Sri Lanka has a GDP of $99B compared to $3.69T for the United Kingdom, ranking 72/197 and 6/197 by economy size, respectively.
Sri Lanka has $98.4B in government debt (103.5% of GDP), compared to $3.73T (105.4% of GDP) in the United Kingdom.
The chart below compares the two countries' GDP growth in both current (nominal) and constant dollars, accounting for inflation over time.
| Year | GDP | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Sri Lanka
|
United Kingdom
|
|||
| Current $ | Constant $ | Current $ | Constant $ | |
| 1960 | $1,409,873,950 | - | $73,233,967,692 | $802,958,140,600 |
| 1961 | $1,444,327,731 | $6,526,664,116 | $77,741,965,703 | $824,648,562,816 |
| 1962 | $1,434,156,379 | $6,775,853,428 | $81,247,564,157 | $833,708,945,748 |
| 1963 | $1,240,672,269 | $6,946,384,624 | $86,561,961,812 | $874,223,408,560 |
| 1964 | $1,309,747,899 | $7,217,740,543 | $94,407,558,351 | $923,134,556,203 |
| 1965 | $1,698,319,328 | $7,400,851,267 | $101,824,755,079 | $942,800,397,245 |
| 1966 | $1,751,470,588 | $7,772,654,452 | $108,572,752,102 | $957,578,319,011 |
| 1967 | $1,859,465,021 | $8,273,137,570 | $113,116,888,211 | $984,158,181,579 |
| 1968 | $1,801,344,538 | $8,753,070,071 | $107,759,910,068 | $1,038,018,137,932 |
| 1969 | $1,965,546,218 | $9,428,528,703 | $116,464,702,803 | $1,058,146,739,489 |
| 1970 | $2,296,470,588 | $9,791,209,303 | $130,671,946,244 | $1,086,807,506,707 |
| 1971 | $2,369,308,600 | $9,919,171,146 | $148,113,896,325 | $1,108,592,971,833 |
| 1972 | $2,553,936,348 | $9,878,454,941 | $169,965,034,965 | $1,148,794,666,509 |
| 1973 | $2,875,625,000 | $10,575,616,915 | $192,537,971,583 | $1,232,812,042,937 |
| 1974 | $3,574,586,466 | $10,982,337,251 | $206,131,369,799 | $1,212,104,524,614 |
| 1975 | $3,791,298,146 | $11,655,140,838 | $241,756,637,168 | $1,203,900,150,367 |
| 1976 | $3,591,319,857 | $12,043,852,220 | $232,614,555,256 | $1,237,665,408,113 |
| 1977 | $4,104,509,583 | $12,658,159,773 | $263,066,457,352 | $1,266,915,785,221 |
| 1978 | $2,733,183,857 | $13,373,831,476 | $335,883,029,722 | $1,310,033,665,485 |
| 1979 | $3,364,611,432 | $14,230,232,388 | $438,994,070,309 | $1,346,017,305,981 |
| 1980 | $4,024,621,900 | $15,062,135,547 | $564,947,710,899 | $1,316,686,213,226 |
| 1981 | $4,415,844,156 | $15,920,605,692 | $540,765,675,241 | $1,299,260,421,919 |
| 1982 | $4,768,765,017 | $16,579,956,893 | $515,048,916,841 | $1,326,454,837,277 |
| 1983 | $5,167,913,302 | $17,378,114,521 | $489,618,008,186 | $1,374,530,155,675 |
| 1984 | $6,043,474,843 | $18,264,250,049 | $461,487,097,632 | $1,411,242,824,002 |
| 1985 | $5,978,460,972 | $19,177,354,129 | $489,285,164,271 | $1,462,038,836,257 |
| 1986 | $6,405,210,564 | $20,012,632,786 | $601,452,653,181 | $1,520,700,657,210 |
| 1987 | $6,682,167,120 | $20,357,972,917 | $745,162,608,269 | $1,590,076,250,309 |
| 1988 | $6,978,371,581 | $20,861,361,467 | $910,122,732,124 | $1,670,090,505,986 |
| 1989 | $6,987,267,684 | $21,341,027,046 | $926,884,816,754 | $1,708,192,731,044 |
