Annual growth of GDP per capita in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: Annual growth of GDP per capita was 5.7% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Annual growth of GDP per capita in Sri Lanka, 1962–2025
Source: National statistical organizations and central banks, OECD national accounts, and World Bank staff estimates (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in annual %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for annual growth of gdp per capita in Sri Lanka is 5.7%, measured in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 2.7% on the previous year and up 76.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, annual growth of gdp per capita in Sri Lanka peaked at 8.0% in 2011 and was at its lowest, -7.5%, in 2022.
Sri Lanka ranks 21st of 212 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Annual growth of GDP per capita in Sri Lanka, year by year
| Year | annual % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1962 | 1.3% | — |
| 1963 | 0.0% | -97.1% |
| 1964 | 1.4% | +3497.3% |
| 1965 | 0.1% | -95.6% |
| 1966 | 2.5% | +3998.7% |
| 1967 | 3.9% | +54.9% |
| 1968 | 3.3% | -15.7% |
| 1969 | 5.2% | +58.9% |
| 1970 | 1.5% | -70.6% |
| 1971 | -0.8% | -154.0% |
| 1972 | -2.4% | +190.4% |
| 1973 | 5.0% | -307.1% |
| 1974 | 1.9% | -61.2% |
| 1975 | 4.2% | +118.1% |
| 1976 | 1.5% | -65.0% |
| 1977 | 3.2% | +117.1% |
| 1978 | 3.7% | +16.1% |
| 1979 | 4.4% | +19.0% |
| 1980 | 3.9% | -11.4% |
| 1981 | 3.9% | +0.2% |
| 1982 | 2.9% | -27.2% |
| 1983 | 4.1% | +43.7% |
| 1984 | 4.7% | +15.1% |
| 1985 | 4.3% | -9.1% |
| 1986 | 3.1% | -27.7% |
| 1987 | 0.5% | -82.6% |
| 1988 | 1.4% | +166.1% |
| 1989 | 1.2% | -14.6% |
| 1990 | 5.7% | +365.6% |
| 1991 | 3.8% | -33.3% |
| 1992 | 2.8% | -27.9% |
| 1993 | 5.1% | +85.2% |
| 1994 | 4.1% | -20.2% |
| 1995 | 3.8% | -7.5% |
| 1996 | 1.8% | -51.6% |
| 1997 | 4.4% | +141.5% |
| 1998 | 2.7% | -37.8% |
| 1999 | 2.4% | -13.1% |
| 2000 | 4.1% | +71.6% |
| 2001 | -3.1% | -175.6% |
| 2002 | 2.9% | -193.4% |
| 2003 | 5.2% | +79.0% |
| 2004 | 4.7% | -8.4% |
| 2005 | 5.6% | +17.6% |
| 2006 | 6.9% | +24.9% |
| 2007 | 6.1% | -12.7% |
| 2008 | 5.2% | -13.5% |
| 2009 | 2.9% | -44.6% |
| 2010 | 7.4% | +154.1% |
| 2011 | 8.0% | +8.3% |
| 2012 | 7.8% | -2.4% |
| 2013 | 7.0% | -10.3% |
| 2014 | 5.4% | -23.1% |
| 2015 | 3.3% | -39.7% |
| 2016 | 3.9% | +19.0% |
| 2017 | 5.2% | +35.7% |
| 2018 | 1.3% | -75.5% |
| 2019 | -0.8% | -164.5% |
| 2020 | -5.1% | +518.6% |
| 2021 | 3.1% | -160.3% |
| 2022 | -7.5% | -341.0% |
| 2023 | -1.4% | -81.4% |
| 2024 | 5.6% | -501.2% |
| 2025 | 5.7% | +2.7% |
Sri Lanka compared with similar countries
- Sri Lanka's 5.7% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 3.1%, 1.8× the median. (58 countries reporting)
- Sri Lanka's 5.7% is below the median for South Asia, which is 5.8%, 98% of the median. (6 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Annual growth of GDP per capita 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1966 | +3998.7% | 0.1% | 2.5% |
| 1964 | +3497.3% | 0.0% | 1.4% |
| 2020 | -518.6% | -0.8% | -5.1% |
| 2024 | +501.2% | -1.4% | 5.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 2.2% | 0.0% | 5.2% | 8 |
| 1970s | 2.2% | -2.4% | 5.0% | 10 |
| 1980s | 3.0% | 0.5% | 4.7% | 10 |
| 1990s | 3.7% | 1.8% | 5.7% | 10 |
| 2000s | 4.1% | -3.1% | 6.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 4.8% | -0.8% | 8.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.1% | -7.5% | 5.7% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Sri Lanka
- 18 Maldives 5.9% compare
- 19 Marshall Islands 5.9% compare
- 20 Cape Verde 5.8% compare
- 22 Uzbekistan 5.7% compare
- 23 East Timor 5.6% compare
- 24 Mongolia 5.5% 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)
- 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 annual growth of gdp per capita in Sri Lanka?
- Annual growth of gdp per capita in Sri Lanka was 5.7% in 2025, according to National statistical organizations and central banks, OECD national accounts, and World Bank staff estimates (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest annual growth of gdp per capita recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The highest recorded value was 8.0% in 2011.
- What is the lowest annual growth of gdp per capita recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The lowest recorded value was -7.5% in 2022.
- How does Sri Lanka rank for annual growth of gdp per capita?
- Sri Lanka ranks 21st out of 212 countries with data for 2025.
- Is annual growth of gdp per capita rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
- Over the last ten years it is up 76.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Sri Lanka data come from?
- The figures come from National statistical organizations and central banks, OECD national accounts, and World Bank staff estimates (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Annual growth of GDP per capita. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
This data is adjusted for inflation.