Gross capital formation in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: Gross capital formation was 29.6% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Gross capital formation 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 gross capital formation in Sri Lanka is 29.6%, measured in 2025.
The figure is up 12.5% on the previous year and down 13.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, gross capital formation in Sri Lanka peaked at 39.7% in 2017 and was at its lowest, 12.5%, in 1965.
Sri Lanka ranks 39th of 187 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 61 years of available data.
Gross capital formation in Sri Lanka, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 14.2% | — |
| 1961 | 17.3% | +21.7% |
| 1962 | 15.3% | -11.3% |
| 1963 | 17.0% | +10.9% |
| 1964 | 14.4% | -15.1% |
| 1965 | 12.5% | -13.2% |
| 1966 | 14.3% | +14.4% |
| 1967 | 15.2% | +6.3% |
| 1968 | 15.9% | +4.0% |
| 1969 | 19.3% | +21.6% |
| 1970 | 18.9% | -1.7% |
| 1971 | 17.1% | -9.9% |
| 1972 | 17.3% | +1.4% |
| 1973 | 13.7% | -20.6% |
| 1974 | 15.7% | +14.4% |
| 1975 | 15.6% | -0.9% |
| 1976 | 16.2% | +4.1% |
| 1977 | 14.4% | -10.9% |
| 1978 | 20.0% | +38.8% |
| 1979 | 25.8% | +28.8% |
| 1980 | 33.8% | +30.8% |
| 1981 | 27.8% | -17.7% |
| 1982 | 30.8% | +10.8% |
| 1983 | 28.9% | -6.1% |
| 1984 | 25.8% | -10.6% |
| 1985 | 23.8% | -7.8% |
| 1986 | 23.7% | -0.7% |
| 1987 | 23.3% | -1.4% |
| 1988 | 22.8% | -2.4% |
| 1989 | 21.7% | -4.6% |
| 1990 | 22.2% | +2.2% |
| 1991 | 22.9% | +3.0% |
| 1992 | 24.3% | +6.1% |
| 1993 | 25.6% | +5.3% |
| 1994 | 27.0% | +5.8% |
| 1995 | 25.7% | -4.8% |
| 1996 | 24.2% | -5.8% |
| 1997 | 24.4% | +0.6% |
| 1998 | 25.1% | +3.1% |
| 1999 | 27.3% | +8.6% |
| 2000 | 28.0% | +2.7% |
| 2001 | 22.0% | -21.5% |
| 2002 | 23.3% | +5.8% |
| 2003 | 22.0% | -5.4% |
| 2004 | 25.3% | +14.7% |
| 2005 | 26.8% | +6.2% |
| 2006 | 28.0% | +4.3% |
| 2007 | 28.0% | -0.1% |
| 2008 | 27.6% | -1.4% |
| 2009 | 24.4% | -11.3% |
| 2015 | 34.3% | +40.3% |
| 2016 | 36.5% | +6.4% |
| 2017 | 39.7% | +9.0% |
| 2018 | 38.1% | -4.2% |
| 2019 | 34.1% | -10.4% |
| 2020 | 32.9% | -3.6% |
| 2021 | 36.7% | +11.7% |
| 2022 | 27.3% | -25.8% |
| 2023 | 24.3% | -11.0% |
| 2024 | 26.3% | +8.5% |
| 2025 | 29.6% | +12.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 15.6% | 12.5% | 19.3% | 10 |
| 1970s | 17.5% | 13.7% | 25.8% | 10 |
| 1980s | 26.2% | 21.7% | 33.8% | 10 |
| 1990s | 24.9% | 22.2% | 27.3% | 10 |
| 2000s | 25.5% | 22.0% | 28.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 36.5% | 34.1% | 39.7% | 5 |
| 2020s | 29.5% | 24.3% | 36.7% | 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)
- Exports of goods and services (current LCU), annual growth rate 4.48 % change on previous year (2025)
- Exports of goods and services (current LCU), per unit of GDP 57.08 current LCU per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Exports of goods and services (current LCU), per capita 285,530 current LCU per person (2025)
- Exports of goods and services (constant 2015 US$), annual growth rate 5.06 % change on previous year (2025)
- Exports of goods and services (constant 2015 US$), per unit of GDP 0.2134 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Exports of goods and services (constant 2015 US$), per capita 1,067 constant 2015 US$ per person (2025)
- Gross fixed capital formation (current US$), annual growth rate 18.92 % change on previous year (2025)
- Gross fixed capital formation (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.2077 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is gross capital formation in Sri Lanka?
- Gross capital formation in Sri Lanka was 29.6% in 2025, according to Country official statistics, National Statistical Organizations and/or Central Banks.
- What is the highest gross capital formation recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The highest recorded value was 39.7% in 2017.
- What is the lowest gross capital formation recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The lowest recorded value was 12.5% in 1965.
- How does Sri Lanka rank for gross capital formation?
- Sri Lanka ranks 39th out of 187 countries with data for 2025.
- Is gross capital formation rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
- Over the last ten years it is down 13.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- 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 Gross capital formation (% of GDP). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Gross capital formation includes acquisitions less disposals of produced assets for purposes of fixed capital formation, inventories or valuables. 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.