| 1990 | $8,032,551,173 | $22,706,851,776 | $1,093,169,389,205 | $1,721,504,098,260 |
| 1991 | $9,000,362,582 | $23,751,364,061 | $1,142,797,178,131 | $1,699,254,695,039 |
| 1992 | $9,703,011,636 | $24,796,422,002 | $1,179,659,529,660 | $1,721,255,429,796 |
| 1993 | $10,338,679,636 | $26,507,390,805 | $1,061,388,722,256 | $1,781,335,634,495 |
| 1994 | $11,717,604,209 | $27,991,783,146 | $1,140,489,745,944 | $1,869,572,508,479 |
| 1995 | $13,029,697,561 | $29,531,355,077 | $1,349,094,208,616 | $1,935,631,814,547 |
| 1996 | $13,897,738,375 | $30,653,536,886 | $1,425,287,051,482 | $1,986,246,961,912 |
| 1997 | $15,091,913,884 | $32,617,018,444 | $1,569,317,288,802 | $2,083,175,521,751 |
| 1998 | $15,760,736,956 | $34,149,503,956 | $1,660,821,464,061 | $2,150,801,957,624 |
| 1999 | $15,711,933,513 | $35,618,117,204 | $1,693,458,987,219 | $2,214,131,432,954 |
| 2000 | $16,595,882,819 | $37,755,216,046 | $1,671,597,821,153 | $2,314,307,169,244 |
| 2001 | $15,749,753,805 | $37,171,743,867 | $1,656,171,009,069 | $2,369,642,769,659 |
| 2002 | $16,536,535,647 | $38,645,482,957 | $1,790,536,570,743 | $2,410,140,612,988 |
| 2003 | $18,881,765,437 | $40,941,128,632 | $2,061,227,755,102 | $2,487,711,377,293 |
| 2004 | $20,662,525,941 | $43,170,398,174 | $2,429,774,807,763 | $2,545,576,004,983 |
| 2005 | $24,405,791,045 | $45,864,985,657 | $2,551,361,818,182 | $2,616,614,241,853 |
| 2006 | $28,267,410,543 | $49,382,046,638 | $2,719,558,417,663 | $2,673,913,418,492 |
| 2007 | $32,350,238,760 | $52,738,458,482 | $3,104,699,879,952 | $2,752,283,449,985 |
| 2008 | $40,713,826,215 | $55,876,443,248 | $2,945,251,838,235 | $2,750,923,500,693 |
| 2009 | $42,066,224,093 | $57,853,861,433 | $2,429,358,155,476 | $2,624,727,410,660 |
| 2010 | $58,636,049,434 | $62,491,408,088 | $2,496,740,681,057 | $2,684,060,544,651 |
| 2011 | $67,753,285,897 | $67,909,090,096 | $2,675,590,034,129 | $2,706,913,649,066 |
| 2012 | $70,447,217,164 | $73,771,125,924 | $2,719,715,961,540 | $2,748,282,336,998 |
| 2013 | $76,976,203,829 | $76,760,144,811 | $2,796,908,333,283 | $2,795,510,733,841 |
| 2014 | $82,531,125,191 | $81,655,890,649 | $3,085,362,169,410 | $2,883,853,723,652 |
| 2015 | $85,090,301,052 | $85,090,301,052 | $2,945,579,890,258 | $2,945,579,890,258 |
| 2016 | $88,000,211,172 | $89,390,445,685 | $2,706,807,606,539 | $3,010,574,705,731 |
| 2017 | $94,369,350,286 | $95,165,677,467 | $2,699,118,387,873 | $3,101,591,068,534 |
| 2018 | $94,450,015,983 | $97,364,084,799 | $2,897,028,009,916 | $3,149,707,010,748 |
| 2019 | $88,998,706,297 | $97,149,412,680 | $2,875,710,080,015 | $3,189,276,748,351 |
| 2020 | $84,335,574,582 | $92,656,723,482 | $2,724,001,478,305 | $2,868,821,517,197 |
| 2021 | $88,556,698,938 | $96,555,233,344 | $3,194,559,188,926 | $3,113,908,148,054 |
| 2022 | $74,143,020,263 | $89,459,202,881 | $3,181,244,350,465 | $3,274,265,196,937 |
| 2023 | $83,716,142,582 | $87,374,939,262 | $3,420,796,653,789 | $3,283,159,739,928 |
