Economy - overview:
Sri Lanka continues to experience strong economic growth following the end of the government's 26-year conflict with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. The government has been pursuing large-scale reconstruction and development projects in its efforts to spur growth in war-torn and disadvantaged areas, develop small and medium enterprises, and increase agricultural productivity.The government's high debt payments and bloated civil service have contributed to historically high budget deficits and low tax revenues remain a concern. Government debt of about 72% of GDP remains among the highest in emerging markets.The new government in 2015 drastically increased wages for public sector employees, which boosted demand for consumer goods but hurt the overall balance of payments and reduced foreign exchange reserves.
GDP (purchasing power parity): GDP (official exchange rate): GDP - real growth rate: GDP - per capita (PPP): Gross national saving: GDP - composition, by end use: GDP - composition, by sector of origin: Agriculture - products: Industries: Industrial production growth rate: Labor force: Labor force - by occupation: Unemployment rate: Population below poverty line: Household income or consumption by percentage share: Distribution of family income - Gini index: Budget: Taxes and other revenues: Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-): Public debt: Fiscal year: Inflation rate (consumer prices): Central bank discount rate: Commercial bank prime lending rate: Stock of narrow money: Stock of broad money: Stock of domestic credit: Market value of publicly traded shares: Current account balance: Exports: Exports - commodities: Exports - partners: Imports: Imports - commodities: Imports - partners: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: Debt - external: Stock of direct foreign investment - at home: Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad: Exchange rates:
$237.8 billion (2016 est.)
$226.5 billion (2015 est.)
$216.1 billion (2014 est.)
note: data are in 2016 dollars
country comparison to the world: 62
[see also: GDP country ranks ]
$82.24 billion (2015 est.)
[see also: GDP (official exchange rate) country ranks ]
5% (2016 est.)
4.8% (2015 est.)
4.9% (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 38
[see also: GDP - real growth rate country ranks ]
$11,200 (2016 est.)
$10,700 (2015 est.)
$10,300 (2014 est.)
note: data are in 2016 dollars
country comparison to the world: 134
[see also: GDP - per capita country ranks ]
26.8% of GDP (2016 est.)
25.9% of GDP (2015 est.)
24.8% of GDP (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 40
[see also: Gross national saving country ranks ]
household consumption: 69.4%
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - household consumption country ranks ]
government consumption: 8.7%
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - government consumption country ranks ]
investment in fixed capital: 26%
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - investment in fixed capital country ranks ]
investment in inventories: 3.5%
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - investment in inventories country ranks ]
exports of goods and services: 20.5%
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - exports of goods and services country ranks ]
imports of goods and services: -28.1% (2016 est.)
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - imports of goods and services country ranks ]
agriculture: 8.5%
[see also: GDP - composition, by sector of origin - agriculture country ranks ]
industry: 30.9%
[see also: GDP - composition, by sector of origin - industry country ranks ]
services: 60.6% (2016 est.)
[see also: GDP - composition, by sector of origin - services country ranks ]
rice, sugarcane, grains, pulses, oilseed, spices, vegetables, fruit, tea, rubber, coconuts; milk, eggs, hides, beef; fish
processing of rubber, tea, coconuts, tobacco and other agricultural commodities; telecommunications, insurance, banking; tourism, shipping; clothing, textiles; cement, petroleum refining, information technology services, construction
5.6% (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 31
[see also: Industrial production growth rate country ranks ]
9.062 million (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 55
[see also: Labor force country ranks ]
agriculture: 28.4%
[see also: Labor force - by occupation - agriculture country ranks ]
industry: 25.7%
[see also: Labor force - by occupation - industry country ranks ]
services: 45.9% (30 Jun 2015)
[see also: Labor force - by occupation - services country ranks ]
4.5% (2016 est.)
4.7% (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 46
[see also: Unemployment rate country ranks ]
8.9% (2010 est.)
[see also: Population below poverty line country ranks ]
lowest 10%: 1.6%
[see also: Household income or consumption by percentage share - lowest 10% country ranks ]
highest 10%: 39.5% (2009)
[see also: Household income or consumption by percentage share - highest 10% country ranks ]
49 (2010)
46 (1995)
country comparison to the world: 22
[see also: Distribution of family income - Gini index country ranks ]
revenues: $10.98 billion
[see also: Budget revenues country ranks ]
expenditures: $15.54 billion (2016 est.)
[see also: Budget expenditures country ranks ]
13.4% of GDP (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 199
[see also: Taxes and other revenues country ranks ]
-5.5% of GDP (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 168
[see also: Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-) country ranks ]
77.1% of GDP (2016 est.)
76% of GDP (2015 est.)
note: covers central government debt, and excludes debt instruments directly owned by government entities other than the treasury (e.g. commercial bank borrowings of a government corporation); the data includes treasury debt held by foreign entities as well as
country comparison to the world: 34
[see also: Public debt country ranks ]
calendar year
4.3% (2016 est.)
0.9% (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 166
[see also: Inflation rate (consumer prices) country ranks ]
6% (31 December 2015)
6.5% (31 December 2013)
country comparison to the world: 68
[see also: Central bank discount rate country ranks ]
9.8% (31 December 2016 est.)
6.96% (31 December 2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 84
[see also: Commercial bank prime lending rate country ranks ]
$5.521 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
$4.963 billion (31 December 2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 96
[see also: Stock of narrow money country ranks ]
$31.84 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
$28.16 billion (31 December 2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 78
[see also: Stock of broad money country ranks ]
$44.73 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
$39.22 billion (31 December 2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 68
[see also: Stock of domestic credit country ranks ]
$20.8 billion (31 December 2015 est.)
$23.67 billion (31 December 2014 est.)
$18.81 billion (31 December 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 65
[see also: Market value of publicly traded shares country ranks ]
-$1.231 billion (2016 est.)
-$2.009 billion (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 129
[see also: Current account balance country ranks ]
$10.12 billion (2016 est.)
$10.5 billion (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 88
[see also: Exports country ranks ]
textiles and apparel, tea and spices; rubber manufactures; precious stones; coconut products, fish
US 26%, UK 9%, India 7.2%, Germany 4.3% (2015)
$18.64 billion (2016 est.)
$18.93 billion (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 73
[see also: Imports country ranks ]
petroleum, textiles, machinery and transportation equipment, building materials, mineral products, foodstuffs
India 24.6%, China 20.6%, UAE 7.2%, Singapore 5.9%, Japan 5.7% (2015)
$7.06 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
$7.303 billion (31 December 2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 85
[see also: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold country ranks ]
$47.65 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
$45.47 billion (31 December 2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 66
[see also: Debt - external country ranks ]
$NA
[see also: Stock of direct foreign investment - at home country ranks ]
$NA
[see also: Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad country ranks ]
Sri Lankan rupees (LKR) per US dollar -
146.6 (2016 est.)
135.86 (2015 est.)
135.86 (2014 est.)
130.57 (2013 est.)
127.6 (2012 est.)