Expense in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: Expense was 18.0% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Expense in Sri Lanka, 1990–2023
Source: Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
The most recent figure for expense in Sri Lanka is 18.0%, measured in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 14.6% on the previous year and up 27.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, expense in Sri Lanka peaked at 26.0% in 1995 and was at its lowest, 14.2%, in 2013.
That places Sri Lanka 118th out of 157 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 34 years of available data.
Expense in Sri Lanka, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 24.6% | — |
| 1991 | 25.5% | +3.6% |
| 1992 | 24.0% | -6.0% |
| 1993 | 22.8% | -4.8% |
| 1994 | 24.3% | +6.4% |
| 1995 | 26.0% | +6.8% |
| 1996 | 25.0% | -3.8% |
| 1997 | 22.8% | -8.6% |
| 1998 | 21.8% | -4.7% |
| 1999 | 21.2% | -2.5% |
| 2000 | 23.0% | +8.3% |
| 2001 | 23.8% | +3.6% |
| 2002 | 22.9% | -3.8% |
| 2003 | 20.5% | -10.6% |
| 2004 | 20.7% | +1.1% |
| 2005 | 20.2% | -2.5% |
| 2006 | 21.1% | +4.7% |
| 2007 | 20.0% | -5.2% |
| 2008 | 19.2% | -4.2% |
| 2009 | 21.0% | +9.1% |
| 2010 | 16.3% | -22.2% |
| 2011 | 15.6% | -4.4% |
| 2012 | 15.1% | -3.3% |
| 2013 | 14.2% | -6.1% |
| 2014 | 14.2% | +0.3% |
| 2015 | 17.1% | +20.3% |
| 2016 | 15.7% | -8.4% |
| 2017 | 15.3% | -2.1% |
| 2018 | 15.3% | -0.3% |
| 2019 | 15.9% | +4.2% |
| 2020 | 19.1% | +19.7% |
| 2021 | 17.5% | -8.4% |
| 2022 | 15.7% | -9.9% |
| 2023 | 18.0% | +14.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 23.8% | 21.2% | 26.0% | 10 |
| 2000s | 21.2% | 19.2% | 23.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 15.5% | 14.2% | 17.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 17.6% | 15.7% | 19.1% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Sri Lanka
- 115 Canada 19.1% compare
- 116 Paraguay 18.9% compare
- 117 Dominican Republic 18.1% compare
- 119 Rwanda 18.0% compare
- 120 Cote d'Ivoire 17.9% compare
- 121 Saint Lucia 17.6% compare
More economy & growth data for Sri Lanka
- 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)
- Gross value added at basic prices (GVA) (current US$), annual growth 5.75 % change on previous year (2025)
- Gross value added at basic prices (GVA) (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.8843 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Gross value added at basic prices (GVA) (current US$), per capita 4,424 current US$ per person (2025)
- Gross value added at basic prices (GVA) (current LCU), annual growth 5.34 % change on previous year (2025)
- Gross value added at basic prices (GVA) (current LCU), per unit of GDP 266.14 current LCU per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Gross value added at basic prices (GVA) (current LCU), per capita 1.33 million current LCU per person (2025)
- Gross value added at basic prices (GVA) (constant 2015 US$), annual 4.43 % change on previous year (2025)
- Gross value added at basic prices (GVA) (constant 2015 US$), per unit 0.8249 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is expense in Sri Lanka?
- Expense in Sri Lanka was 18.0% in 2023, according to Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
- What is the highest expense recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The highest recorded value was 26.0% in 1995.
- What is the lowest expense recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The lowest recorded value was 14.2% in 2013.
- How does Sri Lanka rank for expense?
- Sri Lanka ranks 118th out of 157 countries with data for 2023.
- Is expense rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
- Over the last ten years it is up 27.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Sri Lanka data come from?
- The figures come from Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF), published as part of Expense (% of GDP). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Expense is a decrease in net worth resulting from a transaction. This indicator is expressed as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) which is the total income earned through the production of goods and services in an economic territory during an accounting period.