Tax revenue as a proportion of GDP in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: Tax revenue as a proportion of GDP was 9.9% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Tax revenue as a proportion of GDP in Sri Lanka, 2000–2023
Source: United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
Analysis
In 2023, tax revenue as a proportion of gdp in Sri Lanka stood at 9.9%.
The figure is up 36.3% on the previous year and down 2.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, tax revenue as a proportion of gdp in Sri Lanka peaked at 14.6% in 2001 and was at its lowest, 7.3%, in 2022.
That places Sri Lanka 139th out of 164 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 24 years of available data.
Tax revenue as a proportion of GDP in Sri Lanka, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 14.5% | — |
| 2001 | 14.6% | +0.8% |
| 2002 | 14.0% | -4.1% |
| 2003 | 12.7% | -9.3% |
| 2004 | 13.5% | +5.9% |
| 2005 | 13.7% | +2.0% |
| 2006 | 14.6% | +6.2% |
| 2007 | 14.2% | -2.4% |
| 2008 | 13.3% | -6.6% |
| 2009 | 12.8% | -3.6% |
| 2010 | 10.9% | -14.6% |
| 2011 | 10.8% | -0.8% |
| 2012 | 10.1% | -6.8% |
| 2013 | 10.1% | +0.1% |
| 2014 | 9.7% | -3.7% |
| 2015 | 11.7% | +20.2% |
| 2016 | 11.4% | -2.5% |
| 2017 | 11.6% | +1.6% |
| 2018 | 11.2% | -3.9% |
| 2019 | 10.9% | -2.2% |
| 2020 | 7.8% | -28.7% |
| 2021 | 7.4% | -5.2% |
| 2022 | 7.3% | -1.3% |
| 2023 | 9.9% | +36.3% |
Sri Lanka compared with similar countries
- Sri Lanka's 9.9% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 17.2%, 58% of the median. (45 countries reporting)
- Sri Lanka's 9.9% is below the median for South Asia, which is 11.1%, 89% of the median. (6 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Tax revenue as a proportion of GDP 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | +36.3% | 7.3% | 9.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 13.8% | 12.7% | 14.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 10.9% | 9.7% | 11.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 8.1% | 7.3% | 9.9% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Sri Lanka
- 136 Democratic Republic of the Congo 10.7% compare
- 137 Germany 10.6% compare
- 138 Argentina 9.9% compare
- 140 Afghanistan 9.9% compare
- 141 Madagascar 9.6% compare
- 142 Gabon 9.5% 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)
- 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 tax revenue as a proportion of gdp in Sri Lanka?
- Tax revenue as a proportion of gdp in Sri Lanka was 9.9% in 2023, according to United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
- What is the highest tax revenue as a proportion of gdp recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The highest recorded value was 14.6% in 2001.
- What is the lowest tax revenue as a proportion of gdp recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The lowest recorded value was 7.3% in 2022.
- How does Sri Lanka rank for tax revenue as a proportion of gdp?
- Sri Lanka ranks 139th out of 164 countries with data for 2023.
- Is tax revenue as a proportion of gdp rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
- Over the last ten years it is down 2.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Sri Lanka data come from?
- The figures come from United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database, published as part of Tax revenue as a proportion of GDP (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 24 observations, free to reuse under UN SDG Global Database (open, attribution requested).