| 2024 | $98,963,185,510 | $91,751,304,717 | $3,686,033,044,482 | $3,320,141,995,548 |
Economic indicators
|
Sri Lanka
|
United Kingdom
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Gross domestic product |
$99B
2024 |
$3.69T
2024 |
| GDP rank |
72/197
2024 |
6/197
2024 |
| GDP growth |
18.2%
2023-2024 |
7.75%
2023-2024 |
| GDP per capita |
$4,516
2024 |
$53,246
2024 |
| GDP per capita rank |
124/197
2024 |
22/197
2024 |
| GDP per capita, PPP |
$15,633
2024 |
$60,620
2024 |
| Government debt |
$98.4B
2024 |
$3.73T
2024 |
| Debt-to-GDP ratio |
103.5%
2026 |
105.4%
2026 |
| Government debt per person |
$4,490
2024 |
$53,900
2024 |
| Government debt per person rank |
86/185
2024 |
7/185
2024 |
| Average annual personal income after taxes |
$2,982
2026 |
$40,805
2026 |
| Market capitalization of domestic companies |
$19.5B
2024 |
$3.1T
2022 |
| Number of millionaires | n/a |
3,061,553
2024 |
| Number of billionaires | n/a |
55
2025 |
| Income share by richest 10% |
30.8%
2019 |
24.6%
2021 |
| Income share by poorest 10% |
3.1%
2019 |
3%
2021 |
| Government expenditure, % of GDP |
19.5%
2026 |
44%
2026 |
| Consumer prices inflation |
-0.43%
2023-2024 |
3.27%
2023-2024 |
| Central bank interest rate |
7.75%
2025 |
4%
2025 |
| Unemployment rate |
4.53%
2022 |
4.36%
2024 |
| Population |
22149346
|
70024311
|
GDP per capita in Sri Lanka vs United Kingdom
Sri Lanka's GDP per capita is $4,516, ranking 124/197, compared to $53,246 in the United Kingdom, ranking 22/197. Adjusted for purchasing power (GDP per capita PPP), Sri Lanka ranks 111th at $15,633, while the United Kingdom ranks 32nd at $60,620.
| Year | Current $ | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Sri Lanka
|
United Kingdom
|
|||
| GDP per capita | GDP per capita, PPP | GDP per capita | GDP per capita, PPP | |
| 1960 | $145.9 | - | $1,398 | - |
| 1961 | $145.9 | - | $1,472 | - |
| 1962 | $141.4 | - | $1,526 | - |
| 1963 | $119.4 | - | $1,613 | - |
| 1964 | $122.9 | - | $1,748 | - |
| 1965 | $155.6 | - | $1,874 | - |
| 1966 | $156.6 | - | $1,987 | - |
| 1967 | $162.3 | - | $2,059 | - |
| 1968 | $153.5 | - | $1,952 | - |
| 1969 | $163.6 | - | $2,101 | - |
| 1970 | $186.9 | - | $2,348 | - |
| 1971 | $188.8 | - | $2,650 | - |
| 1972 | $199.4 | - | $3,030 | - |
| 1973 | $220.2 | - | $3,426 | - |
| 1974 | $268.7 | - | $3,666 | - |
| 1975 | $279.8 | - | $4,300 | - |
| 1976 | $260.3 | - | $4,138 | - |
| 1977 | $292.1 | - | $4,681 | - |
| 1978 | $191 | - | $5,977 | - |
| 1979 | $230.8 | - | $7,805 | - |
| 1980 | $271.1 | - | $10,032 | - |
| 1981 | $292.5 | - | $9,599 | - |
| 1982 | $312 | - | $9,146 | - |
| 1983 | $336 | - | $8,692 | - |
| 1984 | $391 | - | $8,179 | - |
| 1985 | $385 | - | $8,652 | - |
| 1986 | $407 | - | $10,611 | - |
| 1987 | $420 | - | $13,119 | - |
| 1988 | $434 | - | $15,987 | - |
| 1989 | $430 | - | $16,239 | - |
| 1990 | $491 | $2,527 | $19,095 | $17,054 |
| 1991 | $546 | $2,713 | $19,901 | $17,383 |
| 1992 | $580 | $2,851 | $20,487 | $17,802 |
| 1993 | $607 | $3,067 | $18,389 | $18,633 |
