Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$) in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$) was 98.21 million BoP, current US$ in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Foreign direct investment, net outflows in Sri Lanka, 1975–2025
Source: Balance of Payments database, International Monetary Fund (IMF), note: International Monetary Fund, Balance of Payments database, supplemented by data from the United Nations Conference on Trade and D. Measured in BoP, current US$.
Analysis
In 2025, foreign direct investment, net outflows in Sri Lanka stood at 98.21 million BoP, current US$.
The figure is down 11.0% on the previous year and up 85.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, foreign direct investment, net outflows in Sri Lanka peaked at 236.81 million BoP, current US$ in 2016 and was at its lowest, 0 BoP, current US$, in 1975.
That places Sri Lanka 94th out of 193 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$) in Sri Lanka, year by year
| Year | BoP, current US$ | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1975 | 0 BoP, current US$ | — |
| 1976 | 0 BoP, current US$ | — |
| 1977 | 0 BoP, current US$ | — |
| 1978 | 0 BoP, current US$ | — |
| 1979 | 0 BoP, current US$ | — |
| 1980 | 0 BoP, current US$ | — |
| 1981 | 0 BoP, current US$ | — |
| 1982 | 0 BoP, current US$ | — |
| 1983 | 0 BoP, current US$ | — |
| 1984 | 0 BoP, current US$ | — |
| 1985 | 1.36 million BoP, current US$ | — |
| 1986 | 535,247 BoP, current US$ | -60.7% |
| 1987 | 1.34 million BoP, current US$ | +149.7% |
| 1988 | 2.10 million BoP, current US$ | +57.1% |
| 1989 | 2.04 million BoP, current US$ | -2.8% |
| 1990 | 822,429 BoP, current US$ | -59.7% |
| 1991 | 4.52 million BoP, current US$ | +450.0% |
| 1992 | 1.63 million BoP, current US$ | -64.1% |
| 1993 | 6.90 million BoP, current US$ | +324.4% |
| 1994 | 8.26 million BoP, current US$ | +19.7% |
| 1995 | 5.60 million BoP, current US$ | -32.2% |
| 1996 | 6.92 million BoP, current US$ | +23.6% |
| 1997 | 5.00 million BoP, current US$ | -27.7% |
| 1998 | 13.00 million BoP, current US$ | +160.0% |
| 1999 | 24.00 million BoP, current US$ | +84.6% |
| 2000 | 2.00 million BoP, current US$ | -91.7% |
| 2001 | 1,000 BoP, current US$ | -100.0% |
| 2002 | 11.45 million BoP, current US$ | +1144900.0% |
| 2003 | 27.31 million BoP, current US$ | +138.5% |
| 2004 | 5.79 million BoP, current US$ | -78.8% |
| 2005 | 38.40 million BoP, current US$ | +563.2% |
| 2006 | 29.30 million BoP, current US$ | -23.7% |
| 2007 | 55.00 million BoP, current US$ | +87.7% |
| 2008 | 61.70 million BoP, current US$ | +12.2% |
| 2009 | 20.00 million BoP, current US$ | -67.6% |
| 2010 | 42.50 million BoP, current US$ | +112.5% |
| 2011 | 60.00 million BoP, current US$ | +41.2% |
| 2012 | 63.93 million BoP, current US$ | +6.5% |
| 2013 | 65.07 million BoP, current US$ | +1.8% |
| 2014 | 66.82 million BoP, current US$ | +2.7% |
| 2015 | 52.99 million BoP, current US$ | -20.7% |
| 2016 | 236.81 million BoP, current US$ | +346.9% |
| 2017 | 71.79 million BoP, current US$ | -69.7% |
| 2018 | 67.86 million BoP, current US$ | -5.5% |
| 2019 | 77.36 million BoP, current US$ | +14.0% |
| 2020 | 14.54 million BoP, current US$ | -81.2% |
| 2021 | 17.44 million BoP, current US$ | +19.9% |
| 2022 | 15.13 million BoP, current US$ | -13.2% |
| 2023 | 51.49 million BoP, current US$ | +240.2% |
| 2024 | 110.33 million BoP, current US$ | +114.3% |
| 2025 | 98.21 million BoP, current US$ | -11.0% |
Sri Lanka compared with similar countries
- Sri Lanka's 98.21 million BoP, current US$ is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 99.60 million BoP, current US$, 99% of the median. (55 countries reporting)
- Sri Lanka's 98.21 million BoP, current US$ is above the median for South Asia, which is 34.41 million BoP, current US$, 2.9× the median. (5 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$) 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | +1144900.0% | 1,000 BoP, current US$ | 11.45 million BoP, current US$ |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 0 BoP, current US$ | 0 BoP, current US$ | 0 BoP, current US$ | 5 |
| 1980s | 737,367 BoP, current US$ | 0 BoP, current US$ | 2.10 million BoP, current US$ | 10 |
| 1990s | 7.66 million BoP, current US$ | 822,429 BoP, current US$ | 24.00 million BoP, current US$ | 10 |
| 2000s | 25.10 million BoP, current US$ | 1,000 BoP, current US$ | 61.70 million BoP, current US$ | 10 |
| 2010s | 80.51 million BoP, current US$ | 42.50 million BoP, current US$ | 236.81 million BoP, current US$ | 10 |
| 2020s | 51.19 million BoP, current US$ | 14.54 million BoP, current US$ | 110.33 million BoP, current US$ | 6 |
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)
- 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)
- IMF holdings of currency, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0.0295 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is foreign direct investment, net outflows in Sri Lanka?
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows in Sri Lanka was 98.21 million BoP, current US$ in 2025, according to Balance of Payments database, International Monetary Fund (IMF), note: International Monetary Fund, Balance of Payments database, supplemented by data from the United Nations Conference on Trade and D.
- What is the highest foreign direct investment, net outflows recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The highest recorded value was 236.81 million BoP, current US$ in 2016.
- What is the lowest foreign direct investment, net outflows recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The lowest recorded value was 0 BoP, current US$ in 1975.
- How does Sri Lanka rank for foreign direct investment, net outflows?
- Sri Lanka ranks 94th out of 193 countries with data for 2025.
- Is foreign direct investment, net outflows rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
- Over the last ten years it is up 85.3%. 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 database, International Monetary Fund (IMF), note: International Monetary Fund, Balance of Payments database, supplemented by data from the United Nations Conference on Trade and D, published as part of Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 51 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Foreign direct investment refers to direct investment equity flows in an economy. It is the sum of equity capital, reinvestment of earnings, and other capital. Direct investment is a category of cross-border investment associated with a resident in one economy having control or a significant degree of influence on the management of an enterprise that is resident in another economy. Ownership of 10 percent or more of the ordinary shares of voting stock is the criterion for determining the existence of a direct investment relationship. This series shows net outflows of investment from the reporting economy to the rest of the world. Data are in current U.S. dollars.