External debt stocks in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: External debt stocks was 58.9% in 2024. ▲ Rising
External debt stocks in Sri Lanka, 1970–2024
Source: International Debt Statistics, World Bank (WB). Measured in % of GNI.
Analysis
Sri Lanka recorded 58.9% for external debt stocks in 2024.
That represents a change of down 21.0% on the previous year and up 12.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, external debt stocks in Sri Lanka peaked at 81.3% in 2022 and was at its lowest, 20.3%, in 1970.
Sri Lanka ranks 39th of 122 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 55 years of available data.
External debt stocks in Sri Lanka, year by year
| Year | % of GNI | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 20.3% | — |
| 1971 | 24.1% | +18.5% |
| 1972 | 23.6% | -2.2% |
| 1973 | 24.1% | +2.2% |
| 1974 | 24.3% | +0.7% |
| 1975 | 24.3% | +0.0% |
| 1976 | 30.8% | +26.9% |
| 1977 | 32.4% | +5.1% |
| 1978 | 55.2% | +70.5% |
| 1979 | 46.5% | -15.8% |
| 1980 | 45.5% | -2.3% |
| 1981 | 51.0% | +12.3% |
| 1982 | 54.6% | +7.0% |
| 1983 | 56.2% | +2.9% |
| 1984 | 51.1% | -9.1% |
| 1985 | 59.5% | +16.6% |
| 1986 | 64.1% | +7.6% |
| 1987 | 71.5% | +11.5% |
| 1988 | 74.8% | +4.7% |
| 1989 | 74.8% | -0.1% |
| 1990 | 73.6% | -1.6% |
| 1991 | 73.7% | +0.2% |
| 1992 | 66.9% | -9.3% |
| 1993 | 66.8% | -0.2% |
| 1994 | 68.4% | +2.4% |
| 1995 | 65.3% | -4.5% |
| 1996 | 60.6% | -7.2% |
| 1997 | 54.3% | -10.3% |
| 1998 | 58.3% | +7.2% |
| 1999 | 64.7% | +11.0% |
| 2000 | 57.8% | -10.7% |
| 2001 | 57.9% | +0.2% |
| 2002 | 62.2% | +7.4% |
| 2003 | 57.3% | -7.8% |
| 2004 | 56.7% | -1.1% |
| 2005 | 46.9% | -17.3% |
| 2006 | 42.5% | -9.3% |
| 2007 | 44.3% | +4.1% |
| 2008 | 41.1% | -7.2% |
| 2009 | 46.9% | +14.2% |
| 2010 | 37.4% | -20.3% |
| 2011 | 38.4% | +2.9% |
| 2012 | 51.6% | +34.3% |
| 2013 | 52.2% | +1.2% |
| 2014 | 52.4% | +0.2% |
| 2015 | 52.9% | +1.0% |
| 2016 | 54.4% | +2.8% |
| 2017 | 55.1% | +1.4% |
| 2018 | 57.5% | +4.2% |
| 2019 | 64.9% | +12.8% |
| 2020 | 69.3% | +6.9% |
| 2021 | 67.9% | -2.1% |
| 2022 | 81.3% | +19.8% |
| 2023 | 74.6% | -8.2% |
| 2024 | 58.9% | -21.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 30.6% | 20.3% | 55.2% | 10 |
| 1980s | 60.3% | 45.5% | 74.8% | 10 |
| 1990s | 65.2% | 54.3% | 73.7% | 10 |
| 2000s | 51.3% | 41.1% | 62.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 51.7% | 37.4% | 64.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 70.4% | 58.9% | 81.3% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Sri Lanka
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)
- Imports of goods and services (constant 2015 US$), annual growth rate 10.84 % change on previous year (2025)
- Imports of goods and services (constant 2015 US$), per unit of GDP 0.2353 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Imports of goods and services (constant 2015 US$), per capita 1,177 constant 2015 US$ per person (2025)
- External balance on goods and services (current US$), annual growth -62.31 % change on previous year (2025)
- External balance on goods and services (current LCU), annual growth -61.68 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current LCU), annual 8.68 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current LCU), per 25.17 current LCU per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current LCU), per 125,886 current LCU per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is external debt stocks in Sri Lanka?
- External debt stocks in Sri Lanka was 58.9% in 2024, according to International Debt Statistics, World Bank (WB).
- What is the highest external debt stocks recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The highest recorded value was 81.3% in 2022.
- What is the lowest external debt stocks recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The lowest recorded value was 20.3% in 1970.
- How does Sri Lanka rank for external debt stocks?
- Sri Lanka ranks 39th out of 122 countries with data for 2024.
- Is external debt stocks rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
- Over the last ten years it is up 12.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sri Lanka data come from?
- The figures come from International Debt Statistics, World Bank (WB), published as part of External debt stocks (% of GNI). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Total external debt stocks to gross national income. Total external debt is debt owed to nonresidents repayable in currency, goods, or services. Total external debt is the sum of public, publicly guaranteed, and private nonguaranteed long-term debt, use of IMF credit, and short-term debt. Short-term debt includes all debt having an original maturity of one year or less and interest in arrears on long-term debt. GNI (formerly GNP) is the sum of value added by all resident producers plus any product taxes (less subsidies) not included in the valuation of output plus net receipts of primary income (compensation of employees and property income) from abroad.