| 1994 | $678 | $3,260 | $19,709 | $19,713 |
| 1995 | $742 | $3,454 | $23,253 | $20,581 |
| 1996 | $776 | $3,582 | $24,503 | $21,938 |
| 1997 | $827 | $3,804 | $26,910 | $23,065 |
| 1998 | $848 | $3,952 | $28,396 | $23,688 |
| 1999 | $829 | $4,103 | $28,858 | $24,494 |
| 2000 | $860 | $4,368 | $28,384 | $26,530 |
| 2001 | $804 | $4,328 | $28,014 | $27,916 |
| 2002 | $835 | $4,522 | $30,159 | $29,089 |
| 2003 | $946 | $4,850 | $34,557 | $30,318 |
| 2004 | $1,029 | $5,216 | $40,504 | $32,055 |
| 2005 | $1,207 | $5,679 | $42,240 | $32,726 |
| 2006 | $1,389 | $6,261 | $44,695 | $34,735 |
| 2007 | $1,579 | $6,820 | $50,629 | $35,523 |
| 2008 | $1,974 | $7,317 | $47,652 | $36,745 |
| 2009 | $2,027 | $7,576 | $39,009 | $35,023 |
| 2010 | $2,808 | $8,234 | $39,778 | $36,488 |
| 2011 | $3,225 | $9,076 | $42,296 | $37,224 |
| 2012 | $3,328 | $10,249 | $42,688 | $38,337 |
| 2013 | $3,739 | $11,253 | $43,607 | $39,948 |
| 2014 | $3,972 | $11,721 | $47,746 | $41,267 |
| 2015 | $4,058 | $12,227 | $45,255 | $42,527 |
| 2016 | $4,149 | $13,079 | $41,258 | $44,085 |
| 2017 | $4,399 | $13,610 | $40,917 | $46,113 |
| 2018 | $4,359 | $14,178 | $43,703 | $47,212 |
| 2019 | $4,082 | $14,113 | $43,159 | $50,065 |
| 2020 | $3,848 | $12,941 | $40,813 | $48,230 |
| 2021 | $3,997 | $14,316 | $47,691 | $51,004 |
| 2022 | $3,343 | $14,194 | $47,057 | $58,544 |
| 2023 | $3,799 | $14,456 | $49,944 | $57,915 |
| 2024 | $4,516 | $15,633 | $53,246 | $60,620 |
Spending and national debt comparison
In 2024, Sri Lanka's government spending was $19.1B, accounting for 19.5% of its GDP, while the United Kingdom's spent $1.62T, or 44% of GDP.
Debt-to-GDP ratio is 103.5% in Sri Lanka and 105.4% in the United Kingdom, ranking 21/185 and 18/185, respectively.
| Year | % of GDP | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Sri Lanka
|
United Kingdom
|
|||
| Government spending | Government debt | Government spending | Government debt | |
| 1960 | - | - | 33.1% | 117.9% |
| 1961 | - | - | 31.5% | 113.8% |
| 1962 | - | - | 33.8% | 110.5% |
| 1963 | - | - | 37.4% | 108.6% |
| 1964 | - | - | 32.8% | 101.1% |
| 1965 | - | - | 34.6% | 94.6% |
| 1966 | - | - | 35.7% | 91.9% |
| 1967 | - | - | 40.1% | 89.1% |
| 1968 | - | - | 40.3% | 88.5% |
| 1969 | - | - | 39.2% | 82.8% |
| 1970 | - | - | 42% | 73.4% |
| 1971 | - | - | 41.2% | 67.9% |
| 1972 | - | - | 42.3% | 65% |
| 1973 | - | - | 43.5% | 58.5% |
| 1974 | - | - | 47.8% | 56.2% |
| 1975 | - | - | 49.1% | 49.6% |
| 1976 | - | - | 49.2% | 47.7% |
| 1977 | - | - | 46.8% | 53.7% |
| 1978 | - | - | 46.2% | 47.3% |
| 1979 | - | - | 45.1% | 44.5% |
| 1980 | - | - | 47.6% | 43.7% |
| 1981 | - | - | 51.2% | 41.1% |
| 1982 | - | - | 50.8% | 44.7% |
| 1983 | - | - | 50.4% | 44.2% |
| 1984 | - | - | 50.3% | 44.1% |
| 1985 | - | - | 48.7% | 42.9% |
| 1986 | - | - | 44.6% | 42.9% |
| 1987 | - | - | 42.7% | 41.8% |
| 1988 | - | - | 40.3% | 36.6% |
| 1989 | - | - | 39.7% | 31.4% |
| 1990 | 25.4% | 78.9% | 35% | 28.5% |
| 1991 | 26.4% | 80.5% | 35.9% | 28.5% |
