South Asia · Upper middle income
Sri Lanka: the economy in numbers
Per person: $5,002, or $17,065 at purchasing power parity. Population: 21.8 million (2025).
$109B+5.0%real GDP growth, 2025
GDP in 2025, current US dollars: #72 of 204 economies. IMF forecast for 2026: +4.0%.
GDP per capita
$5,002
2025 · #135 of 204
GDP per capita, PPP
$17,065
2025 · #114 of 197
Inflation
−4.8%
2025 · IMF forecast 2026: 5.3%
Government debt
96.8%
2025 · % of GDP, general government
Population
21.8M
2025 · #62 of 217
Unemployment
4.0%
2025 · ILO estimate
Stock market capitalization
24.0%
2025 · % of GDP · $26.1B
Life expectancy
77.7 years
2024
GDP
Adjusted for US inflation, in 2025 dollars: $15.4 billion in 1960, $109 billion in 2025.
GDP per capita
In 2025 dollars: $1,590 per person in 1960, $5,002 in 2025.
GDP per capitaGDP per capita, PPP (international $)
Real GDP growth
Average over 2016–2025: 1.3% a year. Years of falling GDP since 1962: 6 of 64.
Source: International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook (October 2026)
Inflation
Consumer prices rose 8.01 times from 2000 to 2025. Highest annual inflation: 49.7% in 2022.
Source: International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook (October 2026)
Government debt, % of GDP
Highest since 1990: 115.9% of GDP in 2022. IMF forecast for 2031: 82.4%.
General government (IMF)Central government only (World Bank)
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators (CC BY 4.0)
Stock market capitalization, % of GDP
In 2025 listed domestic companies were worth $26.1 billion, or 24.0% of GDP.
Population
1960: 9.66 million · 2025: 21.8 million.
Unemployment rate
1991: 14.7% · 2025: 4.0%.
Life expectancy at birth
1960: 60.6 years · 2024: 77.7 years.
Exports of goods and services
1960: 30.0% · 2025: 19.0%.
Data by year
Show the year-by-year table
| Year | GDP | GDP per capita | Per capita, PPP | Real growth | Inflation | Gov. debt, % GDP | Population | Unemployment | Stock market, % GDP | Life expectancy | Exports, % GDP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2031 | 3.5%f | 5.0%f | 82.4%f | ||||||||
| 2030 | 3.5%f | 5.0%f | 84.7%f | ||||||||
| 2029 | 3.5%f | 5.0%f | 87.4%f | ||||||||
| 2028 | 3.5%f | 5.0%f | 90.1%f | ||||||||
| 2027 | 3.7%f | 5.4%f | 91.8%f | ||||||||
| 2026 | 4.0%f | 5.3%f | 95.2%f | ||||||||
| 2025 | $109B | $5,002 | $17,065 | 5.0% | −4.8% | 96.8% | 21.8M | 4.0% | 24.0% | 19.0% | |
| 2024 | $99.6B | $4,545 | $15,701 | 5.0% | −0.4% | 100.2% | 21.9M | 4.2% | 19.6% | 77.7 | 19.8% |
| 2023 | $84.1B | $3,815 | $14,512 | −2.0% | 16.5% | 109.9% | 22M | 4.5% | 15.6% | 77.5 | 20.6% |
| 2022 | $74.1B | $3,343 | $14,191 | −7.3% | 49.7% | 115.9% | 22.2M | 4.5% | 14.3% | 77.3 | 21.6% |
| 2021 | $88.6B | $3,997 | $14,316 | 4.2% | 7.0% | 102.7% | 22.2M | 5.0% | 30.6% | 76.3 | 16.9% |
| 2020 | $84.3B | $3,848 | $12,941 | −4.6% | 6.2% | 96.9% | 21.9M | 5.4% | 19.0% | 76.9 | 15.5% |
| 2019 | $89B | $4,082 | $14,113 | −0.2% | 3.5% | 82.6% | 21.8M | 4.7% | 17.7% | 76.7 | 21.8% |
| 2018 | $94.5B | $4,359 | $14,178 | 2.3% | 2.1% | 83.6% | 21.7M | 4.3% | 16.5% | 76.5 | 21.4% |
| 2017 | $94.4B | $4,399 | $13,610 | 6.5% | 7.7% | 72.3% | 21.5M | 4.0% | 20.1% | 76.2 | 20.2% |
| 2016 | $88B | $4,149 | $13,079 | 5.1% | 4.0% | 75.0% | 21.2M | 4.2% | 21.2% | 76.1 | 19.8% |
