External balance on goods and services in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: External balance on goods and services was -3.9% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
External balance on goods and services in Sri Lanka, 1960–2025
Source: Country official statistics, National Statistical Organizations and/or Central Banks. Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
The most recent figure for external balance on goods and services in Sri Lanka is -3.9%, measured in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 48.6% on the previous year and up 45.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, external balance on goods and services in Sri Lanka peaked at 3.7% in 1977 and was at its lowest, -22.6%, in 1980.
That places Sri Lanka 100th out of 193 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
External balance on goods and services in Sri Lanka, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | -3.0% | — |
| 1961 | -0.9% | -68.0% |
| 1962 | -1.4% | +48.6% |
| 1963 | -1.7% | +23.2% |
| 1964 | -2.1% | +21.3% |
| 1965 | 0.4% | -119.4% |
| 1966 | -3.5% | -952.1% |
| 1967 | -2.8% | -18.2% |
| 1968 | -3.0% | +4.3% |
| 1969 | -6.2% | +109.8% |
| 1970 | -3.1% | -49.4% |
| 1971 | -2.0% | -36.4% |
| 1972 | -1.6% | -21.3% |
| 1973 | -1.2% | -23.0% |
| 1974 | -7.5% | +516.3% |
| 1975 | -7.5% | +0.0% |
| 1976 | -2.3% | -68.7% |
| 1977 | 3.7% | -256.7% |
| 1978 | -4.8% | -230.5% |
| 1979 | -12.0% | +152.2% |
| 1980 | -22.6% | +87.5% |
| 1981 | -16.1% | -28.8% |
| 1982 | -18.9% | +17.6% |
| 1983 | -15.1% | -20.1% |
| 1984 | -5.9% | -60.7% |
| 1985 | -12.0% | +101.2% |
| 1986 | -11.6% | -2.9% |
| 1987 | -10.5% | -9.5% |
| 1988 | -10.8% | +2.4% |
| 1989 | -9.5% | -11.7% |
| 1990 | -7.9% | -17.0% |
| 1991 | -10.1% | +28.3% |
| 1992 | -9.3% | -8.4% |
| 1993 | -9.5% | +3.0% |
| 1994 | -11.8% | +23.7% |
| 1995 | -10.4% | -11.6% |
| 1996 | -8.9% | -14.5% |
| 1997 | -7.1% | -20.9% |
| 1998 | -6.0% | -14.9% |
| 1999 | -7.8% | +29.6% |
| 2000 | -10.6% | +36.2% |
| 2001 | -6.2% | -41.2% |
| 2002 | -6.5% | +4.4% |
| 2003 | -6.0% | -7.4% |
| 2004 | -8.8% | +46.3% |
| 2005 | -8.9% | +1.2% |
| 2006 | -11.0% | +23.2% |
| 2007 | -10.4% | -5.7% |
| 2008 | -13.7% | +31.9% |
| 2009 | -6.5% | -52.6% |
| 2015 | -7.1% | +9.8% |
| 2016 | -6.8% | -4.3% |
| 2017 | -6.7% | -1.9% |
| 2018 | -6.9% | +3.4% |
| 2019 | -5.8% | -16.5% |
| 2020 | -6.2% | +6.8% |
| 2021 | -7.4% | +19.6% |
| 2022 | -3.6% | -51.8% |
| 2023 | -2.1% | -39.7% |
| 2024 | -2.6% | +21.4% |
| 2025 | -3.9% | +48.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | -2.4% | -6.2% | 0.4% | 10 |
| 1970s | -3.8% | -12.0% | 3.7% | 10 |
| 1980s | -13.3% | -22.6% | -5.9% | 10 |
| 1990s | -8.9% | -11.8% | -6.0% | 10 |
| 2000s | -8.9% | -13.7% | -6.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | -6.7% | -7.1% | -5.8% | 5 |
| 2020s | -4.3% | -7.4% | -2.1% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Sri Lanka
- 97 Benin -3.0% compare
- 98 United States of America -3.1% compare
- 99 Bahamas -3.7% compare
- 101 Bolivia, Plurinational State of -4.1% compare
- 102 Dominican Republic -4.2% compare
- 103 Serbia -4.3% 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)
- Total reserves minus gold (current US$), annual growth rate 38.42 % change on previous year (2024)
- Total reserves minus gold (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.0608 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Total reserves minus gold (current US$), per capita 276.26 current US$ per person (2024)
- General government final consumption expenditure (current US$) 5.98 % change on previous year (2025)
- General government final consumption expenditure (current US$), per 0.0674 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- General government final consumption expenditure (current US$), per 337.27 current US$ per person (2025)
- General government final consumption expenditure (current LCU) 5.57 % change on previous year (2025)
- General government final consumption expenditure (current LCU), per 20.29 current LCU per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is external balance on goods and services in Sri Lanka?
- External balance on goods and services in Sri Lanka was -3.9% in 2025, according to Country official statistics, National Statistical Organizations and/or Central Banks.
- What is the highest external balance on goods and services recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The highest recorded value was 3.7% in 1977.
- What is the lowest external balance on goods and services recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The lowest recorded value was -22.6% in 1980.
- How does Sri Lanka rank for external balance on goods and services?
- Sri Lanka ranks 100th out of 193 countries with data for 2025.
- Is external balance on goods and services rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
- Over the last ten years it is up 45.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Sri Lanka data come from?
- The figures come from Country official statistics, National Statistical Organizations and/or Central Banks, published as part of External balance on goods and services (% of GDP). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
The balance of international trade in goods and services is the difference between the exports and imports of goods and services. 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.