| 1992 | 23% | 77.9% | 37.8% | 33.2% |
| 1993 | 23.2% | 79.2% | 37.8% | 38% |
| 1994 | 24.1% | 77.9% | 37.5% | 40.7% |
| 1995 | 24.8% | 77.8% | 37.6% | 43.7% |
| 1996 | 23.1% | 76.2% | 35.7% | 43.7% |
| 1997 | 21.4% | 70.1% | 34.9% | 44.1% |
| 1998 | 21.4% | 74.2% | 34.5% | 42% |
| 1999 | 20.5% | 77.7% | 33.9% | 40.4% |
| 2000 | 21.7% | 79.2% | 33.9% | 37.7% |
| 2001 | 22.4% | 84.4% | 34.7% | 35% |
| 2002 | 20.8% | 96.3% | 35.9% | 35.4% |
| 2003 | 19.3% | 86.5% | 37.2% | 36.8% |
| 2004 | 19.3% | 86.5% | 38% | 39.8% |
| 2005 | 20.1% | 76.6% | 38.4% | 41% |
| 2006 | 20.5% | 74.3% | 38.4% | 42.1% |
| 2007 | 19.9% | 71.8% | 38.7% | 43.2% |
| 2008 | 19.1% | 68.8% | 41% | 50.8% |
| 2009 | 21% | 72.8% | 44.6% | 64.9% |
| 2010 | 19.3% | 68.7% | 44.7% | 75.9% |
| 2011 | 19.1% | 69.4% | 43.5% | 81.4% |
| 2012 | 17.3% | 67.5% | 43.6% | 84.5% |
| 2013 | 16.6% | 69.5% | 41.8% | 85.3% |
| 2014 | 17.2% | 69.6% | 41.2% | 87.1% |
| 2015 | 19.3% | 76.3% | 40.4% | 87.9% |
| 2016 | 18.2% | 75% | 39.6% | 87.8% |
| 2017 | 17.9% | 72.3% | 39.2% | 86.7% |
| 2018 | 17.5% | 83.6% | 38.9% | 86.3% |
| 2019 | 19.5% | 82.6% | 38.8% | 85.7% |
| 2020 | 22.1% | 96.9% | 50% | 105.8% |
| 2021 | 20% | 102.7% | 45.8% | 105.1% |
| 2022 | 18.6% | 115.9% | 44.1% | 99.6% |
| 2023 | 19.5% | 110.4% | 44.8% | 100.4% |
| 2024 | 19.3% | 99.4% | 44% | 101.2% |
| 2025 | 20.2% | 105.6% | 43.9% | 103.9% |
| 2026 | 19.5% | 103.5% | 44% | 105.4% |
Government deficit by year
In 2024, Sri Lanka's government deficit, the difference between spending and revenue, was -$5.58B, equivalent to -5.64% of GDP. This compares to the United Kingdom's deficit of -$212B, or -5.75% of GDP.
Over the past 35 years, Sri Lanka recorded a fiscal deficit in 35 of those years, while the United Kingdom ran a deficit in 32 years. On average, Sri Lanka posted an annual deficit equal to -6.85% of GDP, compared to deficit of -4.28% of GDP for the United Kingdom.
| Year | Deficit/surplus, % of GDP | |
|---|---|---|
|
Sri Lanka
|
United Kingdom
|
|
| 1830 | - | 0.45% |
| 1831 | - | 0% |
| 1832 | - | 0% |
| 1833 | - | 0.24% |
| 1834 | - | 0.23% |
| 1835 | - | 0.42% |
| 1836 | - | 0.59% |
| 1837 | - | -0.21% |
| 1838 | - | -0.19% |
| 1839 | - | -0.18% |
| 1840 | - | -0.2% |
| 1841 | - | -0.42% |
| 1842 | - | -0.87% |
| 1843 | - | 0.44% |
| 1844 | - | 0.59% |
| 1845 | - | 0.56% |
| 1846 | - | 0.52% |
| 1847 | - | -6.13% |
| 1848 | - | -0.17% |
| 1849 | - | 0.34% |
| 1850 | - | 0.37% |
| 1851 | - | 0.35% |
| 1852 | - | 0.35% |
| 1853 | - | 0.5% |
| 1854 | - | -3.39% |
| 1855 | - | -3.57% |
| 1856 | - | -0.6% |
| 1857 | - | -0.15% |
| 1858 | - | -0.15% |
| 1859 | - | 0% |
| 1860 | - | -0.43% |
| 1861 | - | -0.4% |
| 1862 | - | -0.13% |
| 1863 | - | 0% |
| 1864 | - | 0.24% |
| 1865 | - | 0% |
| 1866 | - | 0.11% |
| 1867 | - | -0.45% |
| 1868 | - | -0.45% |
| 1869 | - | 0.77% |
| 1870 | - | 0% |
| 1871 | - | 0.29% |
| 1872 | - | 0.55% |
| 1873 | - | 0% |
| 1874 | - | 0.09% |
| 1875 | - | 0% |
| 1876 | - | 0.09% |