| 2015 | $85.1B | $4,058 | $12,227 | 4.2% | 3.8% | 76.3% | 21M | 4.5% | 24.4% | 76.0 | 19.9% |
| 2014 | $82.5B | $3,972 | $11,721 | 6.4% | 3.2% | 69.6% | 20.8M | 4.2% | 28.7% | 75.8 | |
| 2013 | $77B | $3,739 | $11,253 | 4.1% | 6.9% | 69.5% | 20.6M | 4.2% | 24.4% | 75.5 | |
| 2012 | $70.4B | $3,328 | $10,249 | 8.6% | 7.5% | 67.5% | 21.2M | 3.9% | 24.1% | 75.2 | |
| 2011 | $67.8B | $3,225 | $9,076 | 8.7% | 6.7% | 69.4% | 21M | 4.1% | 28.7% | 74.7 | |
| 2010 | $58.6B | $2,808 | $8,234 | 8.0% | 6.2% | 68.7% | 20.9M | 4.8% | 34.0% | 74.5 | |
| 2009 | $42.1B | $2,027 | $7,576 | 3.5% | 3.5% | 72.8% | 20.8M | 5.8% | 22.7% | 70.3 | 21.3% |
| 2008 | $40.7B | $1,974 | $7,317 | 6.0% | 22.6% | 68.8% | 20.6M | 5.2% | 10.5% | 72.6 | 24.8% |
| 2007 | $32.4B | $1,579 | $6,820 | 6.8% | 15.8% | 71.8% | 20.5M | 6.0% | 23.3% | 73.0 | 29.1% |
| 2006 | $28.3B | $1,389 | $6,261 | 7.7% | 10.0% | 74.3% | 20.4M | 6.5% | 27.5% | 72.8 | 30.1% |
| 2005 | $24.4B | $1,207 | $5,679 | 6.2% | 11.6% | 76.6% | 20.2M | 7.7% | 23.4% | 73.1 | 32.3% |
| 2004 | $20.7B | $1,029 | $5,216 | 5.4% | 7.6% | 86.5% | 20.1M | 8.4% | 17.7% | 68.0 | 35.3% |
| 2003 | $18.9B | $946 | $4,850 | 5.9% | 6.3% | 86.5% | 20M | 8.2% | 14.4% | 72.4 | 34.7% |
| 2002 | $16.5B | $835 | $4,522 | 4.0% | 9.6% | 96.3% | 19.8M | 8.8% | 10.2% | 72.3 | 34.9% |
| 2001 | $15.7B | $804 | $4,328 | −1.5% | 14.2% | 84.4% | 19.6M | 7.9% | 8.5% | 71.8 | 37.3% |
| 2000 | $16.6B | $860 | $4,368 | 6.0% | 6.2% | 79.2% | 19.3M | 7.7% | 6.5% | 71.2 | 39.0% |
| 1999 | $15.7B | $829 | $4,103 | 4.3% | 4.7% | 77.7% | 18.9M | 8.9% | 10.1% | 70.4 | 35.5% |
| 1998 | $15.8B | $848 | $3,952 | 4.7% | 9.4% | 74.2% | 18.6M | 9.2% | 70.1 | 36.2% | |
| 1997 | $15.1B | $827 | $3,804 | 6.4% | 9.6% | 70.1% | 18.2M | 10.6% | 69.9 | 36.5% | |
| 1996 | $13.9B | $776 | $3,582 | 3.8% | 15.9% | 76.2% | 17.9M | 11.3% | 69.8 | 35.0% | |
| 1995 | $13B | $742 | $3,454 | 5.5% | 7.7% | 77.8% | 17.6M | 12.3% | 69.7 | 35.6% | |
| 1994 | $11.7B | $678 | $3,260 | 5.6% | 8.4% | 77.9% | 17.3M | 13.0% | 70.2 | 33.8% | |
| 1993 | $10.3B | $607 | $3,067 | 6.9% | 11.7% | 79.2% | 17M | 13.8% | 70.0 | 33.8% | |
| 1992 | $9.7B | $580 | $2,851 | 4.4% | 11.4% | 77.9% | 16.7M | 14.2% | 69.6 | 31.8% | |
| 1991 | $9.0B | $546 | $2,713 | 4.6% | 12.2% | 80.5% | 16.5M | 14.7% | 69.1 | 28.7% | |
| 1990 | $8.03B | $491 | $2,527 | 6.4% | 21.5% | 78.9% | 16.4M | 69.2 | 30.2% | ||
| 1989 | $6.99B | $430 | 2.3% | 11.6% | 16.2M | 67.3 | 27.3% | ||||
| 1988 | $6.98B | $434 | 2.5% | 14.0% | 16.1M | 69.0 | 26.1% | ||||
| 1987 | $6.68B | $420 | 1.7% | 7.7% | 15.9M | 69.0 | 25.2% | ||||
| 1986 | $6.41B | $407 | 4.4% | 8.0% | 15.7M | 69.0 | 23.7% | ||||
| 1985 | $5.98B | $385 | 5.0% | 1.5% | 15.5M | 68.9 | 26.0% | ||||
| 1984 | $6.04B | $391 | 5.1% | 16.6% | 15.4M | 68.8 | 28.8% | ||||
| 1983 | $5.17B | $336 | 4.8% | 14.0% | 15.4M | 68.7 | 26.3% | ||||
| 1982 | $4.77B | $312 | 4.1% | 10.8% | 15.3M | 68.7 | 27.4% | ||||
| 1981 | $4.42B | $292 | 5.7% | 18.0% | 15.1M | 68.4 | 30.5% | ||||
| 1980 | $4.02B | $271 | 5.8% | 26.1% | 14.8M | 68.0 | 32.2% | ||||
| 1979 | $3.36B | $231 | 6.4% | 10.7% | 14.6M | 67.5 | 33.7% | ||||
| 1978 | $2.73B | $191 | 5.7% | 12.1% | 14.3M | 66.8 | 34.8% | ||||
| 1977 | $4.1B | $292 | 5.1% | 1.2% | 14M | 66.4 | 33.8% | ||||
| 1976 | $3.59B | $260 | 3.3% | 1.3% | 13.8M | 65.8 | 29.0% | ||||
