | 78.3 | - |
| 1996 | 62.5 | - | 72.5 | 78.1 | - |
| 1997 | 65.5 | - | 72.5 | 69.1 | - |
| 1998 | 64.6 | - | 72.3 | 66.3 | - |
| 1999 | 64 | - | 72.6 | 71.7 | - |
| 2000 | 63.2 | - | 72.9 | 79.7 | - |
| 2001 | 66 | - | 73.4 | 81.3 | - |
| 2002 | 64 | - | 73.3 | 81.3 | - |
| 2003 | 62.5 | - | 73.4 | 80.3 | - |
| 2004 | 61.6 | - | 79.9 | 77.3 | - |
| 2005 | 61 | - | 78.5 | 80.6 | - |
| 2006 | 58.7 | - | 78.5 | 83.1 | - |
| 2007 | 59.4 | - | 78.5 | 83.4 | - |
| 2008 | 58.4 | - | 73.5 | 81.7 | - |
| 2009 | 56 | - | 73.2 | 80.5 | - |
| 2010 | 54.6 | - | 73.5 | 83.9 | - |
| 2011 | 57.1 | - | 73.4 | 84.7 | - |
| 2012 | 58.3 | - | 73.5 | 81.4 | - |
| 2013 | 60.7 | - | 84.7 | 86.5 | - |
| 2014 | 60 | - | 84.9 | 86.3 | - |
| 2015 | 58.6 | - | 85 | 88.4 | - |
| 2016 | 59.9 | - | 85.1 | 90 | - |
| 2017 | 57.4 | 48.3 | 85.3 | 90.2 | 31.2 |
| 2018 | 57.8 | 52 | 84.9 | 89.3 | 24.9 |
| 2019 | 56.4 | 39.4 | 84.9 | 88.3 | 30.4 |
| 2020 | 57.4 | 39.2 | 84.8 | 88.9 | 39.3 |
| 2021 | 55.7 | 46.8 | 85 | 88.4 | 30.1 |
| 2022 | 53.3 | 57.7 | 90.3 | 87.4 | 0 |
| 2023 | 52.2 | 39.5 | 90.3 | 88 | 0 |
| 2024 | 49.2 | 49.4 | 77.5 | 88.2 | 0 |
| 2025 | 49.4 | 47.4 | 77.5 | 88.8 | 0 |
More economic indicators
|
Sri Lanka
|
Rank | |
|---|---|---|
| Services, % of GDP |
57.5%
2024 |
94/191 |
| Industry, % of GDP |
25.5%
2024 |
82/194 |
| Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, % of GDP |
8.3%
2024 |
82/193 |
|
GNI, Atlas method
|
$84.6B
2024 |
72/194 |
| GNI per capita, PPP |
$15,240
2024 |
107/191 |
| Total reserves including gold |
$6.09B
2024 |
92/177 |
|
Net foreign direct investment
|
-$678M
2023 |
109/188 |
|
Net inflows of foreign direct investment
|
$761M
2024 |
104/193 |
|
Net outflows of foreign direct investment
|
$110M
2024 |
85/187 |
|
Servicing debt to the IMF, % of GNI
|
3.48%
2023 |
70/119 |
| Poverty at national poverty lines |
14.3%
2019 |
135/176 |
|
Gross capital formation, % of GDP
|
27%
2024 |
52/176 |
Compare countries by 7 more topics
GDP per capita map
GDP per capita
Relevant pages:
Sri Lanka topic pages:
Economy comparisons
The current account balance is the sum of net trade in goods and services, net earnings from cross-border investments, and net transfer payments. It reflects a country's economic transactions with the rest of the world and is a fundamental component of the balance of payments. A surplus indicates that a country exports more than it imports, while a deficit shows the opposite.
Gross National Income (GNI) measures a country's total income. It encompasses income earned by residents, businesses, and foreign sources, defined as employee compensation and investment profits. GNI adds product taxes not included elsewhere and subtracts subsidies. It accounts for income from residents working abroad but excludes earnings from foreigners within the country.
A negative value for Net Foreign Direct Investment indicates a country is a net receiver of investments, as foreign inflows exceed outflows after Balance of Payments adjustments. A positive value indicates a net provider, with outflows exceeding inflows. Inflows are credits (increasing foreign claims on domestic assets), while outflows are debits (increasing domestic assets abroad).
Foreign direct investment (FDI, net inflows) shows how much capital foreign investors bring into a country after accounting for any funds that flow back in the opposite direction. It represents the net value of overseas companies establishing, expanding, or financing businesses in the reporting country. A positive number means more capital entered the country than was withdrawn, while a negative number means foreign investors pulled out more than they invested.
Foreign direct investment (FDI, net outflows) shows how much capital residents of a country invest abroad after accounting for any funds that flow back in the opposite direction. It represents the net value of domestic companies establishing, expanding, or financing businesses in other countries. A positive number means more capital was invested abroad than withdrawn, while a negative number means residents pulled back more than they invested.
Principal and interest payments to the IMF in currency, goods, or services on long-term debt expressed as a share of GNI.
Formerly gross domestic investment, gross capital formation measures the share of a country’s economic output invested in fixed assets, including buildings, machinery, and infrastructure. It indicates how much of the economy is devoted to building productive capacity.