| 1877 | - | -0.18% |
| 1878 | - | -0.18% |
| 1879 | - | -0.86% |
| 1880 | - | 0.1% |
| 1881 | - | 0.06% |
| 1882 | - | 0.02% |
| 1883 | - | 0.06% |
| 1884 | - | -0.04% |
| 1885 | - | -0.21% |
| 1886 | - | 0.07% |
| 1887 | - | 0.25% |
| 1888 | - | 0.27% |
| 1889 | - | 0.3% |
| 1890 | - | 0.23% |
| 1891 | - | 0.19% |
| 1892 | - | 0.14% |
| 1893 | - | -0.007% |
| 1894 | - | 0.06% |
| 1895 | - | 0.3% |
| 1896 | - | 0.17% |
| 1897 | - | 0.25% |
| 1898 | - | 0.01% |
| 1899 | - | -0.79% |
| 1900 | - | -2.96% |
| 1901 | - | -2.74% |
| 1902 | - | -1.77% |
| 1903 | - | -0.22% |
| 1904 | - | 0.2% |
| 1905 | - | 0.36% |
| 1906 | - | 0.58% |
| 1907 | - | 0.66% |
| 1908 | - | 0.34% |
| 1909 | - | -1.25% |
| 1910 | - | 1.75% |
| 1911 | - | 0.51% |
| 1912 | - | 0.22% |
| 1913 | - | 0.25% |
| 1914 | - | -14.6% |
| 1915 | - | -30% |
| 1916 | - | -50.6% |
| 1917 | - | -48.8% |
| 1918 | - | -34.4% |
| 1919 | - | -6.28% |
| 1920 | - | 4.2% |
| 1921 | - | 1.15% |
| 1922 | - | 2.45% |
| 1923 | - | 2.23% |
| 1924 | - | 1.19% |
| 1925 | - | 0.84% |
| 1926 | - | 0.6% |
| 1927 | - | 1.62% |
| 1928 | - | 1.75% |
| 1929 | - | 0.75% |
| 1930 | - | 1.01% |
| 1931 | - | 0.8% |
| 1932 | - | -0.15% |
| 1933 | - | 0.99% |
| 1934 | - | 0.48% |
| 1935 | - | 0.37% |
| 1936 | - | 0.17% |
| 1937 | - | 0.82% |
| 1938 | - | 0% |
| 1939 | - | -2.99% |
| 1940 | - | -12.1% |
| 1941 | - | -32% |
| 1942 | - | -31.6% |
| 1943 | - | -33.3% |
| 1944 | - | -29.7% |
| 1945 | - | -30.9% |
| 1946 | - | -22.5% |
| 1947 | - | -15.8% |
| 1948 | - | -0.39% |
| 1949 | - | 3.01% |
| 1950 | - | 0.34% |
| 1951 | - | 2.03% |
| 1952 | - | -1.26% |
| 1953 | - | -2.84% |
| 1954 | - | -1.65% |
| 1955 | - | -0.39% |
| 1956 | - | 0.55% |
| 1957 | - | -1.04% |
| 1958 | - | -1.73% |
| 1959 | - | -0.58% |
| 1960 | - | -2.75% |
| 1961 | - | 0.56% |
| 1962 | - | -0.49% |
| 1963 | - | -5.47% |
| 1964 | - | -1.76% |
| 1965 | - | -2.06% |
| 1966 | - | -1.59% |
| 1967 | - | -4.57% |
| 1968 | - | -2.3% |
| 1969 | - | 1.03% |
| 1970 | - | 2.61% |
| 1971 | - | 1.48% |
| 1972 | - | -1.66% |
| 1973 | - | -4.29% |
| 1974 | - | -4.06% |
| 1975 | - | -5.08% |
| 1976 | - | -5.61% |
| 1977 | - | -4.41% |
| 1978 | - | -6.63% |
| 1979 | - | -5.79% |
| 1980 | - | -5.65% |
| 1981 | - | -7.03% |
| 1982 | - | -5.66% |
| 1983 | - | -6.26% |
| 1984 | - | -6.39% |
| 1985 | - | -5.57% |
| 1986 | - | -2.56% |
| 1987 | - | -1.79% |
| 1988 | - | 0.46% |
| 1989 | - | 0.77% |
| 1990 | -6.39% | -1.54% |
| 1991 | -7.97% | -2.77% |
| 1992 | -4.95% | -5.41% |
| 1993 | -5.77% | -6.62% |
| 1994 | -7.41% | -5.74% |
| 1995 | -7.11% | -4.99% |
| 1996 | -6.89% | -3.65% |
| 1997 | -5.71% | -2.01% |
| 1998 | -6.79% | -0.21% |
| 1999 | -5.58% | 0.76% |
| 2000 | -7.78% | 1.4% |
| 2001 | -8.48% | 0.34% |
| 2002 | -6.9% | -1.96% |
| 2003 | -6.15% | -3.22% |
| 2004 | -6.32% | -3.16% |
| 2005 | -5.93% | -3.15% |
| 2006 | -5.91% | -2.76% |
| 2007 | -5.81% | -2.65% |
| 2008 | -5.93% | -5.09% |
| 2009 | -8.33% | -10.1% |
| 2010 | -6.73% | -9.22% |
| 2011 | -6.01% | -7.38% |
