Total debt service in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: Total debt service was 23.7% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Total debt service in Sri Lanka, 1975–2024
Source: International Debt Statistics, World Bank (WB). Measured in % of exports of goods, services and primary income.
Analysis
Sri Lanka recorded 23.7% for total debt service in 2024.
The figure is up 47.5% on the previous year and down 38.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, total debt service in Sri Lanka peaked at 38.2% in 2014 and was at its lowest, 5.5%, in 2005.
Sri Lanka ranks 26th of 120 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 50 years of available data.
Total debt service in Sri Lanka, year by year
| Year | % of exports of goods, services and primary income | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1975 | 26.5% | — |
| 1976 | 25.1% | -5.2% |
| 1977 | 19.4% | -22.9% |
| 1978 | 15.1% | -21.9% |
| 1979 | 13.7% | -9.6% |
| 1980 | 13.4% | -1.9% |
| 1981 | 15.5% | +15.3% |
| 1982 | 18.2% | +17.7% |
| 1983 | 19.0% | +4.1% |
| 1984 | 15.3% | -19.3% |
| 1985 | 19.5% | +27.6% |
| 1986 | 25.3% | +29.4% |
| 1987 | 27.8% | +10.0% |
| 1988 | 25.9% | -6.8% |
| 1989 | 22.2% | -14.4% |
| 1990 | 16.1% | -27.2% |
| 1991 | 16.2% | +0.3% |
| 1992 | 15.1% | -6.3% |
| 1993 | 11.6% | -23.6% |
| 1994 | 10.1% | -12.5% |
| 1995 | 9.3% | -7.7% |
| 1996 | 9.3% | -0.7% |
| 1997 | 9.2% | -0.3% |
| 1998 | 9.9% | +6.7% |
| 1999 | 13.3% | +34.6% |
| 2000 | 12.1% | -8.7% |
| 2001 | 11.8% | -2.3% |
| 2002 | 11.8% | -0.8% |
| 2003 | 9.1% | -22.6% |
| 2004 | 10.5% | +14.9% |
| 2005 | 5.5% | -47.0% |
| 2006 | 10.8% | +95.5% |
| 2007 | 8.8% | -18.4% |
| 2008 | 12.0% | +36.2% |
| 2009 | 15.6% | +29.9% |
| 2010 | 12.3% | -21.2% |
| 2011 | 9.3% | -24.4% |
| 2012 | 15.5% | +66.3% |
| 2013 | 14.1% | -9.1% |
| 2014 | 38.2% | +171.5% |
| 2015 | 20.8% | -45.6% |
| 2016 | 18.9% | -9.1% |
| 2017 | 21.9% | +15.7% |
| 2018 | 36.1% | +64.9% |
| 2019 | 31.7% | -12.0% |
| 2020 | 38.0% | +19.8% |
| 2021 | 31.5% | -17.2% |
| 2022 | 20.3% | -35.5% |
| 2023 | 16.1% | -20.8% |
| 2024 | 23.7% | +47.5% |
Sri Lanka compared with similar countries
- Sri Lanka's 23.7% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 14.4%, 1.6× the median. (51 countries reporting)
- Sri Lanka's 23.7% is above the median for South Asia, which is 14.1%, 1.7× the median. (6 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Total debt service 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | +171.5% | 14.1% | 38.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 20.0% | 13.7% | 26.5% | 5 |
| 1980s | 20.2% | 13.4% | 27.8% | 10 |
| 1990s | 12.0% | 9.2% | 16.2% | 10 |
| 2000s | 10.8% | 5.5% | 15.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 21.9% | 9.3% | 38.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 25.9% | 16.1% | 38.0% | 5 |
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 total debt service in Sri Lanka?
- Total debt service in Sri Lanka was 23.7% in 2024, according to International Debt Statistics, World Bank (WB).
- What is the highest total debt service recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The highest recorded value was 38.2% in 2014.
- What is the lowest total debt service recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.5% in 2005.
- How does Sri Lanka rank for total debt service?
- Sri Lanka ranks 26th out of 120 countries with data for 2024.
- Is total debt service rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
- Over the last ten years it is down 38.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sri Lanka data come from?
- The figures come from International Debt Statistics, World Bank (WB), published as part of Total debt service (% of exports of goods, services and primary income). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Total debt service to exports of goods, services and primary income. Total debt service is the sum of principal repayments and interest actually paid in currency, goods, or services on long-term debt, interest paid on short-term debt, and repayments (repurchases and charges) to the IMF.