| 1975 | $3.79B | $280 | 6.1% | 6.6% | 13.5M | 65.4 | 27.5% | ||||
| 1974 | $3.57B | $269 | 3.8% | 12.3% | 13.3M | 65.0 | 26.4% | ||||
| 1973 | $2.88B | $220 | 7.1% | 9.6% | 13.1M | 64.8 | 24.3% | ||||
| 1972 | $2.55B | $199 | −0.4% | 6.3% | 12.8M | 64.6 | 22.3% | ||||
| 1971 | $2.37B | $189 | 1.3% | 2.7% | 12.6M | 64.2 | 24.6% | ||||
| 1970 | $2.3B | $187 | 3.8% | 5.9% | 12.3M | 64.4 | 25.5% | ||||
| 1969 | $1.97B | $164 | 7.7% | 7.5% | 12M | 64.1 | 18.4% | ||||
| 1968 | $1.8B | $153 | 5.8% | 5.9% | 11.7M | 63.9 | 20.6% | ||||
| 1967 | $1.86B | $162 | 6.4% | 2.2% | 11.5M | 63.6 | 20.5% | ||||
| 1966 | $1.75B | $157 | 5.0% | −0.2% | 11.2M | 63.2 | 22.4% | ||||
| 1965 | $1.7B | $156 | 2.5% | 0.2% | 10.9M | 62.8 | 25.9% | ||||
| 1964 | $1.31B | $123 | 3.9% | 3.2% | 10.7M | 62.4 | 24.6% | ||||
| 1963 | $1.24B | $119 | 2.5% | 2.3% | 10.4M | 62.0 | 25.8% | ||||
| 1962 | $1.43B | $141 | 3.8% | 1.5% | 10.1M | 61.6 | 27.8% | ||||
| 1961 | $1.44B | $146 | 1.1% | 9.9M | 61.2 | 27.5% | |||||
| 1960 | $1.41B | $146 | −1.5% | 9.66M | 60.6 | 30.0% |
e: IMF estimate; f: IMF forecast.
Nearby economies in South Asia
Nearest by distance between capitals, with GDP per capita.
Bangladesh · Bhutan · India · Maldives · Nepal · Sri Lanka
Rankings
GDP by country · GDP per capita · Real GDP growth · Inflation by country · Government debt to GDP · Stock market to GDP · Population by country · Unemployment by country
Data and methods
- GDP: gross domestic product in current US dollars, converted from the local currency at market exchange rates (World Bank); not adjusted for inflation.
- Purchasing power parity (PPP): GDP per person in international dollars, which buy the same basket of goods and services in every country. It compares living standards across countries in the same year; it is not adjusted for inflation over time.
- In 2025 dollars: the charts can remove US inflation (US consumer price index, annual average) so that dollar amounts from different years compare in today's money. Exchange rate swings still show.
- Growth and inflation: World Bank data (calendar years). Years the World Bank does not cover yet, and the estimates and forecasts, come from the IMF World Economic Outlook (October 2026): its forecasts start in 2026, and the years after a country's last actual year are IMF estimates.
- Government debt: gross debt of the general government (central, state and local government and social security funds) as a percentage of GDP, IMF. The World Bank's central government debt is narrower and covers fewer countries.
- Stock market capitalization: the end-of-year value of domestic companies listed on the country's exchanges (World Federation of Exchanges via the World Bank; before 2016, Standard & Poor's), as a percentage of GDP: the “Buffett indicator”. Investment funds are excluded, and so are companies listed only abroad; companies from elsewhere that list on an exchange count for its country (Hong Kong lists many mainland Chinese companies).
- Unemployment: ILO modeled estimates (share of the labor force); comparable across countries, but they may differ from national figures.
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators (CC BY 4.0)
Source: International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook (October 2026)