| 2012 | -5.44% | -7.45% |
| 2013 | -5% | -5.34% |
| 2014 | -5.99% | -5.53% |
| 2015 | -6.64% | -4.59% |
| 2016 | -5% | -3.31% |
| 2017 | -5.1% | -2.49% |
| 2018 | -4.96% | -2.27% |
| 2019 | -7.52% | -2.47% |
| 2020 | -13.4% | -13.2% |
| 2021 | -11.7% | -7.72% |
| 2022 | -10.2% | -4.56% |
| 2023 | -8.32% | -6.05% |
| 2024 | -5.64% | -5.75% |
| 2025 | -5.49% | -4.42% |
| 2026 | -4.61% | -3.74% |
Inflation comparison by year
Over the past 28 years, Sri Lanka has recorded an average annual inflation rate of 9.34%, compared with 2.4% in the United Kingdom. In 2024, inflation was -0.43% in Sri Lanka and 3.27% in the United Kingdom.
| Year | Inflation | |
|---|---|---|
|
Sri Lanka
|
United Kingdom
|
|
| 1997 | 9.57% | 2.2% |
| 1998 | 9.36% | 1.82% |
| 1999 | 4.69% | 1.75% |
| 2000 | 6.18% | 1.18% |
| 2001 | 14.2% | 1.53% |
| 2002 | 9.55% | 1.52% |
| 2003 | 6.31% | 1.38% |
| 2004 | 7.58% | 1.39% |
| 2005 | 11.6% | 2.09% |
| 2006 | 10% | 2.46% |
| 2007 | 15.8% | 2.39% |
| 2008 | 22.6% | 3.52% |
| 2009 | 3.46% | 1.96% |
| 2010 | 6.22% | 2.49% |
| 2011 | 6.72% | 3.86% |
| 2012 | 7.54% | 2.57% |
| 2013 | 6.91% | 2.29% |
| 2014 | 3.18% | 1.45% |
| 2015 | 3.77% | 0.37% |
| 2016 | 3.96% | 1.01% |
| 2017 | 7.7% | 2.56% |
| 2018 | 2.14% | 2.29% |
| 2019 | 3.53% | 1.74% |
| 2020 | 6.15% | 0.99% |
| 2021 | 7.01% | 2.52% |
| 2022 | 49.7% | 7.92% |
| 2023 | 16.5% | 6.79% |
| 2024 | -0.43% | 3.27% |
Top exports between countries
|
Sri Lanka
|
|
|---|---|
| Export category | Export value |
| Textiles & consumer goods | $708M |
| Machinery & equipment | $40.6M |
| Processed food, beverages & tobacco | $37.4M |
| Raw materials & minerals | $35.8M |
| Raw agricultural goods | $30.2M |
| Animal & marine products | $23.2M |
| Miscellaneous | $10.5M |
| Chemicals & pharma | $9.16M |
| Wood & paper products | $7.47M |
| Metals | $4.3M |
|
United Kingdom
|
|
|---|---|
| Export category | Export value |
| Machinery & equipment | $53.4M |
| Chemicals & pharma | $33.1M |
| Processed food, beverages & tobacco | $18.7M |
| Textiles & consumer goods | $13.8M |
| Wood & paper products | $9.29M |
| Metals | $7.83M |
| Raw materials & minerals | $5.81M |
| Miscellaneous | $3.56M |
| Precious metals & jewellery | $2.07M |
| Animal & marine products | $1.94M |
Balance of trade
|
Sri Lanka
|
United Kingdom
|
|
|---|---|---|
Current account balance
|
$1.21B
2024 |
-$80.6B
2024 |
| Current account balance ranking |
53/190
2024 |
189/190
2024 |
| Current account balance, % of GDP |
+1.22%
2024 |
-2.19%
2024 |
| Goods imports |
$18.8B
2024 |
$763B
2024 |
| Goods exports |
$12.8B
2024 |
$494B
2024 |
| Service imports |
$3.48B
2024 |
$411B
2024 |
| Service exports |
$6.91B
2024 |
$648B
2024 |
| Imports of goods and services, % of GDP |
22.5%
2024 |
31.9%
2024 |
| Exports of goods and services, % of GDP |
19.9%
2024 |
31%
2024 |
Economic freedom indices
The indices of economic freedom below are issued by the Heritage Foundation. Higher scores indicate stronger economic health.
