Source
Central bank

Central Bank of Sri Lanka

International Reserves

USD 6.9 billion (2018)

International Monetary Fund (IMF), data October 2019

Gross Domestic Product - GDP

USD 88.2 billion (2018, estimate)

GDP (Purchasing Power Parity)

Intl$ 290.6 billion (2018, estimate)

Real GDP growth
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
6.8% 6% 3.5% 8% 8.4% 9.1% 3.4%
2014 2015 2016 2017* 2018*    
5% 5% 4.5% 3.3% 3%    

*Estimate

GDP per capita - current prices

USD 4,067.9 (2018, estimate)

GDP per capita - PPP

Intl$ 13,397.5 (2018, estimate)

GDP (PPP) - share of world total
1980 1990 2000 2010 2019*
0.13% 0.14% 0.16% 0.18% 0.22%

*Estimate

 
 
Source
GDP - composition by sector
  • agriculture: 7.9% 
  • industry: 27% 
  • services: 56.8%

(2018 estimate)

Gross domestic expenditure on R&D; (% of GDP)

N/A

 

Inflation
2015 2016 2017 2018* 2019*
2.2% 4% 6.6% 4.3% 4.1%

*Estimate

Unemployment rate
2015 2016 2017* 2018* 2019*
4.7% 4.4% 4.4% 4.4% 4.4%

*Estimate

Household saving rates

N/A

 

Public debt (General government gross debt as a % of GDP)
2015 2016 2017 2018* 2019*
78.5% 79% 77.4% 83.3% 83%

*Estimate

Public deficit (General government net lending/borrowing as a % of GDP)
2015 2016 2017 2018* 2019*
-7% -5.3% -5.5% -5.3% -5.7%

*Estimate   

Government bond ratings

Standard & Poor's: B

Moody's: B2

Standard & Poor's / Moody's 

Market value of publicly traded shares
2016 2017 2018
USD 18.7 billion USD 19.0 billion USD 15.6 billion
Largest companies

N/A

 
 
Source
Current account balance

USD -2.8 billion (2018 estimate)

Current account balance by percentage of GDP

-3.2 % (2018 estimate)

Exports as percent of GDP (Exports of goods and services)

22.8% (2018)

Shares in world total merchandising export

0.06% (2018)

Shares in world total commercial services export

0.15% (2018)

Total exports

USD 20.3 billion (2018 estimate)

Export commodities

Textiles and apparel, tea and spices; rubber manufactures; precious stones; coconut products, fish

Total imports

USD 26.8 billion (2018 estimate)

 
 
Source
Import commodities

Petroleum, textiles, machinery and transportation equipment, building materials, mineral products, foodstuffs

Exports - major partners

US 24.6%, UK 9%, India 5.8%, Singapore 4.5%, Germany 4.3%, Italy 4.3% (2017)

Imports - major partners

India 22%, China 19.9%, Singapore 6.9%, UAE 5.7%, Japan 4.9% (2017)

FDI inflows
2016 2017 2018
USD 897 million USD 1,373 million USD 1,611 million
FDI outflows
2016 2017 2018
USD 237 million USD 72 million USD 68 million
Value of cross-border M&A, by country of purchaser
2015 2016 2017 2018
USD 19 million USD 62 million N/A N/A
Cross-border M&A deals worth over $3 billion completed in 2014

N/A

(for a monthly update on M&A; click here )

Cross-border M&A deals worth over $3 billion completed in 2015

N/A

(for a monthly update on M&A; click here )

Best countries for doing business

Economies are ranked on their ease of doing business. A high ease of doing business ranking means the regulatory environment is more conducive to the starting and operation of a local firm.

Overall ranking:

99 out of 190 countries

Subcategories:
Starting a Business: 85 out of 190 countries
Dealing with Construction Permits: 66 out of 190 countries
Getting Electricity: 89 out of 190 countries
Registering Property: 138 out of 190 countries
Getting Credit: 132 out of 190 countries
Protecting Minority Investors: 28 out of 190 countries
Paying Taxes: 142 out of 190 countries
Trading across Borders: 96 out of 190 countries
Enforcing Contracts: 164 out of 190 countries
Resolving Insolvency: 94 out of 190 countries

Global competitiveness ranking

84 out of 141 countries

(2019)

Index of Economic Freedom

Ranking: 115 / Score: 56.4 (Mostly unfree)

(100=totally free 0=totally repressed)

 
 
Source
Time zone

UTC+5.5

Total area

65,610 sq km

Capital

Colombo (commercial capital); Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte (legislative capital)

Currency

Sri Lankan rupees (LKR)

Government type

Presidential republic

Languages

Sinhala (official and national language) 87%, Tamil (official and national language) 28.5%, English 23.8% (2012 est.)

Religions

Buddhist (official) 70.2%, Hindu 12.6%, Muslim 9.7%, Roman Catholic 6.1%, other Christian 1.3%, other 0.05% (2012 est.)

Total population
1990 2000 2010 2015 2020*
17.33 million 18.78 million 20.2 million 20.97 million 22.18 million

*Estimate

 
 
Source
Urban population as % of total population
1960 1980 2000 2018
16.4% 18.6% 18.4% 18.5%
Population median age

33.1 years

Population growth rate

0.73% (2018 estimate)

Life expectancy

77.1 years (2018 estimate)

Literacy

Total population: 91.9% 
Male: 93% 
Female: 91%
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write (2017 est.)

% of population living on less than $3.10 a day

10.1% (last available estimate, 2016)

Inequality of wealth distribution (Gini index)

39.8 (last available estimate, 2016)

(0=perfect equality, 100=absolute inequality)

Freedom House rating

Partly Free
Political Rights: 3
Civil Liberties: 4 (2019)
(1 represents the most free, 7 the least free rating)

Source
Total telephone subscribers as % of population

Fixed: 11.6% Mobile: 115.1% (2018)

(fixed-telephone subscribers and mobile-cellular subscribers)

Internet users as % of total population

34.11 % (2017)

Mercer Cost of living index

Colombo: 182nd (2019)

CO2 emissions

0.89 metric tons per capita (2014)

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