Current account balance (BoP, current US$) in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: Current account balance (BoP, current US$) was 1.72 billion BoP, current US$ in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Current account balance in Sri Lanka, 1975–2025
Source: Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in BoP, current US$.
Analysis
In 2025, current account balance in Sri Lanka stood at 1.72 billion BoP, current US$. That is the highest value across all 51 years on record.
That represents a change of up 42.4% on the previous year and up 191.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, current account balance in Sri Lanka peaked at 1.72 billion BoP, current US$ in 2025 and was at its lowest, -4.62 billion BoP, current US$, in 2011.
Sri Lanka ranks 47th of 200 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Current account balance (BoP, current US$) in Sri Lanka, year by year
| Year | BoP, current US$ | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1975 | -110.03 million BoP, current US$ | — |
| 1976 | -5.94 million BoP, current US$ | -94.6% |
| 1977 | 142.19 million BoP, current US$ | -2492.3% |
| 1978 | -65.57 million BoP, current US$ | -146.1% |
| 1979 | -226.31 million BoP, current US$ | +245.1% |
| 1980 | -655.30 million BoP, current US$ | +189.6% |
| 1981 | -444.43 million BoP, current US$ | -32.2% |
| 1982 | -548.32 million BoP, current US$ | +23.4% |
| 1983 | -466.00 million BoP, current US$ | -15.0% |
| 1984 | 878,909 BoP, current US$ | -100.2% |
| 1985 | -418.45 million BoP, current US$ | -47710.2% |
| 1986 | -417.07 million BoP, current US$ | -0.3% |
| 1987 | -326.06 million BoP, current US$ | -21.8% |
| 1988 | -394.47 million BoP, current US$ | +21.0% |
| 1989 | -413.71 million BoP, current US$ | +4.9% |
| 1990 | -298.30 million BoP, current US$ | -27.9% |
| 1991 | -594.77 million BoP, current US$ | +99.4% |
| 1992 | -450.66 million BoP, current US$ | -24.2% |
| 1993 | -382.22 million BoP, current US$ | -15.2% |
| 1994 | -757.41 million BoP, current US$ | +98.2% |
| 1995 | -769.94 million BoP, current US$ | +1.7% |
| 1996 | -682.66 million BoP, current US$ | -11.3% |
| 1997 | -394.68 million BoP, current US$ | -42.2% |
| 1998 | -227.66 million BoP, current US$ | -42.3% |
| 1999 | -561.35 million BoP, current US$ | +146.6% |
| 2000 | -1.04 billion BoP, current US$ | +85.9% |
| 2001 | -215.49 million BoP, current US$ | -79.4% |
| 2002 | -236.35 million BoP, current US$ | +9.7% |
| 2003 | -70.72 million BoP, current US$ | -70.1% |
| 2004 | -647.57 million BoP, current US$ | +815.7% |
| 2005 | -650.13 million BoP, current US$ | +0.4% |
| 2006 | -1.50 billion BoP, current US$ | +130.4% |
| 2007 | -1.40 billion BoP, current US$ | -6.5% |
| 2008 | -3.89 billion BoP, current US$ | +177.4% |
| 2009 | -214.70 million BoP, current US$ | -94.5% |
| 2010 | -1.08 billion BoP, current US$ | +400.7% |
| 2011 | -4.62 billion BoP, current US$ | +329.3% |
| 2012 | -4.01 billion BoP, current US$ | -13.1% |
| 2013 | -2.54 billion BoP, current US$ | -36.6% |
| 2014 | -1.99 billion BoP, current US$ | -21.8% |
| 2015 | -1.88 billion BoP, current US$ | -5.3% |
| 2016 | -1.74 billion BoP, current US$ | -7.5% |
| 2017 | -2.31 billion BoP, current US$ | +32.5% |
| 2018 | -2.80 billion BoP, current US$ | +21.2% |
| 2019 | -1.84 billion BoP, current US$ | -34.1% |
| 2020 | -1.19 billion BoP, current US$ | -35.6% |
| 2021 | -3.28 billion BoP, current US$ | +176.7% |
| 2022 | -1.45 billion BoP, current US$ | -55.9% |
| 2023 | 1.44 billion BoP, current US$ | -199.4% |
| 2024 | 1.21 billion BoP, current US$ | -16.1% |
| 2025 | 1.72 billion BoP, current US$ | +42.4% |
Sri Lanka compared with similar countries
- Sri Lanka's 1.72 billion BoP, current US$ is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is -464.37 million BoP, current US$. (57 countries reporting)
- Sri Lanka's 1.72 billion BoP, current US$ is above the median for South Asia, which is -339.70 million BoP, current US$. (6 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Current account balance (BoP, current US$) in Sri Lanka changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | -47710.2% | 878,909 BoP, current US$ | -418.45 million BoP, current US$ |
| 1977 | +2492.3% | -5.94 million BoP, current US$ | 142.19 million BoP, current US$ |
| 2004 | -815.7% | -70.72 million BoP, current US$ | -647.57 million BoP, current US$ |
| 2010 | -400.7% | -214.70 million BoP, current US$ | -1.08 billion BoP, current US$ |
| 2011 | -329.3% | -1.08 billion BoP, current US$ | -4.62 billion BoP, current US$ |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | -53.13 million BoP, current US$ | -226.31 million BoP, current US$ | 142.19 million BoP, current US$ | 5 |
| 1980s | -408.29 million BoP, current US$ | -655.30 million BoP, current US$ | 878,909 BoP, current US$ | 10 |
| 1990s | -511.97 million BoP, current US$ | -769.94 million BoP, current US$ | -227.66 million BoP, current US$ | 10 |
| 2000s | -986.29 million BoP, current US$ | -3.89 billion BoP, current US$ | -70.72 million BoP, current US$ | 10 |
| 2010s | -2.48 billion BoP, current US$ | -4.62 billion BoP, current US$ | -1.08 billion BoP, current US$ | 10 |
| 2020s | -259.02 million BoP, current US$ | -3.28 billion BoP, current US$ | 1.72 billion BoP, current US$ | 6 |
Countries ranked near Sri Lanka
More economy & growth data for Sri Lanka
- Real gdp growth, annual growth rate 314.98 % change on previous year (2024)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP -8.07 Percent per annum (2022)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP -7.82 Percent per annum (2022)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, annual growth rate -66.71 % change on previous year (2025)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, per capita 0.0483 units per person (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, annual growth rate -68.3 % change on previous year (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, per capita 0.0353 units per person (2025)
- IMF holdings of currency, US dollar, annual growth rate 33.41 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is current account balance in Sri Lanka?
- Current account balance in Sri Lanka was 1.72 billion BoP, current US$ in 2025, according to Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
- What is the highest current account balance recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The highest recorded value was 1.72 billion BoP, current US$ in 2025.
- What is the lowest current account balance recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The lowest recorded value was -4.62 billion BoP, current US$ in 2011.
- How does Sri Lanka rank for current account balance?
- Sri Lanka ranks 47th out of 200 countries with data for 2025.
- Is current account balance rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
- Over the last ten years it is up 191.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Sri Lanka data come from?
- The figures come from Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF), published as part of Current account balance (BoP, current US$). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Balance of current transactions (transactions in goods and services, earned income and transfer income) between residents and non-residents. The term current account balance is used in the external accounts and is expressed from the perspective of resident units. The term current external balance is used in the national accounts and is expressed from the perspective of the non-resident units, and therefore with the opposite sign. This indicator is expressed in current prices, meaning no adjustment has been made to account for price changes over time. This indicator is expressed in United States dollars.