|
Sri Lanka
|
United Kingdom
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Economic freedom | 49.4 | 69.3 |
| Economic freedom ranking | 164/197 | 39/197 |
| Property rights | 51.3 | 95.2 |
| Government integrity | 37.4 | 83.4 |
| Judicial effectiveness | 47.4 | 84.8 |
| Tax burden | 77.5 | 61 |
| Government spending | 88.8 | 40.1 |
| Fiscal health | 0 | 19 |
| Business freedom | 55.8 | 83.4 |
| Labor freedom | 54.6 | 63.2 |
| Monetary freedom | 54.5 | 67.9 |
| Trade freedom | 65 | 83.4 |
| Investment freedom | 30 | 70 |
| Financial freedom | 30 | 80 |
Economic freedom by year comparison
The Economic Freedom Index for Sri Lanka is 49.4, ranking 164/197, compared to 69.3 for the United Kingdom, ranking 39/197. The chart below displays a comparison of annual changes in economic freedom indexes.
| Year | Economic freedom index | |
|---|---|---|
|
Sri Lanka
|
United Kingdom
|
|
| 1995 | 60.6 | 77.9 |
| 1996 | 62.5 | 76.4 |
| 1997 | 65.5 | 76.4 |
| 1998 | 64.6 | 76.5 |
| 1999 | 64 | 76.2 |
| 2000 | 63.2 | 77.3 |
| 2001 | 66 | 77.6 |
| 2002 | 64 | 78.5 |
| 2003 | 62.5 | 77.5 |
| 2004 | 61.6 | 77.7 |
| 2005 | 61 | 79.2 |
| 2006 | 58.7 | 80.4 |
| 2007 | 59.4 | 79.9 |
| 2008 | 58.4 | 79.4 |
| 2009 | 56 | 79 |
| 2010 | 54.6 | 76.5 |
| 2011 | 57.1 | 74.5 |
| 2012 | 58.3 | 74.1 |
| 2013 | 60.7 | 74.8 |
| 2014 | 60 | 74.9 |
| 2015 | 58.6 | 75.8 |
| 2016 | 59.9 | 76.4 |
| 2017 | 57.4 | 76.4 |
| 2018 | 57.8 | 78 |
| 2019 | 56.4 | 78.9 |
| 2020 | 57.4 | 79.3 |
| 2021 | 55.7 | 78.4 |
| 2022 | 53.3 | 72.7 |
| 2023 | 52.2 | 69.9 |
| 2024 | 49.2 | 68.6 |
| 2025 | 49.4 | 69.3 |
More economic indicators
|
Sri Lanka
|
United Kingdom
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Services, % of GDP |
57.5%
2024 |
72.4%
2024 |
| Industry, % of GDP |
25.5%
2024 |
17.1%
2024 |
| Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, % of GDP |
8.3%
2024 |
0.64%
2024 |
|
GNI, Atlas method
|
$84.6B
2024 |
$3.42T
2024 |
| GNI per capita, PPP |
$15,240
2024 |
$60,090
2024 |
| Total reserves including gold |
$6.09B
2024 |
$175B
2024 |
| Total reserves ranking |
92/177
2024 |
19/177
2024 |
|
Net foreign direct investment
|
-$651M
2024 |
$42.8B
2024 |
|
Net inflows of foreign direct investment
|
$761M
2024 |
-$60.6B
2024 |
|
Net outflows of foreign direct investment
|
$110M
2024 |
-$17.8B
2024 |
|
Servicing debt to the IMF, % of GNI
|
4.98%
2024 |
n/a |
| Poverty at national poverty lines |
14.3%
2019 |
18.6%
2017 |
|
Gross capital formation, % of GDP
|
27%
2024 |
19.1%
2024 |
GDP per capita map
GDP per capita
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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.