Imports of goods and services in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: Imports of goods and services was 10.8% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Imports of goods and services in Sri Lanka, 1961–2025
Source: Country official statistics, National Statistical Offices (NSOs). Measured in annual % growth.
Analysis
In 2025, imports of goods and services in Sri Lanka stood at 10.8%.
That represents a change of down 49.7% on the previous year and up 55.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, imports of goods and services in Sri Lanka peaked at 36.9% in 1978 and was at its lowest, -20.1%, in 2020.
Sri Lanka ranks 36th of 178 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Imports of goods and services in Sri Lanka, year by year
| Year | annual % growth | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | -9.9% | — |
| 1962 | 11.6% | -217.9% |
| 1963 | -11.2% | -196.2% |
| 1964 | 0.4% | -103.9% |
| 1965 | -2.3% | -618.7% |
| 1966 | 4.8% | -311.4% |
| 1967 | -4.4% | -191.6% |
| 1968 | 11.0% | -352.0% |
| 1969 | 7.1% | -35.5% |
| 1970 | -5.9% | -183.3% |
| 1971 | -9.8% | +66.2% |
| 1972 | -7.8% | -21.1% |
| 1973 | -2.6% | -67.1% |
| 1974 | -2.4% | -6.6% |
| 1975 | -0.8% | -65.1% |
| 1976 | 13.6% | -1731.9% |
| 1977 | -5.7% | -141.8% |
| 1978 | 36.9% | -749.1% |
| 1979 | 18.9% | -48.7% |
| 1980 | 19.2% | +1.6% |
| 1981 | -7.0% | -136.2% |
| 1982 | 14.7% | -310.1% |
| 1983 | 10.8% | -26.4% |
| 1984 | 10.8% | -0.2% |
| 1985 | -6.5% | -160.3% |
| 1986 | 7.7% | -218.4% |
| 1987 | -0.3% | -103.5% |
| 1988 | -2.0% | +637.1% |
| 1989 | -2.0% | -0.0% |
| 1990 | 7.9% | -494.9% |
| 1991 | 7.9% | -0.0% |
| 1992 | 7.9% | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 14.5% | +83.5% |
| 1994 | 14.2% | -2.1% |
| 1995 | 1.0% | -93.0% |
| 1996 | 2.8% | +180.0% |
| 1997 | 10.5% | +273.9% |
| 1998 | 11.5% | +9.8% |
| 1999 | 7.0% | -39.0% |
| 2000 | 14.9% | +112.5% |
| 2001 | -9.5% | -164.0% |
| 2002 | 11.2% | -217.7% |
| 2003 | 11.2% | +0.3% |
| 2004 | 9.0% | -19.9% |
| 2005 | 2.7% | -70.2% |
| 2006 | 6.9% | +158.1% |
| 2007 | 3.7% | -46.2% |
| 2008 | 4.0% | +7.5% |
| 2009 | -9.6% | -338.9% |
| 2016 | 7.0% | -172.9% |
| 2017 | 6.7% | -3.7% |
| 2018 | 3.3% | -51.5% |
| 2019 | -3.5% | -207.4% |
| 2020 | -20.1% | +472.5% |
| 2021 | 4.1% | -120.4% |
| 2022 | -19.9% | -584.9% |
| 2023 | 8.9% | -145.0% |
| 2024 | 21.6% | +141.0% |
| 2025 | 10.8% | -49.7% |
Sri Lanka compared with similar countries
- Sri Lanka's 10.8% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 5.0%, 2.2× the median. (48 countries reporting)
- Sri Lanka's 10.8% is above the median for South Asia, which is 6.6%, 1.6× the median. (6 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Imports of goods and services 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 | +1731.9% | -0.8% | 13.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 0.8% | -11.2% | 11.6% | 9 |
| 1970s | 3.5% | -9.8% | 36.9% | 10 |
| 1980s | 4.5% | -7.0% | 19.2% | 10 |
| 1990s | 8.5% | 1.0% | 14.5% | 10 |
| 2000s | 4.5% | -9.6% | 14.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 3.4% | -3.5% | 7.0% | 4 |
| 2020s | 0.9% | -20.1% | 21.6% | 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)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), gaps 110.33 million BoP, current US$ (2024)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per unit 0.0011 BoP, current US$ per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per capita 5.03 BoP, current US$ per person (2024)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), gaps filled 761.14 million BoP, current US$ (2024)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), annual 6.75 % change on previous year (2024)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), per unit 0.0076 BoP, current US$ per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), per capita 34.73 BoP, current US$ per person (2024)
- Total reserves (includes gold, current US$), annual growth rate 38.34 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is imports of goods and services in Sri Lanka?
- Imports of goods and services in Sri Lanka was 10.8% in 2025, according to Country official statistics, National Statistical Offices (NSOs).
- What is the highest imports of goods and services recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The highest recorded value was 36.9% in 1978.
- What is the lowest imports of goods and services recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The lowest recorded value was -20.1% in 2020.
- How does Sri Lanka rank for imports of goods and services?
- Sri Lanka ranks 36th out of 178 countries with data for 2025.
- Is imports of goods and services rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
- Over the last ten years it is up 55.2%. 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 Offices (NSOs), published as part of Imports of goods and services (annual % growth). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 59 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Imports of goods includes change in the economic ownership of goods from non-residents to residents of the compiling economy, irrespective of physical movement of goods across national borders. Imports of services includes services provided by non-residents to residents. This indicator denotes the percentage change over each previous year of the constant price (base year 2015) series in United States dollars.